The second phase of the expansion project of the Cummins East Asia Research and Development Center was completed in the Wuhan Development Zone and became the second largest research and development organization in the world behind Cummins, the technology center of the United States. This also means that Dunkou is actively moving from the automotive manufacturing highland to the automotive R&D base.

The Cummins East Asia Research and Development Center settled in Wuhan in 2006 and is China's first Sino-foreign joint venture engine technology center. The total investment for the second phase of the project is US$33 million, which supports the development of all Cummins engines from 2.8 to 19 litres. Its products will cover markets such as automobiles, construction machinery, generator sets and ship engines.

This year, the center will have 22 engine test benches that can conduct emission certifications in Europe, South Korea, China Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, and other countries and regions, providing a “pass” for Chinese OEMs to enter the international market. Among them, the New Energy Laboratory can realize research and development from the entire new energy power drive system to parts and components, including motors, battery packs, and battery management systems.

The automotive industry in Wuhan has passed 100 billion yuan. Affected by this, automobile R&D institutions also took over Wuhan. At present, 12 R&D institutions including Dongfeng Electric Vehicle R&D Center, Dongfeng Automotive Engineering Research Institute, Dongfeng Limited R&D Center, and Valeo China R&D Center have settled in the Wuhan Development Zone with a total investment of 3.3 billion yuan. “China’s car capital” Dunkou has formed a complete design and development capability for trucks, off-road vehicles, cars, electric vehicles, buses, and parts and components, bringing together more than 10,000 automotive R&D talents.