companion is launching a new “super platform” that will support everything from internal combustion engines to hydrogen fuel cell powertrains to body and unibody vehicles – and even a sports car.
The Chinese automaker has previewed one of the vehicles that will use the new GWM One architecture, a large (around 5.3m long) SUV for its premium Wey brand, which Chinese media say will launch this year.
The architecture will support hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains as well as traditional internal combustion engines.
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“It may sound dynamic and complex, but in reality they are simplifying complexity. The true value of this innovation is a return to simplicity,” said GWM Chairman Jack Wey.
“Thanks to a variety of drive options, we have expanded our market reach. For example, we can equip it with large-volume engines to meet the requirements of the Arab markets.”
Among the GWM One-based combustion engine vehicles, there will be some with transversely mounted engines and others with longitudinally mounted engines.
Plug-in hybrids will use GWM’s new 800V Super Hi4 powertrain with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a four-speed direct hybrid transmission and a 270kW rear electric motor.
GWM claims a fuel consumption of 6.3L/100km with an empty battery and an electric range of 363km for a total range of 1,393km – these figures are based on the WLTC cycle and in a large SUV.
Hybrid vehicles will feature new Hi4 hybrid powertrains, with GWM touting PHEV-rivaling performance levels, up to 14.4 percent lower fuel consumption than “conventional” hybrid vehicles, and available features such as a sleep mode, a wake mode and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability.
GWM will also introduce diesel hybrids, which are said to reduce 0-100 km/h acceleration times by up to 40 percent compared to conventional diesel vehicles, while offering nine percent better combined cycle fuel consumption than gasoline hybrids.
GWM One electric vehicles will feature a 900V electrical architecture, providing a range of over 660 km and the ability to charge their batteries from empty to 80 percent in 10 minutes, GWM said.
The GWM One architecture will be used in 50 models across seven “core vehicle categories”. At the announcement, the company showed the silhouettes of boxy SUVs, people movers and a pickup truck, as well as a sleeker crossover SUV and a sports car.
It will even support sedans, a body style that GWM surprisingly rejects for a Chinese automaker, while GWM One-based vehicles will be sold in markets such as Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region.
Mr. Wey says the GWM One platform “achieves a high level of component commonality, making vehicles easier to maintain and have a higher resale value.”
MORE: Explore the GWM showroom
