I. History of the Department of Vehicle Engineering

In 1950, the Department of Vehicle Engineering was established in the College of Engineering of North China University (the predecessor of Beijing Institute of Technology).

In 1955, started to recruit graduate students (the first Soviet tank expert joined as the chief consultant).

In 1979, the name was changed to the Department of Vehicle Engineering.

In 1981, authorized to grant doctoral and master's degrees in the first batch of universities in China.

In 2002, "Vehicle Engineering" was rated as a national key discipline.

In 2007, the school’s mechanical engineering discipline (including vehicle engineering) was selected as the first batch of national first-level key disciplines.

From 2007 to 2008, the Department of Armored Vehicle Engineering (formerly Ground Weapons Mobility Engineering) and the Department of Vehicle Engineering have been selected as the specialties of Beijing and the specialties of the Ministry of Education.

In 2014, the major of vehicle engineering passed the international engineering education professional certification.

In 2016, the discipline of mechanical engineering (including vehicle engineering) completed the international discipline evaluation and was rated as the overall "Asia's leading discipline" by the evaluation expert group composed of world-renowned scholars.

In 2017, in the fourth round of discipline evaluation by the Ministry of Education, our school’s mechanical engineering discipline (including vehicle engineering) received a comprehensive score of Class A (tied for fifth in China).

In 2019, the Department of Armored Vehicle Engineering and the Department of Vehicle Engineering were both selected as national first-class undergraduate major construction units, and the Department of Vehicle Engineering was selected as a key construction first-class major in Beijing.

The tank showroom during the beginning of department construction.

Soviet experts giving lectures with translation assistants.

Zhu De, Ye Jianying and others visited our light tank model (1958).

Over the past 70 years since its creation, the Department of Vehicle Engineering has always been oriented to the major needs of the country and national defense, and created several firsts in the field of vehicle engineering: jointly developed China's first light tank, China's first Yuanwang pure electric bus, China's first unmanned vehicle, and China's first air-dropped assault vehicle ......

The Department of Vehicle Engineering has become an important scientific research and talent training base for vehicle engineering in China. After years of development and construction, it has formed several research directions such as modern vehicle theory and technology, intelligent connected new energy vehicles, unmanned vehicle technology, etc. It has built the Institute of Special Vehicles, the Institute of Automotive Research, the Engineering Technology Center of Electric Vehicles, and the Institute of Vibration and Noise, and has distinctive disciplinary characteristics and advantages in the fields of military vehicles, electric vehicles, and unmanned vehicles.

II. Faculty

The total number of faculty members in the Department of Vehicle Engineering is 97, including 22 professors, 37 doctoral supervisors, and 84 master supervisors. The faculty members of the Department of Vehicle Engineering are of high level, strong innovation ability, and has a reasonable academic edge and age structure.

1. High-level Talents

2. Research and Innovation Team

3. Teaching Team

III. Introduction to the Research Institutes

1. Special Vehicle Research Institute

The Special Vehicle Research Institute, formerly Vehicle Laboratory, was established in 1950, and was renamed in 2011. The Special Vehicle Research Institute is mainly engaged in teaching, scientific research, experiments and product development in armored vehicle engineering. The institute has 35 faculty members, including 7 professors and 21 associate professors. The institute has one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, one Yangtze River Scholar Distinguished Professor, one master teacher of Beijing, and three lead scientists of 973 projects.

The Special Vehicle Research Institute has well completed the national defense pre-research projects and development tasks of key equipment. The products have been successfully applied to the active equipment, had participated in the military parade and the Victory Day parade, and had accepted the review of the party and national leaders. The Institute has made significant contributions to the national defense and the discipline construction of armored vehicle engineering.

2. Automobile Research Institute

The Automobile Research Institute is composed of intelligent vehicle research team, vehicle design and chassis control team with research focuses respectively on autonomous driving and intelligent chassis. Automobile Research Institute has 22 researchers, including 5 full professors, 10 associate professors and 1 advanced technician.

The intelligent vehicle research group, which is one part of ‘special subject area’ founded in 2005, is co-founded by the Transmission Automation Group of State Key Laboratory of Vehicle Transmission and Robot Center of Beijing Institute of Technology. This group has achieved leading success and gained unique dominant position in the field of autonomous driving and vehicular automatic control.

