A DME prototype auto up to the Europe III emission standard, jointly developed by the Dalian Diesel Engine Factory, a part of the No.1 Auto Group, Xi?痑n Jiaotong University, and Wuxi Institute of Oil Pump and Nozzle, has run over 4500 km on a combined basis. With a fine economic and dynamic performance, the newly developed engine and speed picking-up mechanism have a noise level noticeably lower than that of the existing diesel cars, shown by a noise level test.

The Dalian Diesel Engine Factory, Xi?痑n Jiaotong University and others were contracted to the research and development of DME cars in early 2003. In the past two years, researchers embarked on a series of studies concerning high and low pressure fuel supply systems suitable for a DME engine at low viscosity and boiling point, optimization of combustion parameters, improving the dynamics, and lowering emissions of DME cars, based on a CA498A high speed diesel engine. The effort also rolled out a number of key components, including an oil valve and pump for DME fuel, and a low vortex cylinder lid for the DME engine. These painstaking efforts have eventually led to the birth of a DME engine and a whole car that is highly efficient but with low pollution.