SAIC Maxus uses new technology to break through the hybrid race track

"To cover future travel, we must cover the 'full energy' of pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen energy, meet the 'full scenario' of personal, family, and commercial vehicles," and implement the 'whole process' of development, manufacturing, and service. "Three years ago, Hao Jingxian, general manager of SAIC Maxus, said this firmly when he attended the SAIC Maxus TechWeek technology conference for the first time.

At the scene, a product engineer proudly introduced the PHEV hybrid transmission sample to the attendees and explained the technical details. He specifically emphasized that the current hybrid transmission is "too heavy" and the cost is higher than the fuel transmission with the same configuration on the market. The production cost of Maxus' self-developed hybrid transmission is basically close to that of a traditional transmission, which greatly reduces the production cost of hybrid vehicles and can also save more than 30% of energy, especially in the face of future vehicle energy conservation and emission reduction. requirements, hybrid vehicles will have a great advantage.

At that time, the battle for the new energy track was already in full swing. In comparison, hybrid vehicles do not enjoy the "green card" advantage, and they are not as profitable as gasoline vehicles and have a large market. Is it necessary to spend so much effort on research?

Three years later, according to the latest data from the Passenger Car Association, from January to February 2024, China's new energy vehicle sales were 1.9 million units, of which hybrid vehicles accounted for 6.4%, and the proportion of gasoline-electric hybrids continued to increase. It is expected that by 2030, global hybrid vehicle sales will increase to 130 million units, and China will become the largest growth market, accounting for more than half of global sales.

At the beginning of this year, BYD, Chery, Geely, etc. have launched hybrid models. In less than a month, SAIC-GM announced that Chevrolet will launch its first PHEV SUV, and Buick GL8 will also launch a model with plug-in hybrid power known as the "strongest joint venture". Guangqi Honda, SAIC Volkswagen, etc. have successively announced plug-in hybrid projects. Looking back, the answer is obvious as to why SAIC Maxus has always insisted on investing in the hybrid track.

At this year’s Beijing Auto Show, the Volkswagen 9 super-hybrid version and the Volkswagen 7 super-hybrid version were unveiled on the same stage. Both cars are equipped with ACIS smart full-scenario super-hybrid technology designed specifically for MPVs, pushing the engine, gearbox and battery to a new level. . Insisting on using products to speak and technology to speak is SAIC Maxus's consistent car-making philosophy. From light passenger cars, pickup trucks to RVs, Maxus continues to make breakthroughs in its own segmented tracks every time. This time, they have set their sights on the infinite possibilities of the global hybrid blue ocean.

In the eyes of SAIC Maxus people, the essence of MPV is life itself. The underlying logic for MPV is to comprehensively respond to diverse scenarios and the differentiated travel needs of family members. Therefore, a good MPV must meet diverse needs and create unlimited possibilities. Simply focusing on performance, energy saving or driving pleasure has never been an option for SAIC Maxus.

However, many hybrid products currently on the market adopt a "take-it-yourself" strategy, simply assembling engines, dual motors and other accessories, and lack the introduction of real technological innovation. Therefore, many products can only focus on a single performance. Faced with such a scenario, SAIC Maxus chose a difficult path: self-research.

After more than 55,000 hours of system-level life verification, 500,000 kilometers of special hybrid testing, and 5 million kilometers of vehicle durability verification, ACIS smart full-scenario super-hybrid technology was born. SAIC Maxus also brought the "first" monetization products, the Volkswagen 9 Super Hybrid, a mid-to-large high-end MPV, and the Volkswagen 7 Super Hybrid, a medium-sized and high-end MPV. The prices are also released simultaneously. The pre-order price of the Everyone 9 super hybrid is 259,900 yuan to 349,900 yuan; the pre-order price of the Everyone 7 super hybrid is 199,900 yuan - 249,900 yuan; users only need to pay an "intentional reservation deposit" of 99 yuan or 77 yuan, that is You can enjoy battery life upgrade rights worth 10,000 yuan, and you can start taking delivery of your car from May 28.

According to SAIC Maxus, this technology combines the triple advantages of the third-generation 1.5T super-hybrid dedicated engine, dedicated DHT gearbox and high-energy density battery. It has many advantages in power generation efficiency, motor power, pure electric speed range, pure electric cruising distance, etc. Achieved "No. 1 in the same class/displacement" in all dimensions.

Both the Everyone 9 Super Hybrid and Everyone 7 Super Hybrid can achieve a 100% electrification experience under urban road conditions, with an industry-leading thermal efficiency of 43%. What is particularly worth mentioning is that in the gasoline-electric hybrid mode, the Everyone 9 Super Hybrid CLTC The comprehensive cruising range reaches 1309km, while that of the Volkswagen 7 is 1327km.

