Leading China’s Gas Trucks into the 750-Horsepower Era: Weichai WP16NG 4.0 Gas Engine Arrives—Which Models Does It Currently Adapt to?

In recent years, driven by the price advantage of energy, the sales of natural gas-powered heavy trucks have surged. Since 2022, many truck drivers have embarked on the path of “switching from diesel to gas”. In regions like the Northwest, Southwest, and Central China, where gas refueling is cheap and convenient, the proportion of newly registered LNG heavy trucks has exceeded that of diesel vehicles.

When purchasing natural gas heavy trucks, many users suffer from “horsepower insufficiency phobia”, believing that the greater the horsepower of natural gas engines, the smaller the gap with diesel vehicles, enabling more composed performance in conditions like climbing and heavy loading. This user demand has pushed engine manufacturers to continuously develop engines with larger horsepower.

To meet users’ needs for power, timeliness, and reliability, Weichai released the new WP16NG 4.0 natural gas engine at its 2025 business annual meeting. With a maximum displacement of 16 liters and 750 horsepower, here’s a breakdown of the models equipped with this engine:

Sitrak C9H/G7H

• Sitrak C9H: As the top product in the Sitrak family and the flagship model of Sinotruk, it benefits from the premium resources of Shandong Heavy Industry Group. At the 2025 Sinotruk business annual meeting, the Sitrak C9H LNG tractor equipped with the Weichai WP16NG gas engine was unveiled, featuring 750 horsepower and a peak torque of 3,400N·m. Matched with the ZF TRAXON 12-speed AMT transmission and MAN-tech rear axle, the B10 life and maintenance-free cycle of the three major components are further improved, delivering a pure high-end experience.
• Sitrak G7H: This engine will also be applied to the G7H series. The G7H is matched with Sinotruk’s latest generation integrated 16-speed AMT transmission, offering users diversified power chain choices.

HOWO TS7-H

Since Shandeka is equipped with the engine, HOWO TS7-H, another high-end product of Sinotruk, naturally follows. In early March this year, at Weichai’s WP16NG 4.0 product launch conference in Chengdu, a HOWO TS7-H tractor equipped with this engine was exhibited. In terms of power, the TS7-H shares the same origin as Shandeka, adopting a combination of Weichai WP16NG 750-horsepower engine + Sinotruk’s 8th-generation 16-speed integrated AMT transmission + MAN-tech rear axle. Compared to Shandeka, the TS7-H with the same power configuration is more cost-effective, making the initial cost relatively lower for fleet operations.

Shacman X6000

The 2025 Shaanxi business annual meeting also showcased the 2025 new Shacman X6000 equipped with the Weichai WP16NG gas engine. In recent years of rapid development in gas trucks, Shaanxi Delong, which pioneered gas heavy trucks in China and has repeatedly won sales championships, leverages the unique advantages of Shandong Heavy Industry to build a golden power chain for high efficiency and gas saving with the “strongest gas engine on earth”. While installing the WP16NG 750-horsepower engine, the Shacman X6000 is matched with the Fast Zhixing 16-speed AMT transmission and Hand H-series high-efficiency axle, balancing large horsepower with gas-saving performance.

FAW trucks Qingdao JH6

JH6, the flagship product of FAW trucks Qingdao, also has models equipped with the Weichai WP16NG gas engine, though it has not been unveiled yet—stay tuned! Different from Shaanxi and Sinotruk models, the JH6 is equipped with a 720-horsepower WP16NG engine (slightly lower than the engine’s maximum 750 horsepower), but it still outperforms other gas engines in conventional domestic transportation conditions.

Why Is the Weichai WP16NG So Powerful?

• Ultra-high Thermal Efficiency Platform: Born from a 54.16% ultra-high thermal efficiency platform, the engine has a specific power of 47.7 hp/L, with 19% improved power performance and 25% enhanced climbing ability. Its torque reaches 3,400N·m, with a specific torque of 216.5N·m/L—21% higher than previous models. The torque is available in the speed range of 800rpm to 1,350rpm, meaning strong low-speed high-torque characteristics. In simple terms, it delivers strong power at low speeds, enabling easy heavy-load starting and reducing gear shifting frequency while increasing average speed.
• Technical Innovations: Equipped with double overhead camshafts, offset crankshaft, roof combustion chamber, high explosion pressure platform, reverse – flow type intake port, high-energy ignition system, etc. These features increase combustion speed by 30%, ignition energy by 40%, and reduce pumping losses by 10%, allowing the engine to easily achieve over 700 horsepower.
• Reliability Upgrades: The B10 life of the WP16NG is increased to 2.2 million kilometers, a leading figure in gas engines. It also adds a heating module to address pipe icing under extremely cold conditions, ensuring the pipeline from the oil-gas separator does not freeze, enabling stable operation in cold regions and avoiding losses for users.

Conclusion

Beyond its strong power and reliability, the Weichai WP16NG is also a highly economical gas engine. Despite its large horsepower and displacement, its ultra-high thermal efficiency and composed power output during climbing contribute to low gas consumption. For truck drivers who prefer large horsepower, engage in high-timeliness transportation, and value the price difference between gas and diesel, the choice of engine is clear!