The rise of Great Wall Motor

Bywjb
The rise of Great Wall Motor
The rise of Great Wall Motor

The development history of Great Wall Motor’s engines is a history of striving from relying on external procurement to independent research and development, and from passive response to active innovation. The following is a brief review and analysis of its development trajectory:

Start-up stage: Relying on external procurement (1980s-1990s)

In its early days, Great Wall Motor mainly relied on external engine purchases, such as:

  • The 491 gasoline engine (2.237L, 68kW, 177Nm) originates from Toyota technology in Japan and is produced by Mianyang Xinhua, Shenyang Xinhua, and Tianjin Automobile Engine Factory. It is widely used in light vehicles, featuring a simple structure and low cost.
  • Model 492QA2 (2.446L, 63kW, 179.3N·m): Produced by Beijing Internal Combustion Engine General Factory, it is installed on various Great Wall models, such as the 6461 off-road vehicle and 6470, etc.
  • Model 472A (2.69L, 64.7kW, 166.7N·m): An improved version produced by Nanjing Automobile Engine Factory, used for the 6770 type van.
  • Model 462 (0.8L, 30kW): It was used for luxury sedans, but it was not mass-produced and sold due to poor market response.

During this period, the Great Wall’s core components were highly dependent on external suppliers, lacking independent research and development capabilities, and faced supply chain risks.

Crisis and Opportunity: The Rise of Pickup Trucks and the Engine Supply Shortage Crisis (1990s-2000)

  • In 1993, for the Deere pickup truck, Great Wall chose the 491 engine and gave up the 488 engine (2.2L, 65kW, 157N·m), which burned oil. With its pickup truck sales, it topped the national championship (7,518 units in 1998).
  • Crisis: In 1998, Brilliance reorganized Tianye Automobile and took control of the two major manufacturers of the 491 engine (Shenyang Xinhua and Mianyang Xinhua), which led to Great Wall facing the risk of supply cut-off.

Response

  1. Stockpile 491 type engines.
  2. Cooperate with Tianjin Automobile Engine Factory to purchase cylinder blocks.
  3. Assemble the 491 engine in a joint venture with Shenyang Shuangfu.
  4. In 2000, CITIC Internal Combustion Engine Company was reorganized, and Baoding Great Wall Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was established, starting to produce the 491 type engine independently (with an annual output of approximately 10,000 units).

Although it started with self-production, the quality was unstable at the beginning. It was not until 2001 when advanced German equipment was introduced that the problem was solved.

Independent research and development Breakthrough: From 491QE to Diversified Layout (2000s-2010s）

  1. In 2001, the 491QE engine introduced a multi-point electronic fuel injection system, increasing its power to 78kW. It was widely used in models such as the Sailin pickup truck and the SaiF SUV, and was exported to over ten automakers, occupying half of the pickup truck engine market.
  2. In 2006, in collaboration with Bosch of Germany, a 2.8TC diesel engine (70kW, 225N·m) was launched, which was China’s first diesel engine with independent intellectual property rights and was installed in Haval CUV, Fengjun, and other models.
  3. 2008： The 4G15 model (1.5L, 77kW, 138N·m) has entered mass production and is equipped with models such as the Xuanli and Tengyi C30. The 2.5TCI diesel engine (80kW, 300N·m) and the 4G13 type (1.3L, 68kW, 118N·m) have been put into production.
  4. From 2010 to 2013, the 4D20 series (2.0L diesel), 4C20 series (2.0L gasoline), 4B15 series (1.5L gasoline), and others were successively mass-produced, covering multiple models such as Haval H6, Fengjun, and Great Wall Pao.
  5. In 2021, the 6Z30 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 engine (260kW, 500N·m) made its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show, integrating Miller cycle and dual-injection technology, demonstrating its technological prowess.

Hive Power: Marketization and Globalization (2018- Present)

  • In 2018, Fengchao Yichuang Technology Co., Ltd. was established, and the power system was independently named Fengchao Power, initiating market-oriented operations.
  • Production and R&D layout：Domestic: Factories in Baoding, Tianjin, Xushui, Yangzhong, Chongqing, etc. Overseas: Production bases in Russia, India, and Thailand; R&d centers in Austria, Japan, and other places.
  • In 2021, the 10 millionth engine of Honycomb Power rolled off the production line, making it the first brand in China to achieve this feat.
  • Plans
  • By 2023, 23 models of engines will be launched, covering four types of fuels: gasoline, diesel, synthetic fuels, and hydrogen.
  • Highlights include: hybrid-specific engines with a thermal efficiency of over 45%, 2.0T VCR mechanism engines (260kW, 450N·m), and synthetic fuel and hydrogen engines with a thermal efficiency of 41-42%.

Analysis and Prospect


Great Wall Motor has gone through supply chain crises, technological bottlenecks, and market-oriented transformation from being completely dependent on external procurement to establishing an independent research and development system. The key to its success lies in:

  1. Crisis-driven innovation: The engine supply disruption crisis of Brilliance Auto has prompted Great Wall to accelerate its self-production and research and development.
  2. Continuous investment: Establish multiple R&D centers and production bases, introduce German equipment, and cooperate with international giants such as Bosch.
  3. Diversified layout: Covering multiple power forms such as gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and hydrogen, adapting to market and policy changes.
  4. Market-oriented transformation: The independent operation of SVOLT Power has enhanced its competitiveness, with both domestic and foreign sales being pursued simultaneously.

Facing the trend of new energy, Great Wall’s continued in-depth development of internal combustion engines is not blind, but based on the dominant position of internal combustion engines in the coming decades and the technological trends of efficient, low-carbon, and diversified fuels. This is in line with the national low-carbon strategy, especially in the layout of hybrid and hydrogen energy fields, which demonstrates foresight.

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