Can China Independently Manufacture Automotive Engines?
3 Answers
Yes. Nature of Automotive Engines: Automotive Engine: A device that provides power for automobiles, serving as the heart of a vehicle and determining its power performance, fuel economy, and environmental friendliness. Depending on the power source, automotive engines can be categorized into diesel engines, gasoline engines, electric vehicle motors, and hybrid engines, among others. Performance Indicators: Power performance indicators, fuel economy indicators, environmental indicators, reliability indicators, and durability indicators. Function: To convert the chemical energy of fuel into the mechanical energy of piston movement and output power externally. Gasoline engines feature high rotational speed, light weight, low noise, easy starting, and low manufacturing cost; diesel engines have a high compression ratio, superior thermal efficiency, and better fuel economy and emission performance than gasoline engines.
Yes, China is now capable of independently manufacturing automotive engines. From a technical perspective, several major companies like Geely, Changan, and Great Wall have developed their own engines. Take Geely's 1.5T engine for example—it's entirely domestically designed and manufactured, featuring turbocharging and direct injection technologies with reliable performance. The progress has been significant over the years, transitioning from relying on imported components to achieving full-process control domestically, including casting, assembly, and testing. Both gasoline and diesel engines are covered, even extending into hybrid technology. However, challenges remain, such as improving precision in high-end materials and overcoming limitations due to reliance on foreign chips. Overall, we've moved past the days of being constrained by foreign technology and should further strengthen local innovation to drive the automotive industry's upgrade. I think this progress is substantial and beneficial for us drivers.
To be honest, as a veteran car owner, I've personally experienced China's capability to manufacture its own engines. My Geely car is equipped with a domestically produced 1.4T engine, and after driving it for over three years, there hasn't been a single issue—it accelerates responsively and is fuel-efficient. People used to always say foreign engines were better, but domestic technology has caught up remarkably in recent years, with core components now independently developed and complete engine assembly achieved without reliance on others. While there are still minor technical shortcomings, like room for improvement in noise control, the overall performance is solid. When I was car shopping, I compared options and found that with similar configurations, domestic engines were significantly cheaper. This progress is truly reliable, making future maintenance much more convenient. Hats off to our national brands—they're gradually becoming mainstream.