?By 2020, when it comes to the R&D and production of automobiles, it must be inseparable from such terms as "platform" and "architecture". In the past ten years, most automobile manufacturers with a certain scale have launched so-called platforms or architectures, such as the famous MQB, the PSA Group EMP, which is not a big hit, and TNGA, which came from behind.
After the acquisition, the biggest move can be said to be to jointly develop the CMA architecture, whose full name is Compact Modular Architecture, which was developed in the China-Europe R&D Center (CEVT) in Gothenburg, Sweden, while CEVT was a European R&D center established by the holding group in 2013 with global resources.
Nowadays, we can see that there are more and more models developed based on CMA architecture, including branded models, branded models and every brand model that has come out so far. In this case, it is time for us to summarize the characteristics of CMA architecture in many products. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages in these characteristics.
variety
Many models have been born under CMA framework, among which only 01, 02, 03, 05 and the newly released 06 have covered many different types of models, including SUV, crossover, car and coupe SUV.
In fact, for any modular architecture or platform, it is only a basic project to be compatible with different vehicle types. For example, as small as polo and as large as Touang, they are all products of MQB platform, and the TNGA architecture basically covers all new models and. Therefore, for the CMA architecture of-,it is not a miraculous thing to develop a variety of models based on it, but it is just a matter of doing its job.
So what does diversity mean here?
Actually, it refers to the diversity of personality. Some time ago, whenever we talked about the MQB platform, we would think that most MQB platform cars are the same model, and there is not much difference between models, and even there will be similar driving quality of models with different positioning heights. This is how the legendary platform without (m) area (q) and (b) came into being, and there is a view that hundreds of thousands of MQBs are more worth buying than 200,000 or even 300,000 MQBs.
However, in the CMA architecture, different models still have different personalities.
For example, 03+ and 05 equipped with the same powertrain are completely different in driving experience. I know you will say that 03+ is a performance car with special positioning, and the driving experience must be different, but this personality difference can also be reflected in other models. For example, 01 and 05, 01, which are both SUV foundations and have similar sizes, are relatively more comfortable, while 05′ s chassis is more sporty in terms of lateral support.
In addition to the diversity of personality, CMA architecture also has diversity in the types of powertrain.
In terms of traditional fuel power, CMA architecture provides a variety of combinations of engines and gearboxes. The engines are 1.5T and 2.0T, and the matching of gearboxes will be selected according to different models or even different driving forms. At present, gearboxes appearing on CMA architecture are 6AT, 7DCT and 8AT.
If it is the platform architecture of other manufacturers, it usually does not provide so many choices. Needless to say, the driving form must be compatible with the four-wheel drive system.
In fact, in order to realize the diversity of products, CMA architecture divides vehicle components into25 super modulesIn addition to the familiar parts such as engine and gearbox, there are also parts related to body structure and electrification. This is equivalent to playing with permutation and combination. If the number of modules is enough, the more schemes can be pieced together, which can bring different effects to the types and personalities of vehicles.
More importantly, CMA architecture is also compatible with the R&D and production of pure electric vehicles, which is one of the advantages of CMA architecture compared with some other automobile R&D and production architecture platforms.
Speaking of this, I have to mention its high-end electric car brand-Polestar.Polar star.
In Polestar’s product series, there is a very important product, which will be officially introduced to the market this year, that is, Polestar 2, which is a pure electric vehicle aimed at positioning. The pre-sale price announced before is less than 300,000.
This pure electric vehicle is built based on CMA architecture, and it is also the first pure electric vehicle under CMA architecture. However, the pre-production preparation stage of Polestar 2 takes a little longer, and many people can’t wait, so start delivery quickly.
unity
Speaking of diversity, let’s talk about unity. You may feel contradictory. Since there are many kinds, how can we unify them?
Do you still remember that the CMA architecture just mentioned divides the vehicle parts into 25 super modules? These different modules are combined together through a unified interface. The CMA architecture also has a standardized manufacturing process list, which can effectively control different models to adopt the same manufacturing processes and standards in different production lines, thus ensuring the uniformity of vehicle quality.
This can also be found in the actual experience. Although the models born on the CMA architecture have different personalities, they are relatively consistent in some aspects of experience.
Such as sitting posture.
Although SUVs and cars are born with different ride heights, due to the existence of modularity, the bending angles of the upper and lower limbs of the body and the relative positions with the steering wheel and pedals can be unified, so that drivers can find familiar feelings when driving different models of CMA architecture.
The adjustment range of the seat has a standard range, which is 262.2mm in front and back, and 65mm in height. Even in the seat adjustmentNVHOn the other hand, CMA architecture also has its own higher requirements. Their standard is that the maximum sound of seat operation is only 38dB, which is much lower than the mainstream 45dB.
There is also the NVH performance of driving. Although different models will be adjusted in different orientations according to their positioning, the CMA-based models have a very good foundation in the performance of vibration filtering and quietness. Even a car with a 20-inch rim like the 05 is inherently unfavorable to the handling of road shattering, but it still has a very stable performance on the "Belgian Road".
One of the advantages brought by uniformity is the improvement of the universality of parts, which is of great help to reduce the cost of research and development and production.
