Simple retrofit, save 50% fuel consumption!
For traditional diesel engine-powered concrete mixer trucks, the biggest issue users face is that when the vehicle is stationary and the mixing drum is operating, a 150-300 kW diesel engine is used to drive a mixing drum that actually only requires 20-30 kW. This leads to extremely low diesel engine efficiency, along with significantly high fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. So, could there be a more innovative way to address this problem?
After two years of in-depth market research, customer usage analysis, and practical testing, we have developed a simple yet intelligent system. We replaced the traditional hydraulic drive system (hydraulic pump and motor) for the mixing drum with a permanent magnet synchronous generator and a permanent magnet synchronous drive motor, then configured a battery box (containing a VCU, battery and management system, cooling system, and two motor controllers).
While the truck is driving, the diesel engine drives the generator to charge the battery. When the vehicle is parked and working, the engine stops, and the battery powers the motor (28 kW, with 3x starting torque) to drive the mixing drum. When the battery charge is low, the VCU automatically starts the diesel engine to recharge the battery. Throughout the entire operation, no external charging stations are required, making it completely independent of charging infrastructure development.
Through the practical application of this system, we tested over 200 retrofitted units at customer sites. By remotely collecting actual vehicle operation data, we found that the engine’s actual idle time is now about half of the total previous working time. This translates to approximately a 50% reduction in fuel consumption, with very effective results. The installation of the entire system is also very straightforward—two workers can complete a retrofit in at most one day.
This system has opened up significant market opportunities for us. Beyond the Chinese market, we have already achieved bulk sales in Turkey and Georgia. Our goal is to promote the electrification of the superstructure work system without modifying the chassis. This approach avoids regulatory and certification requirements in many regions, allowing customers to adopt it quickly. With a small investment, they can achieve substantial savings in fuel costs, which is our original intention. Of course, besides concrete mixer trucks, our next steps involve entering the electrification of superstructures for refrigerated and municipal sanitation vehicles, genuinely solving customer problems.
