In the Chinese manufacturers’ most succinct definition of their new DHT Hybrid system, they have adopted the slogan of ‘Three engines, three gears, nine modes and 11 speeds.’
The DHT Hybrid system is stated to offer technology of the next generation of hybrid propulsion into the market, says Tony Liu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Chery South Africa. Impressive statistics and rigorous testing have accompanied all of the moving parts which should bolster Chery’s ever-improving perception of reliability.
At the heart of the latest tech from the Chinese automaking giant are the ‘three engines’. The familiar 1.5 turbo-petrol engine which is capable of 115 kW and 230 N.m has been converted into a hybrid-specific version which accompanies two electric motors of varying power in the drivetrain. It is worth nothing that the same setup is production ready on the 2.0 turbo-petrol engine from Chery too.
The electric motors boast outputs of 55 kW and 160 Nm and 70 kW and 155 Nm respectively. Faultless testing has been claimed with over 5 million combined testing kilometres and 30,000 hours of use thanks to an oil injection cooling system. This should boast real-world service 1,5 times greater than the industry average.
A ‘three-gear’ transmission harnesses the power from the three motors that combines standard variable transmission to near infinite gear combinations. This optimises the needs of the driver, whether it be for fuel consumption, performance or towing capability.
A ‘nine mode’ system manages the motors and gears to best deliver the power and efficiency. These include single-motor electric only mode, dual motor pure electric performance, a direct drive from the turbo petrol engine and a parallel drive that harnesses both petrol and electric power.
The hybrid system lastly offers ‘11 speeds’ which combines all of the above and cater for specific driving circumstances such as slow moving traffic, long distance driving, mountain driving where low-end torque is required, overtaking and limited traction driving to name a few.
Users of the DHT Hybrid system in production form will be able to enjoy 240 kW from the 2-wheel drive version and 338 kW combined power from the four-wheel drive system. The latter is able to achieve a 0-100 km/h sprint time in around 4 seconds.
