The Hardware
Geely did it again.
Or, more accurately, Geely Auto Group did. They just revealed a new electric drive system. It is called the 16-in-1 intelligent unit. The name is a mouthful but the specs are the real story.
93.8% efficiency.
That number stands out because EVs usually hover lower than that. Geely claims this result comes from the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test cycle. A forgiving cycle. Still impressive though.
The physical unit is tiny. Barely 13 inches tall. It weighs roughly 165 pounds.
By consolidating twelve distinct hardware functions into one pack they deleted over 180 parts. No motor controller here separate from the motor itself. They bundled it all together. The motor the reducer the controller. Plus four layers of software handling energy charging motion and health checks.
Less weight means less energy to move. It’s physics not magic.
The wiring savings are stark. High voltage wiring down by 30%. Low voltage down by 15%. The compact shape buys out another cubic foot of trunk space in the car that uses it.
The Galaxy TT
The test case is the Galaxy TT.
Unveiled last year as a sport sedan it sits in a weird spot between performance and utility. Dimensions place it alongside the Porsche Taycan and the BMW 5 Series in size. It measures nearly 197 inches long. The wheelbase is around 115 inches.
Two flavors will use this new drive tech.
One drives two wheels and makes 329 hp. Not slow but not the headline. The other drives four wheels and pumps out 570 hp.
That version hits 62 mph in just under 3.8 seconds.
It feels fast. Does it need to be?
Should You Care?
If you live in the United States you won’t buy this car. Geely doesn’t sell the Galaxy TT here. The branding isn’t on US soil.
But look closer.
Volvo owns the space nearby. They are a Geely subsidiary. And Volvo is planning new electric sedans. And wagons.
We won’t see Geely badges on Volvo cars. But the engineering knowledge moves laterally. The compact drive design might trickle into European or North American Volvo products eventually. It influences the platform. It shapes the strategy.
Chinese manufacturers are moving faster on efficiency metrics than we give them credit for. Smaller motor units allow for better packaging. Better packaging allows for larger interiors or lighter cars.
Either way it is a win for the drivetrain.
