On July 18, 2025, China's first diesel engine oil D1 standard was released to the world through China Central Television, marking that China's lubricant industry has officially entered the era of independent standards. Behind this milestone is the ten-year persistence of Weichai, a subsidiary of Shandong Heavy Industry, as a core participant - from breaking through foreign technical barriers to building a leading evaluation system, Weichai has promoted China's engineering machinery power system to wear "fitting armor" as a "chain leader".
For a long time, China's diesel engine oil field has been subject to European and American API standards, and its acclimatization problems based on Western road conditions have become increasingly prominent. Under Chinese-specific working conditions such as extreme cold on the plateau and heavy-load transportation, international standards often lead to engine performance impairment and excessive emissions. In 2016, Weichai joined 42 units to form the "Engine Lubricant China Standard Development and Innovation Alliance", invested nearly 200 million yuan, completed 60,000 hours of bench testing, and finally overcame "neck-stuck" technologies such as evaluation methods and localization of additives, and formulated the world's first D1 standard adapted to Chinese engines.
Leading test system: As the leading party of WP13 assessment method, Weichai's team of nearly 100 people spent 10 years to accumulate accurate data through hundreds of hours of continuous bench tests, and formulated 4 industry standards and 8 laboratory management specifications.
Industrialization breakthrough: Jointly developed with Kunlun Lubrication the first D1 standard low-viscosity oil, the oil change cycle jumped from 60,000 kilometers to 120,000 kilometers, and the extreme test reached 140,000 kilometers, greatly reducing the user's maintenance costs.
Full chain autonomy: From base oil refining to additive research and development, Weichai promotes the localization of testing methods and certification platforms, breaking the certification monopoly of multinational institutions.
The D1 standard for the first time wrote "Chinese engine verification and Chinese operating data" into the general principles, and its strict cleanliness and wear resistance indicators set a new benchmark for the industry. Liu Weimin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, commented that this is "China's historic leap from a standard follower to a rule maker." With the launch of the first No. 001 D1 oil, the power system of Chinese engineering vehicles will be better protected, and standardized solutions will be provided for countries along the "Belt and Road".
"Chinese oil" finally fits "Chinese heart". Weichai takes up the mission of state-owned enterprises with a sense of family and country. Its D1 standard practice not only demonstrates the strength of high-end power brands, but also becomes a model of independent innovation in Chinese industry. In the future, Weichai will continue to support the global application of the D1 standard and inject the "Chinese solution" into the world's heavy truck market.
