The demands for and the development of hybrid and new energy vehicles will drive the whole industry to take off, which has brought Yikangtaike a real market opportunity. In light of the current situation, hybrid (fuel and battery) vehicles will have greater market and potential than pure electric vehicles within the next twenty years. The arrival of the "hybrid vehicle era" featuring high-tech barriers and rapid development of the industry will be very beneficial for Yikangtaike, which is committed to the research and development of auto electronic control system products.
YU Shuhuai
Chairman of Yikangtaike, with bachelor's degree in Automotive Engineering at Tsinghua University (Starting in 1994), and rich industry experience.
Working as a senior executive successively in these companies such as Beijing Tianhai Hongda, Delphi, and AECON.
The annual production of gasoline vehicles in China is over 17 million with each one equipped with an EMS system that sells at 1,200-2,000 yuan each. The market size of preassembled EMS products for gasoline engine can reach 30 to 50 billion yuan per year, however, the market share of Chinese EMS suppliers is only 1%, which means that this market is basically monopolized by major international companies. It is a tragedy for the automotive industry in China and a true reflection of the lack of core technology in Chinese automobiles.
Fortunately, China’s auto industry is entering the "new energy era", and our foreign competitors have not formed a monopoly in the market, for the technological gap between the two sides is not as great as that in engine electronic control. "We cannot lose this time no matter what, and we are confident to gain a foothold in the competition with foreign large companies," said Yu Shuhuai, the founder of Yikangtaike.
To Break Through Technical Barriers and Meet New Opportunities in "Hybrid Era"
If we compare the engine to the heart of a vehicle, then the engine management system (EMS) is equivalent to the brain of a vehicle. Consisting of more than ten components, this brain controls three key elements of the engine - fuel supply, ignition, and air intake volume. In this way, EMS controls the combustion process of the engine to get the vehicle work. During this process, EMS also controls the emissions of the vehicle.
Introduction to Electronic Control System
The key of emission control technology is the air-fuel ratio - the ratio of air to fuel. When the air-fuel ratio of the engine is controlled near the "theoretical air-fuel ratio", the original emission pollutants formed by engine combustion can be basically converted by catalysis through the catalytic converter, and the final emission pollutants can be reduced to about 1% of the original amount. On the contrary, if the air-fuel ratio is not well controlled, more original emission pollutants will be generated, and though through catalytic conversion, the final emission pollutants will still be much more.
For hybrid vehicles, Yikangtaike's technical solution is based on EMS and strengthens the hybrid control functions, such as working mode determining, torque distribution, power following, so as to form the hybrid management system (HMS). For different types of hybrid vehicles, there are several management systems including HMS for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, range extender electronic control system for extended-range vehicles, and BSG electronic control system for 48-volt mild hybrid electric vehicles.
The advantages of the Yikangtaike HMS solution lie in its high integration and low cost. Now it has forged collaboration with multiple domestic vehicle manufacturers with independent brands. Yikangtaike is willing to work together with these independent brand customers to form core technical capabilities in order to achieve the rise of China's independent electronic control technology and the goal of 30% market share by domestic automotive electronic control products by 2025 proposed in the "Made in China 2025" plan.
Lay Out Nationwide to Promote "Vehicle-to-Everything" Trend
At present, the company has a mature automobile big data system, platform automatic analysis system, intelligent data acquisition terminal, and has developed a business model centering on energy efficiency. Its next step, "Vehicle-to-Everything", will be carried out as TrusStar sets up branches in Bengbu, Baotou, Xi'an, etc., and will be promoted with Yikangtaike’s preassembling business to the automakers across China.
Yu Shuhuai and Qiu Yong, President of Tsinghua University
The annual production of gasoline vehicles in China is over 17 million with each one equipped with an EMS system that sells at 1,200-2,000 yuan each. The market size of preassembled EMS products for gasoline engine can reach 30 to 50 billion yuan per year, however, the market share of Chinese EMS suppliers is only 1%. It’s not easy to change the situation or break the technical barriers. In the demanding manufacturing industry, every single component or parameter requires arduous and long-term efforts. When Yu Shuhuai was working in foreign enterprises, he gradually realized the backwardness of independent technology and experienced the great frustration as an auto professional in this generation. Therefore, inspired by his senior alumni, Yu Shuhuai chose to start his own business, which is a reflection of his love and responsibility for motherland as a member of the Tsinghua family.
“I think the sense of responsibility is rooted in every Tsinghua person. Seeing the gap between our country and the world in the field of the engine electronic control system, and with the capability to do something for this field, I must take action," said Yu Shuhuai. In 2016, Yikangtaike enjoyed a robust development. In addition to the research institute in Beijing, it also established Suzhou Auto Electronic Control System Co., Ltd. (Suzhou AECS) in Suzhou, which engages in production of electronic control unit products based on the support of the Suzhou Automotive Research Institute of the Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University. Yikangtaike’s team mainly including senior engineers with rich working experience in major international companies and alumni from the Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University has applied for over 30 patents and other intellectual property rights, and has forged deep technical cooperation with the Department of Automotive Engineering, Tsinghua University. At present, the company is cooperating with multiple companies such as JAC, FOTON, Dongfeng, FAW, GAC, GEELY, BAIC, Wuling, and some products in cooperation have already come into mass production. This team boasting superb technical background and production experience is making every effort to realize their dream of independent brand. With the arrival of the "hybrid era" and the increasingly strong demand for energy efficiency and emission reduction in the society, we expect that Yikangtaike can take advantage of its specialized technology, seize market opportunities, keep up with the needs of the times, and promote the further development of domestic automotive electronic control technology.
