At the 2024 Dongfeng Motor Autumn Launch and the 9th Technology Innovation Week, Dongfeng Motor Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Dongfeng Motor”) stunned the audience with cutting-edge products such as the new generation intelligent chassis and smart hydrogen-powered light trucks. The company also showcased several breakthroughs in electrification and intelligent technologies, highlighting its solid capabilities and fresh perspective in transitioning to new energy and competing in new markets.
Qiang Xiaowen, Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Director, and Head of the Product Research Institute at Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle R&D Headquarters, was interviewed on-site. He stated that the transformation of the commercial vehicle market presents both opportunities and challenges for Dongfeng Motor. This year’s Technology Innovation Week primarily highlights three scenarios for Dongfeng light vehicles: intelligent logistics, smart sanitation, and intelligent commuting.
800V + 4C
A New Generation Intelligent Chassis System
As global consensus grows around carbon neutrality and sustainable development, energy-saving and new energy trends are becoming inevitable. To meet the logistics industry’s demand for green, low-carbon, smart, safe, and efficient vehicles, Dongfeng Motor introduced a new generation of intelligent chassis at this year’s Technology Innovation Week.
By combining a modular upper body and connected modules, this intelligent chassis can flexibly support various LCV models such as light trucks and light vans. It caters to urban logistics, specialized city needs, urban living, and outdoor scenarios, providing comprehensive solutions for smart cities. This is also the first time the light commercial vehicle sector has adopted an 800V high-voltage architecture and 4C charging battery design. The charging time (SOC 20%-80%) is reduced to just 9 minutes, significantly boosting operational efficiency.
Aligned with the theme “Leaping into a New Era,” this new-generation intelligent chassis system incorporates several innovative technologies. Its design features an innovative four-wheel angle module that integrates 19-inch wheel hub motors, high-torque steering motors, an EMB electronic braking system, and a double-wishbone air suspension. The modular segmented chassis design allows for quick adjustments to wheelbase and track width, accommodating different models such as vans, light trucks, and buses. This groundbreaking design ushers in a new era of intelligent chassis systems.
Creating a Better Life
The Arrival of the Intelligent Crossover Vehicle
With technology as its foundation, Dongfeng Motor presented a brand-new intelligent crossover vehicle, inspiring visions of a better future. Based on the second-generation intelligent chassis and a three-direction expandable smart cockpit, this vehicle supports L4-level autonomous driving, offering a comfortable and safe intelligent mobility space.
Inspired by the design of space capsules, the vehicle features an aerodynamic exterior with futuristic digital lighting, representing future design trends. Inside, the wrap-around interior, complemented by premium materials and lighting effects, creates a cozy yet high-tech home-like atmosphere. The intelligent hardware includes multi-functional smart seats, a starlit floor, intelligent air conditioning, surround sound systems, and ambient lighting.
Built on a decoupled steer-by-wire chassis and L4 autonomous driving technology, the vehicle supports autonomous path tracking, lane-changing, parking, and charging. Its interior layout is highly flexible, with rotating seats, a foldable steering wheel, a movable console, and a retractable large screen, meeting diverse needs for driving, entertaining, business meetings, and travel.
Notably, the intelligent crossover vehicle features a solar panel surface area of over 8 square meters, providing more than 12kWh of energy replenishment throughout the day.
In response to Dongfeng’s “Three-Year Transformation and Upgrade Action Plan” and to maintain the core goal of high-quality development, Dongfeng Motor presented not only the new-generation intelligent chassis system and intelligent crossover vehicle but also a range of new products, including smart hydrogen-powered light trucks and intelligent sanitation vehicles.
One standout product, the Dongfeng smart sanitation vehicle “Liuhe Guardian,” features intelligent, flexible upper body configurations, outstanding autonomous driving capabilities, and advanced sensor hardware. The vehicle is equipped with seven laser radars, enabling millimeter-level precision control in autonomous driving, making it one of the most advanced models in China. The vehicle adopts cutting-edge edge perception technology and a cloud control platform, which automatically adjusts and optimizes work schedules based on tasks, air quality index (AQI), and road pollution levels. This allows for optimal path planning and resource allocation, reducing operational costs and improving efficiency in sanitation work.
Additionally, the “Liuhe Guardian” integrates a multifunctional upper body control system, supporting six sanitation modes: road sweeping, road sprinkling, guardrail cleaning, dust suppression, greenery irrigation, and automatic water refilling and sewage disposal. The vehicle can carry out full-scale, 24/7, fully autonomous sanitation operations.
At the opening ceremony, Dongfeng Motor Assistant General Manager and Head of the Commercial Vehicle R&D Headquarters, Pu Beilei, introduced four key exhibits of Dongfeng light vehicles, expressing pride in their advancements. He emphasized that the demand for electrification and intelligence in public sectors will continue to grow, and Dongfeng light vehicles will maintain a commitment to independent innovation and push technological boundaries.
As a pillar of Dongfeng’s light commercial vehicle sector, the release of these technological breakthroughs will significantly support the company’s high-quality development. This will provide more confidence and strength in achieving excellence in Dongfeng’s journey to becoming a world-class enterprise.
Looking ahead, Dongfeng Motor will continue to strengthen its brand foundation with technological innovation, contributing more “Dongfeng Power” to the advancement of China’s automotive industry and taking it to new heights in high-quality development.
