In Brussels, diesel is seen as a technology of the past. Environmental zones are becoming stricter and manufacturers are massively stopping the development of self-ignition engines. But on the other side of the world, they think very differently. China, frontrunner in electric driving, presents a new diesel technology that could make European industry very nervous.
It seems like the opposite world. For years we have heard that the future is all-electric and that China is leading the way in this. European brands like Volkswagen and Volvo are swearing off the diesel engine and focusing entirely on plug-in cars and battery technology. But as sales of all-electric cars stagnate and the market for hybrids rebounds, a surprise comes from the East.
The Chinese company Yuchai, a name that still rings few bells here, has presented a diesel engine that changes the rules of the game. This is a power source for commercial vehicles that uses an advanced Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) system. Where we associate diesel with black clouds of soot and sham software, China sees it as an efficient solution to increase range and drastically reduce consumption.
The technology behind the claim
The Chinese claim that their new powertrain can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 50 percent. Those are figures that European engineers can only dream of. The trick lies in the combination of a diesel engine with an electric system and a flywheel.
Instead of the diesel engine directly driving the wheels, it acts as a generator. As a result, the engine constantly runs at its most efficient speed, decoupled from driving speed. An electrical system, supported by a flywheel, then provides the actual drive.
This flywheel captures and releases energy to smooth out peak moments in consumption and eliminate shocks to the powertrain. The result is an engine that has far fewer parts, is less subject to wear and tear and, above all, is much more fuel efficient.
Europe is sidelined
The painful part of this story is that Yuchai is not a small player messing around in a shed. They already have partnerships with a division of Rolls-Royce and supply parts to giants like Dongfeng and BAIC. While European politicians are busy banning internal combustion engines by 2035 and introducing strict Euro 7 standards, China is quietly innovating on all fronts: electric, hybrid and diesel.
It shows that the Chinese are not betting on one horse. They understand that for heavy transport and long distances there is still a need for the energy density of diesel. Electric trucks still struggle with heavy batteries and long charging times. By coupling diesel technology with electrification, the Chinese are creating a hybrid that is cleaner and more fuel-efficient than anything we still dare to develop here.
If these engines soon find their way into vans and trucks, the European logistics sector may soon be forced to drive Chinese vehicles. Not because they are electric, but because their diesels are simply superior. It is a hard lesson for Europe: those who stop innovating because politicians change course will eventually be overtaken left and right.