The vehicle design and chassis control research group was founded during ‘the ninth five-year plan’ period, focuses on advanced vehicle design and chassis control technology. It has undertaken the overall design project of Qinchuan 7082 car (QCJ7082), light paratrooper assault vehicle, airborne tractor, high speed amphibious vehicle and so on.

3. Electric Vehicle Engineering Technology Center

The Electric Vehicle Engineering Technology Center is one of the earliest institutes engaged in electric vehicle research in China. As early as the end of the 1950s, the center began to introduce Soviet military vehicles for electric drive research. The center currently has 35 teachers, including 1 academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1 specially-appointed professor of the Changjiang Scholars of the Ministry of Education, and 22 professors.

The center has successfully developed more than 20 kinds of electric vehicles, 10 of which have been listed in China's National Automobile Product Announcement, and also developed a variety of key vehicle components with independent intellectual property rights.

4. Institution of Noise and Vibration Control

The institution of noise and vibration control (INVC) currently has 8 full-time staff, including 1 professor and 6 associate professors.

INVC has been focused on the designing of vehicle traveling mechanisms, mechanical equipment, and reduction of vehicle noise and vibration since the 1950s. After decades of development, the research fields extended to the designing of the traveling components of tracked vehicles, suspension systems of wheel vehicles, and reduction of noise and vibration of mechanical equipment.

INVC has completed a number of national projects including national military vehicle key pre-research projects, 973 projects, and the natural science foundation of China, and has finished a number of research projects in the field of automotive, aerospace, and engineering machinery. the semi-active suspension technology, which has been applied to military vehicles, is in an international leading position.

IV. Talent cultivation

The Department of Vehicle Engineering currently has about 1,350 students, including about 700 undergraduates, 450 postgraduates, and 200 doctoral students. We adhere to the concept of "Three Comprehensive Education", and cultivates professional, innovative and compound talents in an all-round and multi-angle way. In recent years, the "Exploration and practice of a large-scale system-oriented multidisciplinary, school-enterprise integration compound top-notch innovative talent training model" won the first prize of the third China Academic Degree and Graduate Education Society Educational Achievement Award. "Construction of teaching and talent training system facing the national strategic needs of new energy vehicles" won the first prize of Beijing Teaching Achievement Award and 2 second prizes of Beijing Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award. The department has undertaken 6 provincial and ministerial education reform projects, and five doctoral students have won excellent doctoral dissertations from the Society of Automotive Engineers of China.

1. Enrich the theoretical knowledge of professional teaching

The Department of Vehicle Engineering compiled and published a series of national and ministerial-level planning textbooks, making contributions to enriching and supplementing the basic teaching theories of vehicle engineering and related majors.

Part of the textbooks published by the Department of Vehicle Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology.

2. Featured professional practice and internship

Relying on laboratory resources and social resources, the Department of Vehicle Engineering actively organizes students to carry out professional practice and internship, develop students' professional thinking, and improve students' engineering practice ability.

Students learning tank knowledge in tank showroom.

Students participate in tank driving practice.

Students visit Beiben Heavy Duty Truck Group Co., Ltd. in summer vacation.

Students intern at China North Industries Group Co., Ltd.

Students intern at Foton Motor Company.

Students intern at BAIC New Energy Vehicle Company.

Students intern at BORGWARD Company.

3.Guiding students to innovate in science and technology

Professional teachers and students actively participate in technological innovation competitions such as the Chinese Student Formula Car Competition, the China Baja Off-Road Vehicle Competition, the Smart Car Competition, and the China "Internet + Competition". The BIT formula racing team, unmanned racing team, special unmanned vehicle innovation base and other teams have been formed, and a total of 13 unmanned racing cars have been developed.

First electric racing car in China, 2012 2013 China Lap Record

2014 China Tournament Champion (Electric Team).

Represented China in 2015 and won the FIA Formula Championship World Drivers Championship.

The college has created the world's first unmanned racing car, China's first pure electric racing car, etc., played for the country 9 times and won glory for the country many times, won the "Chinese Formula Army" and "FIA Formula Championship World Drivers Championship" More than 10 other awards.

The world's first driverless racing car in 2016. 2017 China Unmanned Racing Championship and all 4 individual championships; 2018 champion. Won 1 champion and 1 gold medal in the 4th China "Internet+" College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

4. Strengthen international exchanges and carry out joint training

On average, more than 40 undergraduates of the Department of Vehicle Engineering go abroad for further study and more than 20 postgraduates go abroad, such as the University of California, Berkeley, Imperial College of Technology, Germany, etc., as well as well-known universities in Australia, Canada, Singapore and other countries.

