Gas engine market competition intensifies, focusing on the bus market

"This year's sales of natural gas engines by domestic engine companies should all be better than expected." The sales manager of a domestic engine company told commercial car news reporters. With the improvement of the economy, the construction of natural gas filling stations started one after another, and the use of natural gas has increased. Natural gas engines have become the market segments that engine companies compete for.

Bus market is the main force

Recently, the natural gas engine with the maximum power of 310 horsepower in FAW Wuxi Diesel Engine Factory was successfully developed and will soon be mass-produced. Since then, Xichai's natural gas engine power has covered 170-310 horsepower. New members have been added to the medium and large natural gas engines.

According to related persons from the Xichai Technology Department, this engine is mainly developed for the bus market. “A few years ago, Xichai began the research and production of natural gas engines, but the maximum engine power was only 260 horsepower. After the new engine is put into production, it will expand our product line.” The source believes that the current demand for natural gas buses is presented. In the upward trend, the proportion of natural gas buses in some cities reached 30%. “Last time, more than 10 of our 190-horsepower natural gas engines were assembled on the Luzhou buses. At the same time, Chengdu Bus selected our 260-horsepower natural gas engine. The newly-launched natural gas engine will mainly support 10 to 13 meters of buses.”

The market share of natural gas engines is not only for Xichai. Xiong Weiming, general manager of Shanghai Diesel Engine Co., Ltd., also stated that Shangchai will further expand its product line so that the power of natural gas engines can be more fully covered. In the natural gas bus market of about 8 meters, Shanghai Diesel promotes 6 liters of engines with a power range of 170-230 hp. In the natural gas bus and tourist bus market of more than 10 meters, Shanghai Diesel has introduced 8.3 liters, 9 liters, and a power range of 250 meters. ~280 hp natural gas engine.

According to Xiong Weiming, at present, China's natural gas buses are dominated by buses. Municipal buses in large and medium-sized cities and county and township public transportation in some areas are the main market segments. Therefore, this market has become an area where companies compete for one another.

Yuchai, which has a comparative advantage in the passenger car engine market, is also producing natural gas engines in the southwestern market. By strengthening the cooperation with Chongqing Hengtong, Chongqing Public Transport will purchase at least 600 Yuchai gas engines this year.

However, the differences in geographical conditions have created new requirements for natural gas engines. Yuchai officials said: “The pattern of natural gas buses is currently dominated by urban public transport and supplemented by short-distance passenger transport. For example, Chongqing’s relatively narrow road requires natural gas buses of 10.5 meters, Guangzhou needs 12 meters, and some cities The 6 to 7-meter bus is mainly engaged in urban and rural passenger transportation. These subdivided market demands require the engine companies to match production according to the market and provide adaptive products."

The truck market has become a new favorite

Relative to the more mature natural gas passenger car engine market, the use of natural gas truck engines in China is still in its infancy. However, truck companies are actively preparing and gradually introducing products.

Liu Keqiang, Assistant to General Manager and Marketing Director of Shaanxi Automobile Group Sales Co., Ltd., said: “Now we have already introduced natural gas tractors, trucks and dump trucks. The first customers are Xi’an Natural Gas Transportation Company. These vehicles have fixed lines. , and engaged in short and medium distance transportation.Now our CNG trucks have a driving range of 400-500 kilometers. Take the Baoji-Xi'an route of 150 kilometers one-way as an example, vehicles can run one time back and forth, and coal production counties in Shaanxi. From Binxian to Xi’an, the distance is less than 100 kilometers and the gas can run two times.Although the natural gas vehicle costs 70,000 to 80,000 yuan more than a diesel car, but this part of the cost is earned back in one year, and after one year The fuel cost can save tens of thousands of yuan."

With the economic recovery in the second half of the year, natural gas filling stations were successively built. Liu Keqiang stated that Shaanxi Automobile plans to sell 3,000 natural gas heavy trucks next year, accounting for about 5% of all sales.

In addition to Shaanqi, FAW Jiefang and Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle also started a natural gas truck project. According to Wang Xiaopeng of the Marketing Department of Deutz FAW (Dalian) Diesel Engine Co., Ltd., the company is cooperating with FAW Liberation to develop a natural gas medium-duty truck, which will be put into the coal transportation line in Inner Mongolia. According to relevant person in charge of Shangchai, Shangchai natural gas engine has been delivered to Shanxi Jinmei Coal Group, Beijing Dadi Gas Company, and Hainan Gas Company.

In terms of power demand, Liu Keqiang said that the heavy truck is mainly equipped with a 350-horsepower engine and can reach a maximum of 380 horsepower. In response to this market demand, Shangchai launched 11 liters of natural gas engines with a power of 300 horsepower or more.