Shanghai November 24 (Gasgoo.com) Chongqing Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., one of the largest professional motorcycle manufactures in China, announced November 18 it will collaborate with the British-listed Ricardo plc to develop two new energy-saving gasoline engines, local media reported Wednesday.
Ricardo, which has established long-term relationships with gloabl auto giants like General Motors, Ford, BMW, Daimler, Renault, Ferrari, etc., carried out an in-depth investigation into Lifan's manufacturing process, production capacity and R&D level during November 16-18, 2010.
The two partners will be focused on R&D of two 1.2L turbocharged, direct injected gasoline engines, which generate power equivalent to a common 2.0L engine and will be used in a number of Lifan sedans as soon as 2012.
Yang Shimin, vice president of Ricardo UK Shanghai office, said in the next year and a half Lifan and Ricardo will make the engines mentioned in UK according to the Euro 5 emission standards.
Lifan's existing models - the 520, 620, 320, and the 720 currently under development- will be equipped with the two 1.2L engines, which are 20% more fuel-efficient than the 2.0L engines in the market. The new engines are expected to be put into operation at the end of 2012 or in the first half of 2013, Yang Shimin revealed.