In fact, the theory that modular platforms or architectures can reduce costs has appeared since MQB platform, but on some platforms or architectures of MQB and other brands, as consumers, it seems that they can’t see what benefits the manufacturers have brought to consumers by reducing costs. First, the quality of cars may not be improved, and second, the price may not be cheaper than before.
However, in the models developed by the brand and even some brands using CMA architecture, we have seen the benefits brought by the manufacturer to consumers by reducing costs, that is, giving consideration to quality and beautiful price.
It’s just that Rut Jun thinks this is also due to the market structure, especially as such an emerging brand, we can see that their products do have advantages in quality and deserve higher prices. However, once the price is high, consumers are less willing to buy new cars. After all, the reality is cruel.
forward looking
As a rising star in automobile R&D and production infrastructure, CMA can show more excellent forward-looking in some details.
Today’s cars, even if they are not pure electric vehicles with new energy, have become more and more complicated in the electrical system, because today’s cars are emphasizing intelligence. An important step to realize the intelligentization of automobiles is to move towards the goal of unmanned driving or autonomous driving. What is the biggest obstacle in front of unmanned driving or autonomous driving?
The answer isarithmetic speed.
In order to achieve higher operation speed, the requirements for vehicle electronic system are higher.
CMA architecture also noticed this at the beginning of development, so it designed electrical system redundancy that can easily cope with the next 10-15 years. At present, the field of intelligent driving is developing very fast, so it was prepared for the intelligent development in the next 15-20 years in the development stage five years ago, which fully reflects the forward-looking nature of CMA architecture.
The forward-looking of CMA architecture is also reflected inCompatibility of power systemIn fact, as we just said, CMA architecture not only has gasoline vehicles, but the 2.0T engine can not only easily meet the stringent national 6 emission standards at this stage, but also be able to cope with the abnormal European 7 emission standards.
In addition, CMA architecture will also have plug-in, light-mixing, and pure electric vehicles.
You may ask, pure electric vehicles and traditional fuel vehicles share the platform architecture, so will this basic pure electric vehicle be a magic work of "changing oil into electricity"? This question does exist, just like everyone’s question about not developing a platform architecture for pure electric vehicles alone.
Rut Jun believes that it depends on whether the platform architecture has considered the R&D and production of pure electric vehicles at the beginning of development. The "oil-to-electricity" we say refers to those platforms that originally only had oil vehicles, but later abruptly added pure electric vehicles. For example, the CMA architecture has included the pure electric power form into the development goal at the beginning of development, which does not belong to "oil to electricity".
Playability
For some people who love cars and cars, they often take playability into consideration when choosing models, and playability may be part of the current lack or limitation of CMA architecture.
The so-called playability mainly refers to the "tossing space" left by the vehicle to the owner.
For example, the MQB platform is probably one of the architecture platforms with strong playability at present. One of the major reasons is that there are already many models born on the MQB platform, and they also have a large number in the market. Then many automotive aftermarket brands will launch modified and upgraded products for MQB platform models. These modifications and upgrades usually include power, chassis and other parts of the kit, and can even be divided into several levels, which is what we often call "first-order".
The CMA architecture is not so mature in this respect. The main reason is that the CMA architecture is still in the process of development and growth, and its ownership is not large enough. Moreover, the previous CMA architecture models did not focus on attracting consumers who love to play with cars.
One of the phenomena of its products can illustrate this point: 03+, as the first China performance car, does have a good foundation in itself, but Rut Jun learned from some channels that the entry-level upgrade scheme commonly used by car players is not feasible at all on 03+.Brush ECU.
Perhaps the technology derived from it has a high level of safety protection, so it is impossible to crack the ECU engine control computer, and the power curve can only be changed through the external computer, and this form of upgrade is very limited for 03+. This hardly leaves the so-called "tossing space" for car users.
At the same time, due to the relatively small demand, 03+ and even other CMA-based models are also very limited in the selection of chassis upgrades.
Golf on the MQB platform, such as Bilstein, SACHS, Tein, Eibach and KYB, can provide countless choices and have a huge modified ecosystem, while CMA 03 can’t find mass-produced big brand modified parts, and there is almost no ecosystem.
In view of the fact that the brands that occupy a big position in the CMA architecture are mainly young consumers, and may have certain needs in changing cars, Rutjun thinks that expanding the playability of CMA architecture is-the next thing to be promoted. After all, cars like 03+ have been built, and the owners have to toss and turn.
Write it at the end
As a modular architecture jointly developed by and, the models born on the basis of CMA can bring consumers a good sense of quality whether driving or riding, especially in some models of brands and brands, and it is really exciting to create a leapfrog driving experience at a price that most consumers are more acceptable.
This has something to do with many goals and standards set by CMA architecture at the beginning of its development. But then again, although there are many models of CMA architecture, compared with the platform architecture introduced by other manufacturers relatively early, the volume is still relatively small. By enriching the product line and expanding the quantity, we can further exert the advantages of modular architecture.
The question is, what kind of products should we continue to launch next to attract consumers? There are many kinds of SUVs, so is there any chance in the car market? Can pure electric vehicle products be decentralized to brands or even brands?
