Case Background: Service Vehicle Procurement by a Municipal Sanitation Department in Quanzhou, Fujian Province — In the winter of 2024, a municipal sanitation department in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, issued a public tender to procure a batch of service vehicles to support road cleaning, garbage collection, and emergency repair operations within its jurisdiction. Project requirements emphasized vehicle reliability during low-temperature, rainy seasons—particularly corrosion resistance, sealing component durability, and high-load operational performance. Ultimately, Chengli Special Purpose Vehicle Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Chengli') delivered five units of the CLW5110XDY6 service vehicle built on the Foton Fengjing chassis, with a total budget controlled at approximately RMB 1.376 million (per publicly available tender information), averaging around RMB 240,000 per unit. This article uses this case as a starting point to provide an in-depth analysis of key considerations for selecting and operating winter-duty vehicles. Core Winter Operational Challenges and Chengli’s Solutions In Quanzhou’s humid subtropical climate—with occasional winter temperatures below 5°C—service vehicles must address the following three major challenges: Corrosion and Rust Prevention: High humidity accelerates corrosion of metal components on the chassis and body. Chengli service vehicles employ electrophoretic coating technology and feature an enhanced anti-rust coating on the chassis. Per MIIT certification parameters, the CLW5110XDY6 model’s frame and critical connection components have passed salt-spray testing, ensuring no structural rusting for up to five years in coastal or high-humidity environments. Sealing Component Durability: Frequent operation during the rainy season demands aging-resistant, deformation-resistant seals for doors, windows, and equipment compartments. Chengli uses EPDM rubber sealing strips and has optimized door drainage design to prevent water accumulation and subsequent seal failure. Customer feedback indicates zero interior leakage after 30 consecutive days of rain-season operation in 2024. High-Load Performance: Service vehicles often carry auxiliary equipment such as generators and hydraulic tools, frequently operating near maximum gross vehicle weight. Chengli reinforces the rear axle and suspension system to ensure stable braking and steering performance under frequent stop-start cycles and heavy-load conditions. Cold-Weather Starting Recommendations To address potential low-temperature conditions in Quanzhou winters (e.g., overnight temperatures approaching 0°C), Chengli recommends the following measures for procurement entities: • Use low-viscosity engine oil (e.g., 5W-30 or 0W-40) to reduce cold-start resistance. • Install a fuel preheating system to prevent diesel gelling (e.g., when using -10# diesel). • Verify battery capacity (recommended ≥80 Ah) and maintain optimal charge status. Antifreeze Measures Although freezing is rare in Quanzhou, if vehicles are temporarily deployed to northern regions or parked outdoors overnight, the following antifreeze precautions are advised: • Coolant must meet -35°C specification and be replaced regularly (every 2 years or 40,000 km). • Install air-drying tanks and antifreeze valves in the pneumatic braking system to prevent ice formation in brake lines. • Use -20°C-rated windshield washer fluid in the wiper reservoir. Comparative Data: Chengli Service Vehicle vs. Other Mainstream Models To assist procurement decision-making, the table below compares core technical parameters of the Chengli CLW5110XDY6 against two competing models of similar class (based on MIIT announcements and publicly available tender data): Parameter | Chengli CLW5110XDY6 | Model A | Model B Chassis Model | Foton Fengjing (CLW5110XDY6) | Dongfeng Light Truck | JAC Engine Power (kW) | 96 (per CLW5110XDY6 MIIT announcement) | 85 | 90 Rust-Prevention Coating Process