en.Wedoany.com Reported - China Harbin Dongan Auto Engine Co., Ltd. (Dongan Auto, SHA:600178) announced on June 2, 2026, that the first prototype of its self-developed second-generation AHT22 hybrid transmission for aviation has completed assembly and successfully ignited. This product is paired with the rotor engine platform independently developed by Dongan Auto, forming a core combination in the field of aerial powertrain systems. Currently, the iterative development of the compatible rotor engine product is progressing steadily, and multiple aircraft OEM customers have initiated in-depth technical collaboration with Dongan Auto. The project is expected to complete real-machine integration verification within the year.
Dongan Auto, formerly known as State-owned Factory 120, was founded in 1948. It is a military enterprise primarily engaged in the production of aviation light power systems and their derivatives, as well as helicopter transmission systems. The company was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1998. As a subsidiary of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., it is a state-controlled listed company that simultaneously possesses automotive engines, manual transmissions, automatic transmissions, and advanced powertrain systems. It has four major engine product platforms, including low-altitude power/new energy vehicle power rotor engines, and four major transmission platforms, including the DHT hybrid-specific transmission, providing integrated powertrain solutions for high-end passenger cars, new energy vehicles, and low-altitude aircraft.
It is reported that the newly upgraded AHT22 dedicated hybrid transmission has undergone comprehensive optimization based on the first-generation product, supporting multiple operating modes such as power generation, parallel direct drive, and direct drive plus power generation. By adopting a two-stage reduction structure and matching an 800V high-voltage platform with high-speed, high-efficiency motor and electronic control systems, the motor controller utilizes mature silicon carbide (SiC) power brick products, achieving weight reduction and size minimization while further enhancing safety. The housing system employs aviation lightweight materials, significantly improving the overall power-to-weight ratio. This product can be paired with rotor engines or other power units to build a dual-power redundant backup, greatly enhancing flight emergency safety capabilities. It is also adaptable to a wide temperature range of -40°C to 80°C, meeting airworthiness requirements for complex environments at altitudes of 3,000 meters, including dust and humidity.
Regarding rotor engines, Dongan Auto's R05E single-rotor engine successfully ignited for the first time on December 19, 2025, at the Test and Trial Center of the Extended-Range Powertrain System Research Institute. This product was initiated in April 2025 and is planned for mass production in 2027. The R05E has a rated speed of 6,500 rpm and an output power exceeding 53 kW. In the future, the power of the dual-rotor engine will be increased to 110 kW. Dongan Auto is simultaneously developing naturally aspirated and turbocharged rotor engines, with displacements ranging from 0.5L to 1.5L and power outputs from 50 kW to 150 kW, applicable to diverse fields such as urban air mobility, medium-to-long-range logistics distribution, and aerial tourism.
According to forecasts from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the market size of China's low-altitude economy reached 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025, with nearly 20,000 drone operating companies and total annual orders for eVTOL exceeding 30 billion yuan. The newly revised Civil Aviation Law has been passed and will officially take effect on July 1, 2026. This marks the first time China has explicitly established the status of the low-altitude economy at the national legal level, providing legal safeguards for the standardized development of the industry chain. In 2026, the low-altitude economy industry has gradually moved from point-based exploration into a critical period of industrial application. The pairing of Dongan Auto's AHT22 aviation hybrid transmission with the rotor engine platform is expected to offer new solutions for the powertrain systems of low-altitude economy aircraft.
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