On May 10, the 2024 China Brand Day series of activities - "Super Integration, Super Hybrid" DMH Technology Brand Conference, sponsored by Xinhua News Agency Shanghai Branch and China Economic Information Service, and co-sponsored by SAIC Motor's Innovation Research and Development Institute and SAIC Passenger Vehicle Roewe brand, was held in Shanghai.
After long-term technology accumulation and market verification, the DMH super hybrid technology released at this conference has reached a higher level of integration and intelligence, which is a new driving force for SAIC's own brands to maintain long-term competitiveness.
DMH super hybrid technology has three technical characteristics: modularization, integration and exclusivity. At the same time, the system has the industry's first "energy domain" global thermal management, powertrain brain PICU, engine + P1 motor coaxial structure and other leading technologies, with software algorithms as the core, matching special high-efficiency engines, gearboxes, long-range batteries and other special hardware for hybrids, "both soft and hard". Achieve hyper-convergence to achieve the highest performance and optimal indicators.
The launch of DMH super hybrid technology is a "super integration" of science and technology SAIC, quality SAIC, and responsible SAIC, and it is also an important practice to launch the SAIC brand.
Lu Yong, Executive Vice President of SAIC Innovation R&D Institute, Qiu Jie, Vice President and Deputy Chief Engineer of SAIC Innovation R&D Institute, and Pu Chunxu, Chief Marketing Officer of SAIC Passenger Vehicle Company, also explained their views on Roewe DMH technology.
We all know that engine thermal efficiency has become a very powerful propaganda point in the new energy era. In this regard, what kind of level has Roewe DMH reached, and where is its competitiveness?
In this regard, Qiu Jie said that on the issue of thermal efficiency, we not only undertake independent development, but also undertake national scientific and technological tasks. Among the projects supervised by the 14th Five-Year Plan of the People's Republic of China, the only project on thermal efficiency for automobile brands is that we are working on SAIC, and the thermal efficiency target of this project is greater than 45%. Last week, under the on-site supervision of the national certification body, we completed the vehicle test and certification, and the thermal efficiency has exceeded 46%, which has data and reports, and you can check it, and it is relatively simple to speak with facts.
Previously, at the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, the Roewe D5X DMH officially opened pre-sales. The new model will be available in four models with pre-sale prices ranging from CNY 119,800 to CNY 146,800, and will be officially launched on May 20. So, as the latest product equipped with DMH, where its competitive advantage lies is indeed attracting attention.
Park Chunxu said that regarding the positioning of the Roewe D5X DMH, we first learned from it, found the most successful partner in this market segment, and comprehensively benchmarked it in size, space, configuration, and safety.
It's easier and simpler for us to do exactly the same thing as others. However, in the whole process of product establishment, development and promotion, we still invested a lot of cost, and we suffered a lot of loss because the cost of investment is where customers can't see, but our purpose is to do a good job in quality and make a high-quality, high-performance, high-safety car that users need.
At the same time, he and his team made several decisions. First, in terms of power, the Roewe D5X DMH uses a 1.5T hybrid special engine, which provides higher power attributes, better climbing ability, passability, etc. The 1.5-liter Roewe D5X DMH can achieve two performances: 6.9 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of 200 km/h.
We chose the largest battery in its class, 21.4 degrees. Two performance results are formed: one is that the pure electric range is longer, reaching 135KM, our learning object is 110km, and the model naming will be 135 technology version and 135 flagship version; The second benefit is that it is equipped with a 6kW external discharge, which can be met for outdoor travel, wild camping and other scenarios, which is also the largest external discharge in the same class to meet more electrical needs.
We leave no stone unturned in our commitment to safety. The proportion of high-strength steel used in the whole vehicle reaches 79%, in fact, in the industry, the safety level that everyone can feel can be achieved with 60% or 70% high-strength steel, but we use 79%. In addition, the proportion of ultra-high-strength steel used reaches 44%, which is a cost that everyone does not see. Our side air curtain is 1.2 times that of competing products, and the pressure is maintained by 60% after 6 seconds of impact, which can provide consumers with the greatest safety protection ability at the most critical moment, which is the cost investment in safety.
In terms of quality materials, we use suede materials that are only equipped with luxury cars in places within reach, giving customers a warm and elegant riding experience. "Great beauty" is not only reflected in driving performance, ultra-long endurance and fuel economy, but also in the riding experience. There are also places that cannot be seen, such as the fact that we provide the most comfortable seats in its class, which is reflected in the length of the seat cushion and the thickness of the sponge filling, and I believe that these investments are worth it.
In terms of intelligent driving and intelligent cabin, the L2 intelligent driving system is provided on the 135 technology version, and in terms of intelligent cabin, we support the voice interaction function of one language and ten meanings. We have added a lot of costs in areas that our customers may not feel right away, and we firmly believe that these costs will receive positive feedback from the market and users.
Indeed, the product performance of the Roewe D5X DMH is beyond doubt, and it has achieved the leading position in terms of technology and configuration. When it comes to the issue of Roewe's technical cooperation, including what aspects of technical cooperation will be extended in the future.
Lu Yong said that as a key area of technical cooperation, the lower body basically covers the core technical elements such as battery, electric drive, control, chassis, etc., and all the most decisive elements of vehicle technology that we believe are all in it, which is called a platform. However, our technical cooperation is not limited to this, but also includes other aspects, such as intelligent and connected technologies.
He added that the Germans believe that the development of China's automotive technology is based on catching up with them, combined with China's advanced digital technology. Mobile phones, digital payments, etc. are all digital technologies, although there are differences between China's digital technology and Germany's, China's degree of digitalization cannot be called completely ahead, but it is certainly high. Nowadays, our payment methods are all digital, and the Germans still insist on paying with cash and credit cards, but in any case, these digital technologies must have brought great convenience to people. Safety, comfort, at least in terms of comfort, brings great convenience, so we will export or cooperate with them in these aspects.
As for the current level of SAIC's technology research and development strength, Lu Yong also answered in one sentence: international advanced level.
It is not difficult to see that the release of the Roewe DMH super hybrid technology brand will help the high-quality development of China's new energy vehicle industry. In the future, relying on the DMH super hybrid technology brand, Roewe will also gather superior resources from all parties to accelerate the creation of the "first camp of plug-in hybrids" and provide consumers with new hybrid options for Chinese brands. Of course, for the Roewe D5X DMH, we also expect it to have a very competitive price.