Article by Zheng Wen
Editor | Zhou Changxian
China International Import Expo, now in its fifth year, has witnessed profound changes in the world over the past five years, such as COVID-19 and decoupling, which have caused people’s confidence to fluctuate. Fortunately, the Expo provides a window for us to see that enterprises are still bravely exploring despite difficulties.
After visiting Hall 2.1 of the Expo, the author condensed his feelings into three words: technology, uniqueness, and humanity.
In the grand technological transformation process of the automotive industry, modern technology appears to be more like an applied subject of modern science. From autonomous driving to intelligent cabins, from electrification to hydrogen fuel, the application of each sub-topic in the automotive industry is a huge social renewal and coverage.
Most mass-produced cars still use distributed functional architecture for their electronic and electrical architecture. To add a new function, a corresponding electronic control unit (ECU) is added.
At Bosch’s booth, the trend towards centralized domain architecture for electronic and electrical architecture has already formed. ECU modules are separated one by one into software and hardware, and then centralized into a domain controller.
Bosch’s first-generation domain controller, based on Qualcomm SA8155, supports up to 5 external screens and a maximum of 12 cameras. The second-generation on display at the booth can support up to 12 screens and 16 cameras. It adds high-definition screens, AR navigation, ultra-HD entertainment domain cameras, multi-person and multi-modal interaction, and dynamic gesture interaction to the upgraded version of the first generation.
Although Mobis displayed many products in their booth, a wheel drive module displayed in an inconspicuous location demonstrates the depth of their technological reserves.
This technology, known as the e-Corner Module, is a steering, braking, and suspension integrated wheel-end driving wheel module specially designed for new energy vehicles. It is based on a hub motor and integrates components such as wire-controlled braking, wire-controlled steering, and electronic shock absorption, enabling four-wheel drive capabilities. The wheel can rotate 180 degrees, easily achieving functions such as turning in place, transverse walking, and parallel parking.## e-Corner Technology: Shifting to a New Way of Connecting Wheels and Steering Wheels in Cars
What is more important is that e-Corner technology has changed the way traditional vehicles connect their steering wheels to the wheels through mechanical axes. Parts no longer require any mechanical connections, which would break the limitations and conventions of wheelbase, car door orientation, and vehicle size, bringing new possibilities for car design. The M.Vision POP and M.Vision 2GO products showcased at the Mobis booth both incorporate this module.
For city-specific vehicles such as mobile sales, mobile medical services, and shared cars, e-Corner’s changes will have a significant impact on operational efficiency. From mechanical control to electronic control, and now to e-Corner modules, technological progress has quietly made progress.
During my visit to the Bosch booth, I consulted with the technical staff about their view on this technology. They confirmed its cutting-edge nature but cautioned that further reliability and mass production feasibility studies are necessary.
The technological innovations presented in the examples above are all based on the path of electrification. Multinational corporations that have been criticized for their slow pace of electrification are also joining the trend, though their technological market entry may be late, established old brands with a profound history, brand, and cultural heritage should not be underestimated.
At this stage set up for multinational brands, 90% of the 37 new cars on their debut are new energy vehicle models.
All the exhibited vehicles at the Volkswagen booth are pure electric vehicles. Besides the domestically produced Audi Q5 e-tron and the previously unveiled Audi RS e-tron GT, Volkswagen also brought the ID.AERO, a new concept car under the ID. series, while the Porsche Mission R concept car made its Asian debut.
As a radical proponent of electrification, Tesla has brought its S3XY series of models, as well as the humanoid robot Tesla Bot and the energy architecture “technology package.” Although Tesla’s products are already well-known to everyone, the redesigned Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid are still some of the most eye-catching products.With the development of industrialization, the technology tree has already grown lush, and that thing called “mainstream” is still a nuisance to enterprise’s forward-looking research and development. However, the outliers, mainly represented by Toyota and Hyundai, are still sticking to the path of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Due to the fact that the emissions of hydrogen fuel cell systems in operation are only water, driving not only realizes true zero carbon emissions, but can also filter and remove 99.9\% of respirable particles, effectively removing ultra-fine dust below PM2.5 and achieving the effect of purifying the surrounding air. They firmly believe that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are the ultimate state.
I fully participated in Hyundai’s five press conferences at the CIIE (China International Import Expo), and for a long time, it presented the blueprint for the future of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in its exhibition area.
In sticking to it, there has been a significant leap in the pace of technological precipitation and commercialization.
After years of development, Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell system has significantly improved the performance of the fuel cell stack, reducing weight, shrinking volume, and improving low-temperature airtightness. Through variable pressure control, a high-efficiency system has been achieved with modularization, streamlining, and lightweighting.
