The  Power Machinery and Vehicular Engineering Institute of Zhejiang  University was founded in 1958, it’s one of the earliest internal  combustion engine majors in China's higher education institutions.

Based  on the major needs of the national economy such as the automobile  industry and transportation, the Institute focuses on the application of  basic research in the fields of automobile  energy conservation,  environmental protection, safety and comfort, and advanced intelligence.

The  institute has made fruitful achievements in scientific research. It has  undertaken a large number of research projects and international  cooperation projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation of  China, the 973 Program and the 863 Program to lead theoretical  innovation, promote industrial progress, and cultivate high-level  R&D and management talents in the automotive field, especially in  the engine field.

The  institute has won several the first Class Awards for scientific and  technological achievements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the first  Class Awards for scientific and technological achievements of the  Ministry of Communications, the second Class National Awards for  Scientific and Technical Progress, the third Class Awards for National  Defense Scientific and Technical Progress, and the first Class Awards  for Zhejiang Science Progress.