Earlier this month, Honeywell Turbo Technologies, the leading automotive turbocharger developer, opened its new turbocharger plant in Wuhan.

The new manufacturing facility will triple Honeywell’s turbo production capacity in China, where turbo adoption in new vehicles is expected to increase significantly from today’s turbo penetration rate of 23 percent.

“We are really excited about the growth of the turbo market in China, which already accounts for one-fourth of our global launches this year,” said Terrence Hahn, president and CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems. “With China’s focus on improving fuel economy and reducing emissions, turbocharging has evolved from a niche technology to a mainstream solution for Chinese consumers. The new facility in Wuhan builds on 20 years of Honeywell’s Turbo presence in China, providing the most advanced turbo technologies to local and global customers, faster and better than ever.”

As China’s fuel economy target improves from 6.9 litres/100km in 2015 to 5 litres/100km in 2020, the world’s largest auto market is shifting to a ‘Turbo Era’.  Compared to a naturally-aspirated petrol engine of the same power output, a turbocharged engine provides up to 20 percent better fuel efficiency for petrol vehicles and up to 40 percent for diesel, while helping reduce emissions by a similar relative amount.

Honeywell’s new Wuhan plant is strategically located in one of China’s major auto hubs where some 870,000 vehicles are manufactured each year. It spans a total area of 12,550 square metres and is quickly ramping up since it started testing operations at the end of 2013.

“This new plant further strengthens our commitment to China,” said David Paja, vice-president and general manager, Honeywell Transportation Systems China and India.  “Our strong local roots already include a manufacturing facility in Shanghai and a world-class technology center including our second largest global turbo lab. The Wuhan plant includes the latest manufacturing technology for passenger vehicles and puts us in a better position than ever to turbocharge China’s future.” 

Honeywell Turbo Technologies established its first plant in Shanghai in 1994, and has since produced more than 8 million turbos, serving customers in all segments from on-and-off highway commercial vehicles, to light commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles.

Photograph: Honeywell Transportation Systems CEO and president Terrence Hahn (centre right) leads the celebration introducing the new turbo plant in Wuhan, China.