The Frontline | CCTV Conducts an In-depth Visit to Great Wall Motor's Technology Center to Witness How Chinese Automobiles Achieve Steady and Long-Term Development
On December 25, the flagship program of CCTV News, "Top Laboratory", delved into the Technology Center of Great Wall Motors, uncovering multiple extreme testing facilities including the Environmental Wind Tunnel Laboratory, High Altitude Laboratory, Intelligent Interaction Laboratory, and Crash Test Laboratory. Meanwhile, the program conducted an on-site test of the intelligent driving performance of the all-new Lanshan in the changing traffic conditions in Beijing, comprehensively presenting the latest achievements of Great Wall Motors in technical research and experimental verification.
The program host Dong Qian had an in-depth conversation with Wei Jianjun, the Chairman of Great Wall Motors, telling the little-known development story behind Great Wall Motors and witnessing together how the Chinese automotive industry is moving forward steadily towards long-term development.
Top Laboratory Visits Great Wall Motors (Source: Official Enterprise)
In the first chapter of the program, the host He Yanke tested the new Lanshan intelligent driving system in the extremely complex traffic environment in Beijing. Beijing Guomao, as one of the busiest traffic sections in the world, is the core testing scene, testing the performance of the intelligent driving system in the dense traffic lights, complex vehicle interactions, and busy pedestrian traffic. Subsequently, the test difficulty was further increased. The host drove the new Lanshan into the Guozijian Hutong in Beijing, which is a scene full of Chinese characteristics with narrow roads, numerous tourists, and the complex condition of mixed non-motorized vehicles. The new Lanshan intelligent driving system performed well in these challenges, comparable to an "experienced driver", being able to accurately identify traffic signals, avoid obstacles, plan routes, and smoothly pass through congested sections.
After the "Top Laboratory" program completed the road test challenge, the program delved into the science and technology behind Great Wall Motors. Among the many high-end laboratories of Great Wall Motors, the host showed the audience the importance and value of vehicle testing.
Taking the Environmental Wind Tunnel Laboratory as an example, Great Wall is the first Chinese independent brand to establish an environmental wind tunnel laboratory, which can simulate environmental temperatures from -40°C to 60°C and relative humidity from 5% to 95%, almost replicating various conditions in nature. In this laboratory, engineers conduct tests in extreme environments every day, presenting a "Song of Ice and Fire". In the program, the new Lanshan underwent a night of freezing in this laboratory. After the host broke the ice and opened the car door, it was found that all vehicle functions were normal. According to the engineers, each new vehicle of Great Wall must undergo at least 20 days of rigorous tests here before going on the market.
The "Top Laboratory" program also showed the audience other cutting-edge laboratories of Great Wall Motors, including the High Altitude Laboratory, Intelligent Interaction Laboratory, and Safety Laboratory. These laboratories not only shorten the technology research and development cycle and improve efficiency, but also make the relevant tests more objective and accurate by precisely controlling variables.
In the live broadcast, Wei Jianjun, the Chairman of Great Wall Motors, had an in-depth conversation with the host Dong Qian. Wei Jianjun reviewed the situation of insufficient early technical reserves in the Chinese automotive industry and emphasized the significant investment of Great Wall Motors in research and development, verification, and manufacturing, especially the establishment of the technology center, which is of great importance to the improvement of the company's overall strength.
He mentioned that Great Wall Motors is the first domestic brand to develop a transverse 9DCT transmission and is the only vehicle enterprise that masters the independent research and development capability of the longitudinal 9AT and 9HAT transmissions, and emphasized the importance of mastering core technologies. Regarding the issue of measuring the enterprise value, Wei Jianjun believes that the enterprise value lies not only in profits, but more in creating value for users and making contributions to the country. He proposed that Great Wall Motors should adhere to long-termism and bottom-line thinking to achieve long-term development.
At the end of the program, Dong Qian gave such an evaluation: "Great Wall Motors 'Three minutes on stage, ten years of practice off stage'. These unseen efforts have achieved the visible quality for users.