Industry Veterans Steering Through NEV Market Shifts

Chongqing - How long does it take to conduct design concept verification for 55 types of interior and exterior products for vehicles? Traditional fuel-powered vehicles typically require around three months, while new energy vehicles take about 70 days.

However, Chongqing Institute of Optics and Mechanics Co Ltd has set up a New Energy Vehicle Body Product Design Concept Verification Center, which has shortened the time to 45 days.

How did it achieve this? On January 13, Lan Jie, the center's head of research and development, said that this achievement is the result of the institute leveraging its extensive experience and resources to address the new challenges of new energy vehicles (NEVs).

Accelerating verification with cutting-edge tech

Before any vehicle is launched, it must undergo design concept verification. This process allows companies to assess whether the vehicle design is reasonable, whether mass production is feasible, and whether the vehicle has market potential. Since 2000, the institute has been an expert in design concept verification for fuel-powered vehicles. In 2024, the institute established the verification center to enter the new energy vehicle sector.

Upon entering this field, the center was tasked with a project: a new model from an NEV manufacturer required verification of the mass production process for 55 types of interior and exterior vehicle parts, including the front and rear bumpers, dashboard, and front-end frame.

Typically, the verification cycle takes around 70 days, but to accelerate the launch, the automaker gave the center just 50 days. The atmosphere at the center became tense.

Fortunately, the institute had already introduced advanced technologies like 3D printing and optical scanning around 2000. By 2024, the institute had high-tech methods such as digital design, simulation analysis, 3D printing, high-precision CNC manufacturing, and 3D optical inspection. These technologies enabled rapid mold design and development, as well as small-batch rapid prototyping of engineering samples.

These "assets" were all used to verify the mass production process for the 55 interior and exterior parts. With so many product types, the team used highly flexible new materials to quickly produce molds and 3D-printed samples. To meet the tight timeline, they combined technologies like CAM, additive manufacturing, polymer material molding, and laser manufacturing, optimizing automation and processing accuracy.

After an intense, round-the-clock effort, the center completed the mass production process verification for all 55 parts in just 45 days, setting a new speed record for similar verifications.

This achievement made the center realize that both the institute and its team are fully capable of competing in this sector. Following this, several other NEV companies reached out to seek collaboration.

Keeping pace with NEV design iterations

Despite the institute's deep expertise, the center faced numerous challenges in transitioning from the fuel-powered vehicle sector to the new energy vehicle sector.

"The most obvious challenge is that NEV designs evolve much faster than fuel-powered vehicles," said Lan. While fuel-powered vehicle design iterations typically occur every 3 to 5 years, NEV design cycles are only 1 to 2 years.

Additionally, NEV body components are often highly innovative—old experiences from fuel-powered vehicle verification cannot be directly applied and require extra attention.

Lan added that the center once identified a bug in an NEV design: a hybrid vehicle's oil guide pipe, which adopted an irregular design. The design seemed reasonable on paper, but after testing a prototype, the center found the spray position was inaccurate. Moreover, due to its unique design, retooling would be very costly, making it unsuitable for mass production.

The center suggested a redesign of the oil guide pipe and provided an initial solution. The car manufacturer adopted the new design and successfully launched the new model.

Reducing NEV body weight by 15% to 20%

With support from the Chongqing Academy of Science and Technology and the institute, the center has not only accelerated the launch of new energy vehicles through concept validation but also contributed to weight reduction in NEVs through design and new materials application.

Lan explained that a lighter vehicle generally leads to better range performance, and many car manufacturers have approached the center with weight reduction demands. The center proposed a new approach: under the premise of unchanged performance, the internal structure of complex body components, brake calipers, and other parts is modified to a hollow structure.

By altering the internal structure of body components and using new materials for 3D printing, the center created a honeycomb-like structure to maintain strength while reducing weight.

"This hollow product structure cannot be achieved using traditional manufacturing methods, but the institute has an advantage in 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies," said Lan. The center has helped several car manufacturers design and produce lightweight body components, reducing vehicle weight by an average of 15 percent to 20 percent and improving the range of new energy vehicles, according to Lan.

Since its establishment in May last year, the center has received 48 orders for new energy vehicle body product concept verification and has served 8 NEV companies. Currently, leading NEV manufacturers in Chongqing, such as Changan, Avatr, and Seres, have all established long-term partnerships with the center.

Lan said that he and his team would keep learning and developing new technologies for the NEV sector. They also plan to strengthen collaboration with car manufacturers, material suppliers, and universities to integrate resources and overcome technical challenges.

(Shen Xiaojia and Zhang Jinhui, reporters from Chongqing Daily, contributed the Chinese version of this report.)