At this year’s CIIE, Hyundai Motor Group showcased NEXO China version developed according to Chinese regulatory standards, the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell heavy truck XCIENT Fuel Cell, and the HTWO brand hydrogen fuel cell system.
The NEXO China version is already an “old friend” of the CIIE. Its range can reach 550km (CLTC) on a full hydrogen state, and it only takes 5 minutes to fill the hydrogen fuel once.
The hydrogen fuel cell heavy truck XCIENT Fuel Cell, which was also showcased, has already driven more than 5 million kilometers globally. The vehicle is equipped with a 180kW-level fuel cell system composed of two hydrogen fuel cell groups, and the range can reach 400km. It only takes 8 minutes at most to fill the hydrogen fuel and has been deployed commercially in markets such as Switzerland, Germany, and the United States.In the Chinese market, Hyundai Motor Group’s Hyundai Commercial Vehicles has obtained the qualification for producing hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles in China, and is currently actively exploring local production plans.
It should be pointed out that in March last year, Hyundai Motor Group established the first overseas hydrogen fuel cell production and sales base “HTWO Guangzhou” in Guangzhou. This is also China’s first large-scale hydrogen fuel cell system production factory. The “HTWO Guangzhou” base is expected to be officially completed and put into operation by the end of this year, and then expand production and supply capacity in a timely manner according to the needs of the Chinese market and policies.
Toyota has brought the Mirai model, which has already been formally sold overseas, and can be refueled in about 3 minutes, with a maximum WLTC range of about 850 kilometers. In addition, the TL Power80 for the light commercial vehicle market also appeared.
In late October of this year, the foundation laying ceremony of Toyota’s fuel cell research and production project (Phase I) was held in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone. This marks the official start of Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle business in China.
The necessity of diversified technological development is obvious. If only relying on one technology, there will be great uncertainty, and the best way to deal with this uncertainty is to develop diversified technology.
At this year’s CIIE, the first sedan under the Hyundai IONIQ brand, the IONIQ 6, officially made its Chinese debut. Based on the dedicated platform E-GMP, it not only has an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.21Cd, but also a single charge can exceed a maximum WLTP range of 610km and an ultra-low energy consumption of about less than 14kWh/100km, making it one of the most energy-saving models in the market.
After introducing hybrid technology products into the market for many years and earning a lot of profit, Toyota showcased its pure electric product bZ4X at the CIIE this year, starting to focus on pure electric power.
Modern technology often becomes an extension of human beings, and people become new entities in the construction of technology, reaching new dimensions of freedom. At the same time, its alienation to people is a long-lasting problem. The extension and alienation of technology to humans are two extremes that are always present.
Efficiency is the direct result of modern technology. Since human time has been quantified, efficiency quickly became an unquestionable rule. Under the command of the clock, modern people are exhausted and subject to the law of technology, and the alienation of technology is manifested by the tyranny of time.“`
People are longing for a universal methodology, a philosopher’s stone that can be applied everywhere. Mastering this is equivalent to mastering the codes of “efficiency” and “scalability”. However, a large number of people are abandoned in efficiency, and technology has become the benefit of some people. The humane care part is easily flattened and virtualized.
After entering the modern industrialized society, everything seems to be classified as “homogeneous”, and the subtly spiritual things brought by differences are neglected and abandoned. Over time, netizens are increasingly unable to see diversity and accept it, but self-labelling.
Car companies are an important embodiment of the industrial system, but due to facing consumers directly, their C-end attributes are very strong, and humane care is even more important. It can awaken people’s most primitive nature.
At the Toyota booth, among the three main exhibition areas of “environment”, “intelligent transportation” and “Mobility for All”, “Mobility for All” is the warmest part. This corporate vision makes Toyota deeply consider how to deal with the challenges caused by an aging society.
For example, the e-Palette wheelchair of the automated driving travel service car can be boarded and disembarked without obstacles. In addition, Toyota is actively promoting the development of a variety of welfare products, which were demonstrated at this year’s CIIE. This practical technology permeating into daily life of special populations fully embodies Toyota’s humane care.
In Greek mythology, Antaeus, the son of the Earth, can continuously absorb power from Mother Earth as long as he does not leave the ground when fighting against his opponent, invincible; but once he leaves the soil, he will lose all his strength.
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Modern technology seems to follow such metaphors too. Technology has always revolved around people. Otherwise, even the coolest black technology will be empty castles in the air.
The subtle humanistic care that is “non-technical” is the most touching point I saw at the Expo. I think that in the current situation of technological development being so inward-looking, the only guidance that can be given to companies is to return modern technology to daily life and care for humanity.
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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.