On September 22, the 2024 China New Energy Vehicle Parts Trade Fair opened at the Hubei Shiyan International Exhibition Center, known as the capital of China’s commercial vehicles. As the largest, highest-standard, and best-performing trade exhibition in Central and Western China, this event carries the theme of “Green Energy, Smart Connections” and features a series of activities including an opening ceremony, project signing, seminars, supply chain matchmaking, RV carnival, and achievement release meetings. It invites renowned experts from the automotive industry, executives from domestic and international vehicle and parts companies, representatives from the RV industry, automotive parts market representatives, business associations, and purchasing groups to engage in in-depth discussions on topics such as new energy, smart connectivity, integrated vehicle-road-cloud systems, and automotive exports.
Dongfeng Motor Group Board Member and Deputy Party Secretary Liu Yanhong, Dongfeng Motor Group Assistant General Manager and Chairman of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Zhou Xianpeng, Head of the Dongfeng Motor Group Parts Division Party Committee Preparatory Group and Deputy General Manager Wang Long, and Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Assistant General Manager Zhang Da attended the event together. Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle showcased several new energy vehicles and the Dragon Power powertrain products, which not only represent the latest technological achievements in the new energy sector but also present a green technology feast for visitors.
Pure Electric Power Drives the New Trend of Green Energy
As the flagship models of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle, the Dongfeng Tianlong KL and Dongfeng Tianshan KR boast outstanding performance and broad applicability, consistently ranking among the top in sales since their launch. At this exhibition, the new energy versions of these two models took center stage, showcasing Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle’s commitment to technological innovation and green development. First is the Dongfeng Tianshan KR pure electric cargo truck equipped with Dana’s two-speed AMT, featuring a battery capacity of 162 kWh and a peak motor power of 160 kW. It uses single-gun direct current, allowing the charging time to be controlled within one hour, greatly alleviating the issue of long charging times for electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the Dongfeng Tianlong KL pure electric tractor adopts the Suzhou Green Control electric drive bridge in combination with the DF400A rear axle, ensuring stability and reliability even under full load conditions. With a CATL battery capacity of 423 kWh and a peak motor power of 450 kW, it delivers powerful energy and long endurance. The vehicle is also equipped with an Electronic Braking System (EBS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), and Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS), working together to provide comprehensive safety protection. Another model, the Dongfeng Tianlong KL hybrid tractor, is similarly equipped with a CATL battery paired with the independently developed DDi11 engine, achieving a peak motor power of 337 kW + 150 kW, which helps balance fuel economy, endurance, and environmental protection.
On the other hand, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle is also making significant efforts in the new energy transition of special vehicles. The Dongfeng Tianlong KC pure electric engineering vehicle, Dongfeng Tianshan KR pure electric sanitation vehicle, and Dongfeng Tianlong KC pure electric mixing truck showcased at this exhibition play a crucial role in promoting the industry’s upgrade towards new energy. Notably, the Dongfeng Tianlong KC pure electric engineering vehicle integrates CATL batteries, Green Control 4-speed AMT, and Handeman 300 rear axles, combining the advantages of electric motors with the flexibility of a multi-speed transmission, enabling the vehicle to maintain higher efficiency during frequent acceleration or climbing operations. The battery capacity reaches 423 kWh, and the peak motor power is 450 kW, delivering performance comparable to heavy-duty trucks, while also optimizing the range.
Dragon Power Powertrain: Shaping the Green Future of Commercial Vehicles
At the trade fair, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle also showcased the latest achievements of its self-developed powertrain brand, Dragon Power, attracting attention from numerous industry experts, media reporters, and potential customers. Since its inception in 2019, Dongfeng Dragon Power has adhered to the brand declaration of “Technology Drives Dreams, Reliability Creates Value,” starting from the national sixth-stage technology and expanding from a single vehicle power to a comprehensive powertrain system covering seven engine full power ranges and four updated transmission models compliant with national six standards. The exhibition featured representative products like the DGi13 gas engine, DA12 transmission, and the Dongfeng Dana electric drive bridge developed in partnership with Dana, a century-old American company. In addition, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle showcased innovative new energy technologies, including hybrid motors and controllers, five-in-one controllers, new energy vehicle controllers, and power domain controllers, as well as comfort-enhancing technologies like Ethernet gateways, independent ECAS controllers, and shifting actuators.
Applying key technological achievements such as equivalent ratio + cooled EGR technology, efficient smart ignition, Dongfeng’s patented turbulent combustion technology, and efficient integrated hybrid technology, the Dongfeng Dragon Power DGi13 gas engine, with a displacement of 12.9L, delivers a maximum power of 480Ps and a peak torque of 2300N·m, achieving high efficiency and low emissions with a minimum fuel consumption of 188g/kW·h. Besides robust power and excellent economy, the B10 life of the DGi13 reaches 1 million kilometers, with the longest oil change interval reaching 50,000 kilometers, inheriting Dongfeng Dragon Power’s consistent reliability. Currently, the Dongfeng Dragon Power DGi13 gas engine has achieved large-scale application of its technological achievements, injecting stable, powerful, and economical Dragon Power into the resource transportation market.
Dongfeng’s self-developed new-generation smart AMT transmission DA12 features internationally leading fully integrated parallel shifting actuators and direct push separation clutch actuators, ensuring sufficient reliability and durability. Based on the overall powertrain and integrated calibration development for multiple scenarios, it achieves deep integration of the integrated powertrain, providing smooth and comfortable shifting operations while truly being labor-saving and fuel-efficient. Equipped with the latest TCU processing chip and mainstream sensor technology, it can accurately and quickly identify the vehicle’s operating status, road conditions, and driver control intentions, providing good shift control logic to fully guarantee shifting performance and comfort.
Also exhibited is the Dongfeng Dana EP17CS distributed independent electric drive bridge, suitable for 8-9 meter low-entry pure electric buses. It creatively integrates the motor, suspension system, and drive bridge, reducing the complexity of components and space required by traditional transmission systems, improving vehicle flexibility and enabling complex driving modes, ensuring smooth operation even in complex road conditions, and providing customers with a more comfortable driving experience. In terms of heavy load performance, the maximum load range for a single axle is 7500-9500Kg, with the peak power of the front wheel motor reaching 140 kW and peak torque of 360N·m, while the rear wheel peak power is 60 kW and peak torque is 160N·m, ensuring excellent performance under various driving conditions.
This trade fair lasts for three days, until September 24, during which multiple themed forums and technical exchange activities will also be held. Growing in the innovative soil of the automotive industry in Shiyan, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle, relying on 55 years of automotive manufacturing experience and guided by technological innovation, will continue to shoulder the mission of promoting the development of Shiyan city. It actively accelerates the green transformation of the automotive industry and its supply chain, linking green energy with a more modern, greener, and smarter future blueprint for the automotive industry!
