Great Wall Motor launches Hi4 intelligent 4WD hybrid technology

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On March 10, Great Wall Motor (“GWM”) officially launched its new intelligent four-wheel drive (4WD) hybrid technology, Hi4.

According to the automaker, the Hi4 stands for Hybrid, intelligent, and 4WD. With a dual-motor series-parallel electric 4WD configuration at the front and rear axles, the technology targets users’ daily commute scenarios and aims to achieve "the experience of four-wheel drive at the price of two-wheel drive, as well as the performance of four-wheel drive with an energy consumption of two-wheel drive."

Photo credit: GWM

Regarding the energy efficiency management of the Hi4 technology, GWM's intelligent energy management system cooperates with the iTVC intelligent torque vector control system to autonomously select the most suitable operating mode under different working conditions and achieve fine control of power in specific scenarios.

Photo credit: GWM

In terms of power assurance, safety stability, and off-road performance, GWM combines a new configuration and high-performance power source with the iTVC system to intelligently distribute and dynamically adjust the torque of the front and rear axles in real time.

Hi4 HEV-dedicated engine + transmission; photo credit: GWM

The Hi4 comes with two powertrain options, with a system power of up to 340 kW, covering A-C segment vehicles. The automaker said the Hi4 features multiple industry-leading technical modules. Specifically, the two hybrid-specific engines (1.5L/1.5T) can achieve a maximum engineering thermal efficiency of up to 41.5% and reduce fuel consumption by 6%-7%, and the Hi4’s new front-wheel-drive module assembly can achieve a transmission efficiency of up to 98%, while realizing seamless gear shifting and intelligent switching of operating modes.

In addition, the rear-drive module assembly delivers a power of 150 kW and a motor efficiency of up to 96.5%. The low-impedance battery with fast charging function can achieve a range of over 100 km on battery power alone.

By virtue of the front and rear dual-motor power decoupling and efficient dynamic adjustment, the Hi4 enriches the application scenarios for the traditional dual-motor series-parallel configuration, enabling improvements in power, economy, and road adaptability across the entire speed range and all operating conditions.

What’s more, the Hi4 adopts the iTVC system, which can accurately identify real-time road conditions and dynamically switch between 3 engines and 9 modes, allowing users to flexibly match the most suitable operating modes in different travel scenarios.