Olivier Boulay (third from left), head of Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center of China, hosts Daimler and BYD executives at a DENZA internal development review in Shenzhen. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

 

DENZA: The first EV brand tailored for China

How far should a brand new all-electric vehicle travel for safety test before it is approved for sale to the Chinese public? The answer according the Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co Ltd is 1 million kilometers, or almost 25 laps around the world at the equator.

The comprehensive testing of the new model shows a strong commitment to safety from BDNT, the first and only joint venture in China that is focused solely on new energy vehicles.

The new all-electric vehicle branded DENZA developed by BDNT, established back in 2010 by Daimler and its Chinese partner BYD with a 600-million-yuan ($96.8 million) initial investment, is making serious progress towards its target delivery date in mid-2014.

"This was the first all-electric vehicle joint venture to be created in China and the first time a joint venture in China has moved forward with an electric vehicle under a completely new brand," said Arno Roehringer, COO of BDNT. "After three years' efforts with our local partner BYD, we're closing in on the finish line."

At the moment, DENZA's pre-production vehicles are being put through extensive tests at test centers and laboratories within China. Additionally, a special fleet of DENZA vehicles is undergoing rigorous and thorough road tests which will total 1 million km across all regions of the country in different climate zones and on different road conditions, to ensure that the production vehicles that reach consumers meet the high quality standards set by DENZA engineers.

The result for DENZA's testing program, which lasts for a total of eighteen months, will be a reliable, safe and comfortable electric vehicle ready and able to satisfy the demands of the Chinese car owner.

The company has also developed new safety features specific to the model to ensure that the occupant or passenger of DENZA vehicles will be safe in the event of a collision. The safety features include a DENZA battery frame and HV management system.

The DENZA battery frame encases the battery module and protects it from external impact while the second safety feature, the DENZA HV management, is a system that monitors and regulates the energy flow between the battery and the vehicle's powertrain components.

Reliability and vehicle safety are obviously priorities for DENZA's engineers and designers.

Daimler DENZA pre-production testing in snowfield.

With any new product introduction, especially one derived from a brand new technology with no peer or equivalent on the market, engineers understand that it is crucial to make all efforts to demonstrate and ensure safety for consumers. Daimler's innovative technology and renown for developing industry benchmark safety mechanisms is one of the company's core design and business philosophy pillars and together with BYD, the JV BDNT has worked to create a vehicle with safety as a top trait.

But exterior design will also be important for the DENZA's success. Following safety concerns, aesthetics also comes into play for the design of the vehicle. Form sometimes matters just as much as function and as such, the DENZA designers have built the car full knowing that it will be marketed to a domestic audience: "DENZA design elements have also been tailored for the Chinese market, making DENZA truly a car created in China, for the Chinese market," said Roehringer.