Weichai Group held its 2025 Global Partners' Conference on Oct 18 in Qingdao, Shandong province. The event showcased new products in segments including power systems, commercial vehicles, construction machinery, agricultural equipment, smart logistics, and marine transportation equipment.

Inside the exhibition hall, three exhibits stood out as key highlights, attracting much attention from visitors.

The 6160A diesel engine, produced in March 1976, is nearly 50 years old. It operated as a generator in a State-owned farm in Linyi, Shandong province. Over the decades, its total operating time surpassed 100,000 hours. 

The 6160A diesel engine is displayed. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

After its retirement in 2017, it can still start. At that time, 207 variants of the 6160 series were developed and more than 100,000 units produced, with over 11,700 exported to countries including Vietnam and Ethiopia. This legacy established Weichai's global presence.

The WD615 diesel engine serves as a benchmark of Weichai's principle of "building a brand through reliability", renowned for "driving 2.8 million kilometers without major repairs" and having a "market share exceeding 75 percent", according to the company.

A view of the WD615 diesel engine. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

To date, the WD615 diesel engine has sold over 3.7 million units worldwide. Serving trucks, construction machinery, and ships, with 700,000 units exported to countries like Italy, South Africa, and Peru, its reliability and high efficiency have strengthened the brand globally.

Besides the two engines that bear the marks of history stands the world's first diesel engine with a thermal efficiency of 53.09 percent. From surpassing 50.23 percent in 2020 to reaching 53.09 percent in 2024, the world record was broken four times in four years. This breakthrough not only highlights Weichai's heavy-duty diesel engines achieving world-class status in key core technologies but also marks a new milestone in global engine innovation.

A reference image showing Weichai's diesel engine with a thermal efficiency of 53.09 percent at the 2024 World Congress on Internal Combustion Engines in Tianjin. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The three engines are living witnesses of Weichai Group's development and reflect how Chinese power has grown from establishing a foothold to reaching global markets and advancing toward future leadership.

Today, Weichai is expanding into countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and formulating targeted solutions according to market needs. The group is also establishing localized manufacturing and supply chains around the world.

Facing the future, the company not only aims to be an outstanding equipment manufacturer, but strives to work with global partners to achieve leaps in product value, customer relations and industrial win-win advantages.