A trip to the launch event of the Voyah FREE extended-range new energy vehicle

On December 18th, 2020, I was invited by Dongfeng Motor Corporation to attend the launch event of the Voyah FREE extended-range new energy vehicle in Shenzhen. I was truly impressed by the charm of this car. At the end of the event, while listening to Xu Wei’s live performance of “Blue Lotus,” memories of my childhood suddenly popped into my mind.

In the 1980s, bicycles were still a luxury item for Chinese families. I often heard my father and his friends discussing different brands of bicycles when they were drinking and chatting, such as the durability of the Yongjiu brand, the weight capacity of the Phoenix brand, and the ease-of-riding of the Feige brand.

My family’s Yongjiu bicycle was like a treasure to us; my father wrapped cloth around the main beam to prevent scratches and always brought it inside when it rained. It was our family’s means of transportation, with me riding on the front and my mother sitting on the rear seat. My father took us everywhere on it.

Time flies, and China has developed rapidly. Private cars have become more common, and bicycles have become less essential for transportation. My father’s bicycle now sits outside, old and worn, with no cloth covering it and no concern for rain. When my father goes out to buy groceries, he just brushes off the dust on the seat and rides away, tossing the bike aside when he returns.

I suddenly realized that a bicycle should just be a means of transportation, and we should not need to worry about it so much. It should be reliable and easy to use, without requiring much care and attention.

Now, I own two gasoline cars that have been with me for over ten years. My phone records all their maintenance records, such as when car A had its fuel filter replaced and when car B had its oil changed, etc., so as to avoid any potential problems due to lack of upkeep. However, I still encounter unexplained problems like engine carbon buildup and oil consumption.

This is similar to my father’s practice of wrapping his bicycle in cloth – a means of transportation that should be easy to use and reliable, but requiring too much care and attention.

Later, I heard that pure electric vehicles require very little maintenance, and can save us from many worries. Additionally, the inconvenience caused by the gasoline car license plate restrictions led me to buy another electric car. After driving it for a while, I really liked it. It was so convenient and saved me money. Moreover, with all the smart features offered by new energy vehicles, it was a pleasure to drive in quiet and comfort. However, I discovered that electric cars also have their own concerns, especially in the winter and during long-distance travel.Before heading out, I constantly use my phone’s navigation to plan my route, fearing the embarrassment of being stuck in the middle of nowhere without a charging station. With the slow arrival of warm air in the winter season, the car’s range is greatly reduced, and charging times have become even longer. Each time I charge it, the car takes its sweet time to digest the power while I wait silently by its side, only leaving when my phone dies. It’s still a hassle to take care of it.

Takeaways from the Product Launch

Prior to attending this launch event, I only had a basic understanding of the Ideal ONE, an extended-range electric vehicle. During the event, the technical director of Voyah, the automaker, provided us with a detailed presentation of the car’s operational logic and technological principles. Suddenly, it became clear to me that this was the easy-to-use vehicle that I had been dreaming of.

The extended-range generator of the Ideal ONE, which adopts the Atkinson cycle instead of the traditional Otto cycle used in conventional gasoline engines, has a significantly higher thermal efficiency. This design avoids the common issues of traditional engines, such as carbon buildup and increased fuel consumption caused by incomplete combustion at high or low engine speeds.

The generator is only responsible for charging the battery and is not involved in driving, so the generator’s speed is not directly linked to the vehicle’s speed. The generator can operate at its optimal efficiency point for a prolonged time, further reducing fuel consumption. This is why the Ideal ONE can cover 860 kilometers with less fuel compared to traditional gasoline vehicles.

Compared to conventional cars, this extended-range electric vehicle requires less maintenance due to its better operating conditions, which enables the vehicle to function as a pure electric vehicle with a range of 140 kilometers, meeting the daily driving needs in most cities. As a result, it benefits from the advantages of pure electric cars, which are quiet, cost-effective, and low-maintenance.

For long-distance travel, we no longer need to plan our route around charging stations because there are recharging stations everywhere.

Policy Perspective

From a national policy perspective, in order to overcome its growing dependence on oil, China has been actively promoting new energy vehicles since the 13th Five-Year Plan period. We found from the 14th Five-Year Plan and the 2035 Vision Plan that the sales volume of new energy vehicles in China should reach 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2035. This trend is irreversible, as new things often replace old ones.

Is there any better and more worry-free solution for new energy vehicles than a range-extended electric vehicle that combines the advantages of pure electric and traditional vehicles? This is what a travel tool should look like, a car that is usually ignored but can go as soon as you need it to.

Finally

“The aspiration for freedom cannot be stopped,” Xu Wei’s song still echoes in my ears. The Ideal ONE is already selling well in the market, and the Voyah FREE, as China’s second range-extended new energy vehicle, should have better market performance due to its latecomer advantage, becoming a travel tool that truly relieves car owners’ anxiety.

Let’s hope that range-extended new energy vehicles can achieve the electric blueprint on the best race track.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.