The development of products that improve the safety of autonomous driving and new energy vehicles is the direction of Knorr-Bremse's efforts.
On June 25, 2024, Knorr-Bremse, the world's leading provider of system solutions for commercial vehicles, held a press conference for the China 2024 Media Day in Dalian, and clearly released the new connotation of Knorr-Bremse's 20 years of experience in China and providing "safe" products for the industry.
Knorr-Bremse China's leadership team explained the new connotation in three main points: first, to develop products that improve the safety of autonomous driving and new energy vehicles; the second is to strengthen the rapid response in the face of rapid changes in the market; The third is the popularization and research and development of the importance of vehicle safety, including trailers.
01
Insist on making safe products, but be green and energy-saving
The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Knorr-Bremse's local production in China and the completion and official start of production of Knorr-Bremse's new plant in Dalian. On this occasion, Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems executives gathered in Dalian for the completion and commissioning of the new plant. Xia Fei, President of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems China, said that Knorr-Bremse's contribution to commercial vehicles lies in the realization of product safety, and Knorr-Bremse will continue to bring safer products to Chinese customers in the future.
At present, the global automotive industry is ushering in a wave of intelligence and electrification, and in this regard, Xia Fei believes that Knorr-Bremse's safety products should also keep pace with the times. "Developing products that improve the safety of autonomous driving and new energy vehicles is the direction of Knorr-Bremse's efforts."
Xia Fei pointed out that the future development of vehicles towards electrification is still inseparable from the braking system, and how Knorr-Bremse's braking system can combine the safety needs of new energy and electrification to develop braking products suitable for electric trucks is a very clear topic that the local R&D team is facing.
In addition, Xia Fei believes that safety is not only related to new technologies, but more importantly, it is closely related to green travel. "Safety is the foundation, and green travel is the direction we are constantly pursuing."
Chafeld cites two new products currently being developed by Knorr-Bremse as examples. The first is an air compressor product. At the beginning of the product design, the air compressor itself puts efficiency as a priority, and Knorr-Bremse's efficiency is 2%-3% higher than that of domestic competitors. The second is the ESS system launched by Knorr-Bremse two years ago, and this year Knorr-Bremse has launched a highly efficient ESS system. "Generally, after the traditional air compressor is full, the air is discharged under the drive of the engine. With Knorr-Bremse's ESS system, the entire gas is circulated internally without the need for external discharge, which means energy savings – because the exhaust requires energy consumption. ”
It is understood that at present, these two products have been applied in small batches in high-end cars, and the actual feedback effect is also very ideal. "We have done theoretical calculations and practical measurements, and a 640cc air compressor can save 0.4 liters to 0.5 liters of fuel consumption per 100 kilometers, which is a product that Knorr-Bremse has launched on the market." Xia Fei said.
02
Deeply cultivate the local area and improve the rapid response capability
When it comes to the "involution" phenomenon of the current market, Xia Fei said that the Chinese market is changing too fast, and the needs of customers are also fast.
In order to adapt to the rapid market changes, Xia Fei said that Knorr-Bremse has adopted a strategy of deep localization. "Past experience tells us that it is not enough to rely on European R&D 10,000 kilometers away to support China's development, which is not in line with the development needs of the Chinese market, which is why Knorr-Bremse China established the Suzhou R&D center, which is why Knorr-Bremse has steer-by-wire, ELC and AMT."
This strategy is the result of years of practice. According to Xia Fei, the problems reported by customers used to take several months to solve, but now customers are very satisfied with the efficiency of Knorr-Bremse's feedback.
At the level of localization strategy, Knorr-Bremse also takes the approach of co-development with customers. For example, we cooperate with customers in the development of air compressors and vehicle systems. "Knorr-Bremse brings value to the market together with its customers with its products and know-how, and we provide solutions for the development of commercial vehicle technology from a systematic perspective." Xia Fei said.
The localized ability to respond quickly has also given Knorr-Bremse confidence. As for the current more and more enterprises entering the field of "automotive safety products", Xia Fei said that Knorr-Bremse reduces costs and improves competitiveness by localizing and localizing production. In addition, for new entrants, it takes time to familiarize yourself with the industry and offer advanced products, but Knorr-Bremse is already aiming for the next generation of products. "After our peers are familiar with the market, we have already driven to the next track."
03
Strengthen the safety of trailers and enhance market awareness
According to reports, the main approach of the industry in terms of safety is to make every effort to improve the safety of the main vehicle and increase various configurations, but the trailer does not provide safety support, which makes the safety of vehicle transportation defective.
As people's awareness of vehicle safety is getting higher and higher, some people have realized that it is imperative to improve trailer safety, and some trailers have begun to install EBS, but most of them still have a lack of understanding of this, and the main reason is that they think that it will increase costs.
Huang Siyu, General Manager of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems China, said that Knorr-Bremse has been committed to improving customers' awareness of trailer safety in the past two years, including roadshows with some large OEMs and hazardous chemical manufacturers, and even directly into the terminal, such as working with some large fleets and logistics companies. "Recently, our whole team went to Xinjiang to do a roadshow, just to let everyone feel the different vehicle configurations. Main car EBS, trailer EBS, main car EBS, trailer ABS, main car ABS, trailer ABS, let the driver feel it personally. We believe that as time goes by, more and more people will have a deep understanding of vehicle safety. ”
Wang Minjie, general manager of Knorr-Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems China's braking and driving assistance division, also said that the matching of the main trailer is a headache for all OEMs, and the reason is the aforementioned problem of end customer cognition. However, Wang Minjie believes that improving the braking level of the trailer is very important for the safety of the vehicle. Therefore, in addition to popularizing the awareness of trailer safety, Knorr-Bremse also actively participates in the revision and revision of some national regulations and puts forward some positive suggestions and opinions.
In this regard, Xia Fei showed full self-confidence. He believes that as long as you stick to the right direction, go in the right direction, and keep making your voice, one day this voice will be heard by everyone.