5. Outstanding graduates

The personnel training of the Department of Vehicle Engineering has always been oriented to the major needs of the country and national defense, paying equal attention to basic theory and innovation ability, and emphasizing "learning to apply". Since the establishment of the department, it has "continued intensive cultivation, teaching reform and innovation" in the training of my country's vehicle engineering talents, and has provided great technical talents and excellent management talents for my country's vehicle engineering industry.

V. Research Platforms

1. National Key Laboratory of Vehicle Transmission

The National Key Laboratory of Vehicle Transmission (BIT Branch) based on the Department of Vehicle Engineering is a professional national research and experimental base to carry out exploratory, innovative and significant key investigations of vehicle transmission technology, to train and attract high-level research talents, and to conduct academic exchanges, cooperation and scientific experiments. The laboratory was approved in 1992 and completed for operation in 1998. The laboratory has construction area of 11,697 square meters, instruments and equipment of 2,688 sets, and total assets of 197.42 million yuan.

The National Key Laboratory of Vehicle Transmission possess the electromechanical drive test platforms and vibration and noise reduction test platforms.

2. National Engineering Research Center of Electric Vehicles

The National Engineering Research Center of Electric Vehicles was authorized by the National Development and Reform Commission in 2008 and established on the basis of the Engineering Center of Electric Vehicles of Beijing Institute of Technology, and has been participating in the research and development of electric vehicles organized by the former Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense since 1992. Since The National Eighth Five-Year Plan, the research center has also received key support from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the General Equipment Department and the Beijing municipal government. Abundant achievements have been accumulated in the scientific research, industrialization and demonstration operation of electric vehicles, including more than 20 kinds of electric vehicles, such as electric tourism buses, pure electric low-floor buses, hybrid electric tourism buses, fuel cell vehicles, pure electric vehicles, etc., and the highest national goal of "zero anchor day and night Olympic service" was realized as well. The research center covers an area of 3500 square meters, and is capable of supporting the research and testing of vehicle, drive system, dynamic battery, steering, braking and other directions.

3. National 2011 Plan Beijing Co-innovation Center for Electric Vehicles

National 2011 Plan Beijing Co-innovation Center for Electric Vehicles is a state-level technology innovation base, talent training and technology incubation base for electric vehicles. Based on the key needs of the electric automotive industry, the Co-innovation Center carries out multi-factor integration innovation of bases, talents and resources, and has the most complete electric vehicle power drive system development and testing system in China. The functions of the the Co-innovation Center include: dynamic simulation of road load on the whole vehicle based on three typical power drive systems of electric vehicles (pure electric, hybrid and fuel cell), control strategy test of motor drive system, coordinated control strategy test of dual-motor drive system, control strategy test of engine-generator set, test and assessment of integrated cooling system, fuel cell reactor characteristic test, fuel cell power system matching calibration and testing, electromagnetic compatibility and electrical performance test of electrical/electronic components of road vehicles, etc.

4. National Monitoring and Management Center for New Energy Vehicles

The National Monitoring and Management Center for New Energy Vehicles is the first national new energy vehicle monitoring and management platform in the world. The platform realizes the fusion of new energy vehicle data, builds a nationally integrated big data center for the new energy vehicle industry, and effectively supports the informatization safety supervision and quality supervision of new energy vehicles nationwide.

National monitoring and management platform for new energy vehicles.

5. The Key Laboratory of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Autonomous Driving

The Key Laboratory of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Autonomous Driving was established and approved in 2015. At present, the laboratory has more than 100 sets of instruments and equipments for autonomous driving. The autonomous vehicles of the laboratory are equipped with advanced external sensors, control systems and software platforms for instrumentation and simulation. Every academic year, the laboratory can support 50 undergraduate students for extracurricular scientific and technological activities and course teaching tasks, and at the same time can support the requirement on curriculum, research and verification experiment tasks for at least 60 graduate students.

