Weichai develops new diesel engine

Weichai Power Co. Ltd. held a press conference in the Beijing Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Mar.13, 2005, announcing it has independently developed and produced the country s first 10-litre and 12-litre diesel engine to meet Euro III emission standards. Production of the engine signals that China s machinery manufacturers have acquired an equivalent opportunity on the Euro III platform, which also indicates a new era of China Power of the Chinese diesel engine manufacturing industry with independent innovation capability.

Weichai Power named the new large-power Euro III diesel engines Landking WP10 WP12. Mr. Tan Xuguang, chairman of the board of directors, said that such denomination indicated that this series of diesel engine were not that of developed on the basis of WD615 series but a key technology and new brand name with whole independent intellectual property right. The major performances and specifications of Weichai 10-litre and 12-litre large-power Euro III diesel engines are on a par with the quality of foreign products or even better than some of them. They have also set a solid technical foundation for the development of Euro IV diesel engine.

Weichai Power is the first company in China possessing the independent intellectual property right for 10-litre and 12-litre Euro III diesel engine. The invention of this product is three years in advance of Chinese vehicles being required to adopt the Euro III standard in 2008. Weichai Power is expected to market the product in the first half of the year in small volume. This engine can be widely used in heavy-duty vehicles, engineering machinery, coaches, vessels and power generators. The full-year production is to reach 50,000 units. The general production will begin at the end of this year.

Mr. Zhang Xiaoyu, president of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said that the capability to develop and manufacture large-power engines is the symbol of the core technology and competitive strength of the engine manufacturing industry. It possesses a strategic status in the machinery equipment field and represents the overall strength and competitiveness of a country s machine manufacturing industry. The technological upgrading from Euro II to Euro III is a revolution in the industry. It will help improve technological innovation and producing efficiency and upgrade the entire industry and therefore conforms the general demand of following the new industrialization road.

The press conference was organized by Weichai Power, Economic daily and Shandong TV Station. Journalists, specialists as well as leaders from more than 20 news agencies, including the Xinhua News Agency, the People s Daily, Guangming Daily, CCTV, the Phoenix TV and the automobile industry, the construction machine industry and the internal combustion engine industry were presented at the conference.