On February 23, 2016, Chery New Energy Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (Chery New Energy) held the foundation laying ceremony of its project with an annual output of 60,000 aluminum-bodied electric passenger vehicles at its headquarters in Wuhu, Anhui. Phase 1 of this project is expected to be completed in September 2016 and a mini electric SUV model will first go into production.
Chery New Energy is an institution under Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. It is committed to developing frontier technologies for clean energy vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles. With an area of 225446㎡ and a total investment of 1.56 billion yuan, the project with an annual output of 60,000 aluminum-bodied electric passenger vehicles will be constructed in two phases. With an initial annual output of 10,000 electric vehicles, Phase 1 will be completed and go into production in 2016. In Phase 2, an electric passenger vehicle manufacturing plant with an annual output of 60,000 units will be built up in late 2017.
According to Gao Lixin, General Manager of Chery New Energy, a newly-developed mini electric SUV model will first go into production in this project. Based on Chery’s all-new super lightweight technology platform combining “all-aluminum spatial structure with all-composite covering parts”, the model integrates multiple light materials with multiple advanced molding processes. All products developed through this platform will use leading technologies such as “integrated body with aluminum alloy framework and distributed carbon fiber composite”, “energy absorption structure of carbon fiber composite”, “aluminum alloy body framework connection through laser welding, wire filling laser welding and laser hybrid welding”, “low-cost production process of carbon fiber composite”, “modularized lightweight battery pack technology” and “Chery lightweight new energy vehicle reliability test technology”. The bodies and chassis of these products are over 40 percent lighter than traditional bodies and chassis. With unique advantage in such aspects as process, materials, cost, weight reduction, energy conservation and performance, these products are innovative new energy vehicles up to advanced international standards.
According to the source, Chery mainly relies on the new energy vehicle market, the Chinese traditional vehicle market and the international traditional vehicle market to enhance its comprehensive competitiveness. According to Chery New Energy’s development plan, it will become an industrial leader with annual sales of 200,000 units by 2020. The project marks a new step of Chery New Energy.
Since initiating new energy vehicle R & D in 2000, Chery has undertaken over 20 major energy conservation and new energy vehicle development projects under Program 863 as well as over 10 provincial and municipal key technological projects in Anhui, achieved a series of breakthroughs in core technologies and accomplished industrialization. By late 2015, Chery New Energy had applied for over 500 patents, including over 300 patents for invention, ranking first in China’s auto industry.
Chery has always developed new energy vehicles independently, and gradually established a system involving vehicle integration, core technologies and core parts development. So far, Chery has worked out a new energy technology plan of “all series + 457”, covering electric and plug-in hybrid technology platforms for all series of full-size passenger vehicles. “457” denotes four new energy vehicle platforms (mini electric platform, medium electric platform, plug-in hybrid platform and electric 4WD platform), five general subsystems (power battery system, electric drive system, vehicle control system, PHEV powertrain and electrically-driven rear axle) and seven core technologies (power management technology, battery system design, vehicle control technology, PHEV system design, smart connection design, lightweight technology and new energy vehicle integration technology).
Based on the fixed plan and path of technology development, Chery New Energy will adhere to the technical route of parallel development of electric technology (extended range) and plug-in hybrid technology in the future, to create a product layout involving the electric car series below Segment A0 and the plug-in hybrid car series above Segment A0. Later Chery New Energy will launch a couple of competitive models including mini electric models and plug-in hybrid SUV models.
Chery’s first PHEV–Arrizo 7 is scheduled to be launched in April 2016. The fuel consumption per 100 km of this model is only 2.2 L; and the mini electric SUV models manufactured in the plant with an annual output of 60,000 units are expected to be launched in the second half of 2016.