6. The "New Energy Vehicles and Application" Discipline Innovation and Intellectual Introduction Base of higher education

The "New Energy Vehicles and Application" Discipline Innovation and Intellectual Introduction Base of higher education was approved in 2012 and began construction in 2020. The base mainly focuses on new energy automotive theory and key technologies, new energy vehicle design theory and technology, vehicle electric drive theory and control, new power system and control, traffic behavior theory and safety control technology of new energy vehicle power system, introducing international intellectual resources, strengthening international exchanges and integration, and carrying out substantive cooperative research. The base aims to enhance the scientific innovation ability of disciplines, and improve the comprehensive competitiveness in the construction of academic team, scientific research level, talent training quality and other aspects.

7. Research Equipment and Experimental Facilities

School of Mechanical Engineering has international-advanced research equipment and facilities in the fields of vehicle structure, transmission and drive technology, new energy vehicle technology, integrated vehicle control, vehicle vibration system, and unmanned vehicle testing. The school also has 8x8 Rotary Drum Test Bench and 4-column Road Simulation Test System.

VI. Representative Scientific Research Achievements

1. Transmission Technology of Special Vehicle

Jointly developed the first tank in China. In the 1950s, the design and manufacture of tanks with low mass and high performance became one of the goals of national defense research planning. On October 1, 1959, the designed model of light tanks was completed, and in 1962, the light tanks jointly developed by our university were finalized and shipped. Then, China tanks started to move from the stage of imitation dependence to the stage of independent development with self-innovation.

The team led by academician Xiang Changle has been committed to scientific research and personnel training related to military special vehicles, multi-domain intelligent mobile platforms and land unmanned systems for a long time. The group has undertaken important research projects such as national security major basic research, national defense major projects, national key research and development programs, major science and technology projects, and key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation. To meet the major needs of national defense, academician Xiang Changle has made pioneering work in theoretical research, technological innovation, equipment development and application, and he presided over the research and development of a series of hydraulic mechanical integrated transmission, high-power electromechanical composite transmission, multi-domain mobile platform equipment, multi-mode special vehicles, etc., realizing the leapfrog development of China's special vehicle and land unmanned system technology. He was the leader of winning one first-prize State Technological Invention award and two second-prize State Scientific and Technological Progress awards, and also received one first-prize State Scientific and Technological Progress award as a main contributor.

2. New Energy Vehicle Technology

Yuanwang pure electric bus -- the first pure electric bus in China. In 1992, the United States government and the Chinese government jointly launched a military electric drive technology project; In 1994, Fengchun Sun served as the chief engineer of the military-civilian electric bus project, leading the team to overcome difficulties in developing the country's first electric bus in 1995.

China’s first pure electric bus ‘Yuanwang’.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics electric bus BK6122EV has a unique design and a lightweight design. The interior is beautiful and elegant, and the comfort is high. It adopts a low-floor passenger car chassis and barrier-free design, which fulfils the requirement of superior second level for city buses. "The comprehensive technical indicator of the vehicle has reached the international advanced level, and part of the technologies is leading."

Electric bus used in 2008 Beijing Olympics BK6122EV.

With Academician Fengchun Sun as the core of the electric vehicle team, the team has been committed to the overall design theory of electric vehicles, system integration and control, integrated electric drive and transmission facilities and operation health management and other technical research. The team created the system engineering technology system of "Electric vehicle -- charging/changing power station -- remote real-time monitoring", and presided over the first zero-emission public transport system project in the central area of the Olympic Games. Also, the team led the establishment of the National Engineering Laboratory for Electric Vehicles and the Vehicle Collaborative Innovation Center in the National Monitoring and Management of new energy Vehicle operation.

Presided over the development of pure electric bus system to participate in the Shanghai World Expo and Guangzhou Asian Games.

Presided over the development of all-climate new energy buses to support intelligent transportation applications for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

3. Intelligent Vehicle Technology

Developed the first driverless vehicle in China. In 1995, the first driverless vehicle "7B8 Autonomous Test Vehicle" was jointly developed by Beijing Institute of Technology. The vehicle is equipped with sensors such as radar, electronic magnet compass, and visual camera. The maximum speed of autonomous driving on the structured road with the visual camera is 21.6km/h, the curve and obstacle avoidance speed is 12km/h. In longitudinal direction, this vehicle platform realized the automation through the developed automatic mechanical transmission.

Our group developed the driverless target vehicles, which have been put into real application. We also developed the second generation military ground robot and China's first driverless mine sweeper vehicle for export. In November 2013, the driverless vehicle developed by Automobile Research Institute showed excellent performances of 4S (safety, smartness, stability and speed) in the Fifth China smart car challenge competition, and won the champion.