With the support of new technologies, how do the hardware combinations of "engine", "gearbox" and "battery" work together? According to SAIC Maxus, the "engine" is an all-around main attacker. The third-generation 1.5T super-hybrid special engine has 30% faster torque response and 5% lighter weight than the previous generation. With a rated power of 110kW and a maximum torque of 235N·m, it achieves class-leading engine power displacement and accelerates from 0 to 50km/h. Only 4.5 seconds. The new super-hybrid engine uses stepless frequency conversion for energy replenishment and more than 30 intervention schemes to reduce the impact felt by passengers, achieve almost imperceptible battery charging, and maintain efficient engine operation. At the same time, the engine thermal efficiency is as high as 43%, ensuring efficient energy conversion, significantly enhancing the vehicle's economy and driving longer distances. The high-efficiency energy replenishment technology enables the vehicle to replenish 10% of its power in 5 minutes, achieving the most efficient conversion of fuel into kinetic energy and electrical energy, and increasing the cruising range. SAIC Maxus has also launched more than 20 technological developments in the fields of gas exchange, combustion, thermal management, and friction reduction to ensure power performance with lower energy consumption, stronger power, and less noise.

The "gearbox" is the team coordinator, accurately controlling the rhythm and method of the vehicle's power output. The super-hybrid dedicated DHT gearbox, with its P1/P3 dual motor structure, perfectly solves the loss and disadvantages of power output in pure series and parallel situations. The peak power/torque of the motor reaches 176kW/390N·m, which is the best performance in its class; The efficiency of converting electrical energy into kinetic energy is as high as 97.5%, which is at the forefront of the industry. The industry's first P1 coaxial architecture reduces one-stage transmission and reduces transmission losses, improving NVH performance by more than 10% compared with similar products on the market, and reducing motor noise by 20 decibels; the continuous power generation power can reach 80% of the peak power, which is a significant improvement. Power replenishment capability.

The "battery" serves as the energy reserve in the team, providing stable electrical energy support for the vehicle. Its high energy density ≥184Wh/kg not only optimizes the space inside the car, but also reduces the weight of the entire vehicle. Coupled with the battery capacity of 39.7kWh, the super-hybrid model ranks first in its class in CLTC pure electric range. In terms of safety, the battery adopts high-efficiency direct cooling technology to achieve flow field balance through parallel flow channels. Optimized thermal management reduces the maximum temperature of the battery core by 10%. The temperature difference of the battery core is controlled within 5℃, and the cooling efficiency is also higher than that of "non-direct cooling". 30% higher for cold" batteries. In addition, the high-strength integrated casting frame ensures the stability of the battery under extreme conditions such as vibration and impact. At the same time, the combination of flame-retardant safety cells and aviation-grade thermal insulation technology provides double guarantee for battery safety.

Create a diverse driving experience with detailed scene definition

The hardware combination is just the building block. What truly realizes the diversified driving experience of MPV is the ACIS smart full-scenario super-hybrid technology that provides a more detailed definition of vehicle use scenarios and a more precise intelligent ratio.

Many users who have experience driving hybrid vehicles have similar experiences: some hybrid vehicles can indeed start quickly when the red light turns green, achieving the economy and quietness of a pure electric vehicle, but occasionally they step on the accelerator and the vehicle suddenly stops. Or in the face of high temperatures in summer, the engine will respond inexplicably, making people dumbfounded.

In response to the above pain points, the new super-hybrid system is carefully equipped with two excellent batteries, 24.7kWh lithium iron phosphate and 39.7kWh ternary lithium. Its large-capacity design can give the vehicle a CLTC comprehensive cruising range of up to 140km and 230km in pure electric mode, which is different. Users within the living radius are provided with multiple and convenient choices that “no need to use oil”.

How to judge the timing of engine intervention? The new super-hybrid system cleverly adjusts the power balance point to 12%. When driving at speeds below 80km/h, the engine is silently on standby, allowing drivers to enjoy the tranquility and pleasure brought by pure electricity. When the vehicle speed exceeds 80km/h or the accelerator pedal is pressed deeper than 95%, the engine accurately intervenes and works in conjunction with the battery system to provide the vehicle with continuous and surging power.

Through such an intelligent energy management strategy, the engine is on standby and silent under normal driving conditions. The power battery is the only energy source of the vehicle. It combines braking recovery, wind resistance and rolling resistance optimization to achieve the most efficient pure electric mileage of each kilowatt-hour. Transformation; when the strongest drive and acceleration demand occurs, the engine smoothly intervenes, and the combined force of oil and electricity continues to provide power. At the same time, the energy management strategy allows direct drive and power replenishment at the right time after the engine is started, so as to achieve the best NVH and fuel economy. The best balance enables the engine to start and exit in the most timely and reasonable manner.

In addition to maximizing energy consumption while driving, in order to meet the diverse power needs of MPV home users, SAIC Maxus has also developed a personalized "global exclusive stepless power replenishment mode".

For example, in vehicles, SAIC Maxus provides a stepless parking power generation gear option that can be adjusted at will and intelligently, allowing charging and energy replenishment anytime and anywhere. Among them, the "non-inductive mode" allows "full power control" of people's power The battery can be recharged at any time without even realizing it; the high-efficiency gear of up to 14.5kW can recharge 10% of the electricity in 5 minutes. When the addition of more electrical equipment causes the power consumption to increase, the intelligent adjustment function of the power generation gear will automatically increase the power generation to avoid unexpected power consumption of the power battery. Engineers from SAIC Maxus are full of confidence: Because of the largest V2L external discharge function of 6.6kW in its class, Maxus’ MPV not only makes mobile electronic ovens and giant-screen movies possible, but its external discharge function can also provide power for another vehicle. Car charging, truly no fear of electricity pressure.