Great Power Industry: You're a private company building an aircraft carrier?

Actually, when it comes to hybrid technology, Laiyang Group wasn't the first. Toyota was the pioneer of hybrid technology, starting research and development in the early 1990s, and the first Toyota Prius was officially launched in 1997.

Unfortunately, the hybrid technology at the time still had many problems, and coupled with its high price, it received a lukewarm response in the market. Toyota continued to improve it, and it was not until the second and third generations that it gradually began to be accepted by the market.

Right now, the Prius is still in its lukewarm phase, but as a world-class automaker, Mercedes-Benz certainly understands the benefits of hybrid technology. However... for cars like the Toyota Prius, too many modifications mean that the production line needs to be significantly adjusted.

No automaker will invest heavily in improving its production line when its current models are still very competitive.

That's why when they discovered that the Easterners could upgrade a gasoline car into a hybrid car simply by modifying the generator on the engine, they got interested and came to find the Easterners. Then they discovered that Laiyang Group actually had quite a lot of technology!

Now that they've even developed a modular platform, Mercedes-Benz is even more interested.

When Zeitz arrived in the East, at Laiyang Group, the first thing he saw was a clay model of the new car!

Last time, Qin Chuan only showed a design drawing by Yang Xue, which a group of German experts thought was good. This time, seeing the actual product, the group of German experts were even more impressed!

This is a normal procedure in vehicle development: first, draw the design, then make a clay model, especially a 1:1 clay model, so that you can see the appearance of the car more intuitively and clearly, and then you can continue to make fine adjustments based on your feelings.

This is actually similar to playing with clay, but it has become an art form!

"This design is already absolutely perfect, no improvements are needed. I think it's ready to move on to the mold-making stage!" Zeitz nodded in satisfaction: "This car's design is absolutely the most beautiful Mercedes-Benz E-Class ever!"

"Thank you for your encouragement. If you have any other design needs, you can also entrust them to us," Qin Chuan said. "As friends, we won't ask for your design fees. Just authorize us to produce the corresponding car models."

Zeitz nodded: "Great, then design the next generation C-Class sedan for us!"

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class focuses on executive features, the S-Class on luxury, while the C-Class is designed to capture the market. In Europe, the C-Class has the highest sales volume. Producing it in the East is clearly intended to continue to dominate the Eastern market.

"Yes, we will definitely design the most beautiful Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan in the world!"

Yang Xue, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything. Whatever Brother Chuan said, went ahead. After all, he was the one who actually designed it.

"Chairwoman Yang, next, we're going to establish a dedicated automotive design agency." Qin Chuan looked at Yang Xue and said, "This design agency will be responsible for designing the most beautiful and advanced cars in the world!"

Zeitz was stunned. He had just said it casually. If it looked good, of course it could be used. If it didn't look good, Mercedes-Benz had its own design team. He never expected that they would actually set up a professional car design agency here.

This President Qin... his vision is always so high!

"Mr. Zeitz, this design is fine. Next, we need to talk about the Mars platform. Let's go to our conference room!"

“Okay.” Zeitz nodded.

Gauss and the others entered the conference room and looked at the design drawings on the projection screen.

“Our platform is also compatible with gasoline vehicles. After all, if we remove our BSG motor and replace it with a regular motor, it can become a pure gasoline vehicle. This way, we can schedule production according to orders on the production line and avoid wasting time.”

Despite touting the hybrid technology for so long, Qin Chuan was actually unsure whether the market would buy it. After all, would the fuel savings from the hybrid technology be enough to cover the increased costs of the new car?

Talking about environmental protection is about elevating one's social status; for ordinary people, cost is the primary concern.

Zeitz nodded.

"Let's talk about suspension first..."

This suspension is actually the same as the one on the existing Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but as Qin Chuan explained, there are matching installation solutions for different tire sizes, which can meet the needs of multiple models. This is the design concept of a modular platform.

Gauss frowned as he listened to Qin Chuan finish speaking, then suddenly realized something: "President Qin, where did you get these technical documents? Was it from Hans...?"

"How could that be? He works with us, developing engines. Next, let's talk about the powertrain for this car..."

"Mr. Qin, what kind of engine is Hans developing? Can we find out?" Zeitz asked.

"Well... that's top secret. But since you asked, we can give you a brief overview. We're currently developing a 2.0T engine that's not only powerful but also fuel-efficient..."

"Powerful? How much power can a 2.0-liter engine deliver?" Bernard was somewhat dismissive when he heard Qin Chuan's introduction.

Their E-Class cars are generally equipped with inline five-cylinder engines, with a displacement of around 3.0 liters and a power output of over 100 horsepower. Now, are these Easterners going to make 2.0T engines?

"Our goal is to achieve 300 horsepower."

what?

Everyone's eyes widened, and even Zeitz took a deep breath: "President Qin, are you sure that the 2.0-liter engine can produce such a large amount of power?"

"Of course, we have completed the preliminary design. The next step is to manufacture the prototype. We are using aerospace technology to manufacture car engines, and we will definitely be able to achieve our goals. Of course, if we take into account the lifespan requirement, we can also achieve around 200 horsepower."

Even if it's only 200 horsepower, that's still an incredible figure!

Zeitz looked at Qin Chuan with a complicated expression: "President Qin, can our Mercedes-Benz engine R&D team join us?"

"Well, we've already invested a lot in R&D and achieved many results, registering a large number of patents. Now that you're in... the results of our joint research can be shared, but everything we've done before is our own..."

A world-class automaker actually demanded joint R&D, while Laiyang Group hesitated, feeling that it couldn't share many technologies... If other domestic automakers knew this, they would be green with envy!

"How about this: you license your AT transmission technology to us, and we'll license our engine technology to you. How about this cross-licensing arrangement?"

Although Qin Chuan has decided on the dual-clutch transmission route, that plan is for use on a transverse platform; for a longitudinal platform, other transmissions will have to be selected.

Mercedes-Benz's main models are currently based on longitudinal platforms and use mature automatic transmissions. Take this opportunity to acquire the patent for the automatic transmission, and with the help of the Mercedes-Benz team, you can develop your own engine as soon as possible!

This is a win-win situation.

Well, the so-called win-win situation means that our Laiyang Group wins twice.