Four world records set Weichai Power unveils world's first diesel engine with 53.09% thermal efficiency

On April 20, 2024, the 2024 World Congress on Internal Combustion Engines grandly commenced in Tianjin, China, showcasing the industry's latest technological advancements. At the event, Weichai Power unveiled the world's first diesel engine with an intrinsic thermal efficiency of 53.09%. This remarkable achievement was officially recognized by TÜV SÜD, an international authoritative testing organization, and the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, a professional testing body for Chinese internal combustion engines. Both organizations issued product testing reports and certificates to Weichai Power, confirming the company's new world record in the key economic index of diesel engine thermal efficiency.

Since 2015, Weichai Power has assembled a high-thermal efficiency engine research team comprising hundreds of young Ph.D. holders and thousands of engineers. This team has been collaborating with leading minds domestically and internationally, along with industry-university-research partners, to conduct cutting-edge technical research and continually push the boundaries of innovation. On September 16, 2020, Weichai Power marked a significant milestone by introducing a diesel engine with a record-breaking body thermal efficiency of 50.23%. The company continued its remarkable progress by further increasing the engine's thermal efficiency to 51.09% on January 8, 2022. Most recently, on November 20, 2022, the company surpassed its previous achievements, reaching an impressive 52.28% thermal efficiency, which demonstrates Weichai Power's pivotal role in leading the global internal combustion engine industry's technological advancement.

Building on its previous achievements, Weichai Power's research team dedicated more than 500 days of focused effort to further refine four critical systems: combustion, air intake, fuel delivery, and friction reduction. The team successfully advanced high-expansion combustion, mixed-flow pressurization, high-efficiency fuel injection, and low-resistance friction-reducing technologies. These developments, achieved through incremental gains of 0.1% at each step, culminated in a remarkable milestone: breaking through the 53% thermal efficiency barrier for the first time globally, a feat akin to a human running the 100-meter race under 9 seconds. During this research and development process, the team was granted 176 invention patents and 68 utility model patents. 

Mr. Dirk von Wahl, CEO of TüV SÜD North Asia, extended his congratulations to Weichai via video message. He acknowledged that Weichai's recent achievements are exceptional on the global stage, far exceeding current standards. This reflects not only Weichai's robust scientific research capabilities but also its strong technical prowess in the internal combustion engine industry. Wahl expressed his belief that this technological milestone will significantly support China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and green development initiatives, while also contributing to the sustainable growth, energy conservation, and emissions reduction of industries worldwide.