Yijing Executive Prefers Durable Air Suspension Design Over Extended Warranties
Yijing Motor's brand general manager, Zeng Qinglin, detailed the company's approach to air suspension durability. He emphasized the preference for robust engineering in the development phase rather than relying on post-sale warranty coverage.
Zeng Qinglin, general manager of the Yijing Auto brand, has addressed the durability of the company's air suspension systems and its material choices. Zeng explained that the air springs within air suspension systems carry high-pressure gas, and industry-standard manufacturing methods typically involve either plastic welding or aluminum welding for the chambers.
According to Zeng, many six-seater family vehicles in a similar price range opt for plastic-welded chambers to control costs and benefit from lighter weight. However, Yijing's flagship X9, a 5.3-meter full-size six-seater SUV, employs aluminum-welded chambers. This decision is driven by the vehicle's intended use, which involves prolonged high loads and repeated impacts.
"The aluminum alloy base material exhibits minimal creep deformation, and its mechanical properties remain stable across a wide temperature range from -40°C to extreme heat," Zeng stated. He noted that the aluminum structure is more than twice as strong as plastic alternatives, providing higher burst pressure margins for the system and reducing the probability of weld leakage or sudden pressure loss during extended use under heavy conditions. The specified pressure resistance for the bladder is 40 bar, roughly 16 times typical car tire pressure, and the chamber body has a burst pressure resistance of 60 bar.
Furthermore, the Yijing X9 features self-developed chloroprene rubber air bags. Laboratory simulations indicate that after 5-6 years of high-frequency use, key performance metrics for the air bags degrade by only about 5%. This translated to maintaining comfort and chassis feel over the long term, rather than the rapid deterioration sometimes seen with other materials. Zeng acknowledged that it is difficult to definitively declare one technical route as superior, but he stated that Yijing prefers to increase durability margins at the research and development stage, rather than relying on post-sale extended warranty support.
The Yijing X9 is the first flagship SUV from a new intelligent automotive brand, co-developed by Dongfeng Motor and Huawei Curun. It integrates multiple Huawei intelligent solutions. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year.