On December 14th, the bulk delivery ceremony of the Thunderbolt extended range electric SUV for users of the Star Yue L Hi·P was held at the Geely Xi’an factory. The Xi’an factory is Geely’s first all-architecture, all-energy, and all-car series “dark factory,” which can achieve automated production in a black-light state. The main processes such as stamping, welding and coating have all achieved 100% automation manufacturing. At present, it mainly produces Star Yue L and Star Yue L Thunderbolt Hi·F plug-in hybrids. With the production of this batch of vehicles at the factory, the Geely China Star series they represent has now completed a production milestone of 550,000 vehicles.
China Star is the high-end brand series based on the Geely CMA architecture and e-CMA electric architecture. From July 2021 to the present, the sales volume of the China Star series has exceeded 500,000 vehicles, and the average price of the series products is about 150,000 yuan, including Star Yue L, Star Yue L Hi·F Thunderbolt plug-in hybrid version, Star Yue L Hi·P Thunderbolt extended range electric SUV, Star Rui, Star Yue S and other models.
From the current situation, the sales ranking of hybrid models has been completely dominated by domestic manufacturers in China, breaking the long-term monopoly of Japanese brands Toyota and Honda in the HEV market. Joint venture models have almost curled up in the corner in front of strong domestic models, and consumers don’t even consider them when buying a car. In the competition among “our own people,” faced with BYD which has taken the lead, Geely has come up with the Thunderbolt brand to benchmark against it. The bulk delivery of Star Yue L Hi·P Thunderbolt extended range electric SUV is one of them.
Unlike the extended range vehicles we traditionally understand, traditional extended range systems are generally driven by the motor, and the range extender only exists to replenish the battery’s energy. On the Star Yue L Hi·P extended range version, it is still a combination of P1+P2 motors, and the P1 motor is the ISG motor, which is installed at the front end of the clutch behind the engine, and is generally integrated into the flywheel of the engine or combined with the flywheel through gears. It generally replaces the starter and acts as a generator and cannot directly drive the vehicle. The existence of the P1 motor can assist the flywheel to enter the appropriate speed range, making the engine start and stop more smoothly. This is reflected in the driving process where the start-up and acceleration process are smoother and can even generate electricity through brake energy recovery.“`
This P2 motor is located between the clutch and transmission, which can disconnect the connection between the gearbox and the engine, and drive the front two wheels separately. During braking, it can also recover energy through reverse, so in other words, the “range extender” of the Star Way L Hi·P Thunderbolt plug-in hybrid SUV can directly drive the wheels. In short, we can understand the Star Way L Hi·P as a range-extended electric SUV that supports electric power.
The 3-speed variable frequency electric drive DHT Pro system it carries supports direct drive from the engine to the wheels. By skipping the two-stage energy loss of power generation and discharge during high-speed driving, the high-speed energy consumption is further reduced while ensuring performance. In this mode, the electric-hybrid range of the Star Way L Hi·P can reach 1,300 km, and even in pure electric drive mode, the range can reach 1,250 km.
Therefore, the quality of the range extender directly affects the driving experience. Although it is a range-extended vehicle, the Star Way L Hi·P is equipped with the Hi·F version of the 1.5T engine, with a maximum power of 110 kW, peak torque of 225 N·m, compression ratio of 13:1, and thermal efficiency of 43.32%. According to official announcements, under the WLTC working condition, the range extender can convert up to 1L of gasoline into 3.35 kWh of electricity. At a speed of 60 km/h, the electricity consumption is 15.4 kWh/100 km, and the lowest energy loss fuel consumption in the same level is 5.3 L/100 km. The most critical thing is that it supports 92 octane gasoline.
The biggest difference between the Star Way L Hi·P and the Hi·F version lies in the 41.2 kWh CTP flat battery, which can provide a pure electric range of 205 km. The main reason why the current popularity of range-extended models is much higher than that of hybrid models lies in the fact that in the scenarios where consumers use their vehicles, commuting in cities still accounts for the majority, and a large battery means less fuel consumption during the driving process, and a more stable driving experience.
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Meanwhile, a larger battery means higher charging power and longer discharge time. If you really want to camp and travel, a bigger battery will bring more possibilities to your camping experience. The Star Way L Hi·P Thor Extended Range Version comes with a maximum 85 kW DC fast charge as standard, allowing the battery to be charged from 30% to 80% in just 27 minutes. It also comes with a 6.6 kW home slow charge and is capable of supporting 3.3 kW external power output. Officially promoted to meet more than 12 hours of camping electricity needs.
In the past few years, the price range of domestic cars has climbed unknowingly to the price range of tens of thousands of yuan. Five years ago, a domestically produced car priced at 150,000 yuan could already be considered high-end, but now, with domestically produced new energy vehicles priced at three to four hundred thousand yuan, it seems a little insufficient. However, if you really apply this price range of three to four hundred thousand yuan to the national average wage, it is still an unbearable burden for ordinary people.
Cost-effective products still have a broad “mass base”. This is also an important reason why the China Star series has accumulated sales of over 500,000 in two years. Sales have always been the best indicator of product strength among national products. The Star Way L Hi·P Thor Extended Range Version’s two models are priced at 239,700 yuan and 253,700 yuan respectively after comprehensive subsidies, which is already in the upper price range of the series. However, compared to a group of increased-range SUV and joint-venture hybrid products priced at 300,000 yuan, it seems to be more sincere.
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.