3rd Generation King Long Jieguan Stands Severe Tests in Tibet

Dec. 25th this year is the 60 anniversary of Sichuan-Tibet Road. On such a special occasion, China Central Television made a special report. King Long also brings its third generation of Jieguan as the new bus model for plateau operation.

Reported on the CCTV news

Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, is about 3,700 meters above the sea level. Nicknamed as the City of Sunshine, the city can experience sharp changes in temperature in a day and is often in short of oxygen when compared with other cities in a lower altitude. Thus, the harsh weather conditions have made it an ideal place for testing the reliability of buses.

According to Chen Xiaobing, Director of the Technical Center of King Long, "We have been doing R&D work way ahead of our rivals. Thus, our new bus model specially designed for the operation in higher altitude has instantly won the positive appraisal from bus experts.”

So far, Chinese bus industry has been adopting the same technical standards as their European counterparts. For this reason, the braking pressure is set at 0.8Mpa for buses. However, such a standard is not high enough to meet the more demanding requirements on the roads in Tibet.

Interior decoration

Ran Qinghua, Manager of King Long’ R&D Department points out, "We are the leading bus maker in China when it comes to upgrading bus braking pressure, which is set at 1.0Mpa for mid-sized buses and 1.2Mpa for large-sized buses. The higher level of braking pressure has ensured the safer operation the whole vehicles.” The 3rd generation of Jieguan adopts the newly optimized braking system which has strengthened braking pressure and shortened braking pressure time. Thus, it can generate stronger braking force and boost the overall efficiency of the vehicle by over 30%.

According to King Long, the company started R&D work of the new vehicle in 2013. After going through a series of severe tests, the new bus has achieved much better performances in a number of comparisons. For example, the braking distance of the vehicle with a speed of 30km/h or 60km/h is lowered to 6.5 meters and 23.5 meters respectively. Moreover, its valves achieve higher compatibility and its braking more stability. The maximum lateral offset is less than 20 centimeters.

Leaders visited the 3rd generation Jieguan

Since the very beginning of its development, King Long has set very ambitious goals to overcome the difficult road conditions in Tibet. To suit the varied weather conditions on the plateau, the 3rd generation of Jieguan is equipped with brand new fuel pre-heating system, air intake preheating system and strengthened oil tank with higher warmth-retention ability. In addition, the vehicle boasts special low-temperature start-up devices to ensure its smooth operation in extreme weather conditions.

To adapt to the strong sunshine in the area, Jieguan is also mounted with special ultraviolet-ray-proof front glass, which is also helpful to rid bus drivers of possible snow blindness. The 18 stringent procedures of electrophoresis have given the vehicle another life jacket. In addition, its TPMS tire pressure monitoring system provides extra safety measures.

3rd generation Jieguan became a beautiful view in Tibet

In terms of air-tightness, the third generation of Jieguan has also seen significant progress. With coldness-enduring and anti-aging rubber seal strip and internally mounted double rubber seal strip at the luggage compartment and other key areas, the vehicle can prevent heat loss inside the vehicle.

"We are extremely confident that our vehicle will not suffer from any high altitude sickness,” an engineer in charge of the development of Jieguan from King Long proudly claims.