4. Vehicle System Design Technology

Developed China's first airdrop vehicle: K/DKC I paratrooper assault vehicle. It is the first wheeled paratrooper assault vehicle independently developed and formally equipped by our country for airborne troops. This vehicle plays a representative role in the development of special vehicle equipment of PLA, and also a representative project in the development of military products of our university at the end of last century.

The vehicle was finalized and officially equipped to our airborne troops in 2000. After that, the diesel engine was replaced, the four-wheel drive system was strengthened, and the body suspension system was improved. The improved version vehicle was officially equipped to the army in 2004.

VII. Scientific Research Projects and Awards

In recent years, the Department of Vehicle Engineering has undertaken the national "high-tech engineering" project, major key model projects of weapons and equipment, national defense 973 project, national "863", National Natural Science Foundation, General Armament Department Pre-research projects, National Defense Basic Scientific Research, Science and Technology of Olympic, School-Enterprise Cooperation and other projects. The average annual scientific research funding of the school exceeds 100 million RMB.

As the first completing institution, the Department of Vehicle Engineering won first award of the State Technological Invention Award once, second award of the State Technological Invention Award twice and second award of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award four times. As a participating institution, we won first award of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award three times and second award of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award three times.

VIII. Transformation of achievements and social services

The Department of Vehicle Engineering has made use of the important achievements in the present research field to realize the efficient transformation of scientific and technological achievements through the cooperation between industry, academia, and research. Our department has carried out long-term stable and fruitful cooperation with the national defense weapon, vehicle industry, and major automobile companies based on the technology in the field of vehicle engineering of Beijing Institute of Technology, and established industrial transformation platforms and disciplinary companies.

(1) Shenzhen Automotive Research Institute of Beijing Institute of Technology is an institution jointly built by Beijing Institute of Technology, Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, and Pingshan District People's Government relying on the National Engineering Laboratory of Electric Vehicles, which is a high-level new research and development institution recognized by Guangdong Province to promote the high-quality and sustainable development of intelligent new energy vehicles in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Permanent Campus of Shenzhen Automotive Research Institute of Beijing Institute of Technology.

Director of Shenzhen Automotive Research Institute of Beijing University of Technology.

(2) Chongqing Innovation Center of Beijing Institute of Technology is jointly established by BIT and Chongqing Liangjiang New Area Management Committee and is an expatriate research and academic institution of BIT. It is one of the overseas scientific research and academic institutions of the Beijing Institute of Technology. It mainly carries out scientific research, personnel training, innovation incubating, and international academic exchanges. It serves for national strategies and regional economic and social development of Chongqing, and serves the "double first-class" construction of the Beijing Institute of Technology. The team of future three-dimensional transportation and unmanned vehicles led by academician Xiang Changle of the Department of Vehicle Engineering and the team of new energy vehicle big data led by Professor Wang Zhenpo are carrying out theoretical research, innovation incubating, and industrial transformation in the center.

Advanced Technology Research Institute of BIT is a high-level research institution jointly built by the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Jinan Government.

According to the mode of “Academician Leading, Team landing, Locality Developing”, Advanced Technology Research Institute of BIT includes the key technology innovation center of big data analysis and application services for new energy vehicles, which is led by Academician Sun Fengchun, and the new energy Intelligent vehicle technology innovation center, which is led by Academician Xiang Changle.

The goal of the Institute of Advanced Technology Research Institute of BIT is to establish a big data-based safety supervision system for the new energy-intelligent vehicle in Shandong province, which could improve the innovation ability in the field of vehicle technology, accelerating the construction of security infrastructure for the new energy intelligent vehicle industry, creating a complete industry chain of low-speed intelligent vehicles in Shandong province.

Changshu Research Institute of BIT is jointly funded by Beijing Institute of Technology Science Park Technology Development Co., LTD, and Changshu Economic Development Zone High-tech Venture Capital Co., LTD. In 2017, Changshu Research Institute of BIT was included in the provincial maker space, and Suzhou Maker Space, which was declared by Changshu Institute. In 2018, Changshu Research Institute of BIT was included in the municipal management service system. In the field of vehicle technology, Changshu Research Institute of BIT owes a research and development team on intelligent vehicle key technology and automotive active safety technology, etc.