It’s not a real washing machine, but a transparent model. I have travelled to China and am now in the TCL factory complex in Hefei, a city of eight million people in central China. LEDs flash, simulating water flows, while an engineer points to various sensors and explains AI algorithms. All around us are rows of prototypes, including refrigerators, washing machines and tumble dryers, testing the limits of what Chinese technology can deliver to the European market.
TCL hopes to emulate other Chinese manufacturers such as Hisense, Haier and Midea, all of which have gradually gained ground in European white goods markets in recent years. But while TCL is already a well-known name in the TV segment, its MDA (Major Domestic Appliances) division is still relatively unknown in the Nordics.
This is about to change.
From ODM to in-house production
TCL’s MDA business was established in 1998, but for the first 15 years the company did not manufacture anything itself. Instead, TCL operated as an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) supplier, rebranding products from others. That changed in 2014 when TCL revitalised the business with its own production.
Today, the factory complex in Hefei covers 1.5 million square metres. 2,000 employees work here on everything from product development and production to quality control and sales. TCL has accumulated around 2,000 patents in washing machines and refrigerators and has received design awards such as IF, Red Dot and Good Design. The factory also produces appliances for a number of other brands, and in total, the assembly lines in Hefei churn out 15,000 units every day – equivalent to almost 5.5 million products per year. This is a capacity that far exceeds the total number of white goods sold on an annual basis in the entire Nordic region.
Most of the production is intended for export. The Chinese domestic market is highly competitive and the focus is now on foreign markets, especially Europe.
“The European market is very important to us,” explains Shan Lingxuan, Deputy General Manager of TCL MDA. “The products in Europe set the standard. They set the trends for the whole world. That’s why Europe is the market we focus on.”
Scandinavia is the next step
For the past three to five years, TCL has primarily focused on larger European markets such as France, Poland and Spain. Here, the company has learnt what European consumers value and how they use their machines.
Now it’s time for the next phase: Scandinavia.
“We’re going step by step,” explains Shan Lingxuan. “First we prioritised the biggest markets to understand European consumers. Now we are moving on to other regions like the Nordic countries.”
TCL has identified some specific needs in the Scandinavian market. For example, the cooler climate means more demand for tumble dryers, which is why TCL is introducing washing machines together with separate heat pump tumble dryers to the Nordic market.
“We believe we can provide consumers with a better user experience at an affordable price,” says Shan Lingxuan.
The products for Scandinavia will not be designed from scratch, but will be based on TCL’s existing global product architecture, he explains. “The architecture is the same, but the aesthetics, user interface and some specific specifications may be slightly different.”
So the customisation is in the details: aesthetics, user interfaces and specific features like drying programs.
Mathias Ekman, sales manager for white goods in the Nordics, explains that TCL works closely with Nordic retailers on product development. “We bring our customers here, they are also experts in the market. Together with them, we listen to consumer needs and requirements.”
The company is currently discussing with Scandinavian retailers which features and design elements to prioritise, including colours of doors and buttons on washing machines.
(Video: Peter Gotschalk)
AI Super Drum
One of TCL’s flagship technologies is what the company calls the “AI Super Drum”, a washing machine with an advanced sensor network and cloud-based optimisation.
“Many companies say they have AI,” explains Shan Lingxuan as he demonstrates the transparent machine. “But our AI Super Drum is true AI.”
The difference, according to TCL, lies in how the system works. Where most washing machines with sensors simply select an existing programme based on what the machines detect, TCL’s system generates a unique programme every time.
The TCL factory in Hefei produces 15,000 units every day – equivalent to almost 5.5 million products per year (Video: Peter Gotschalk)
The washing machine has four types of sensors: a 3D sensor in the drum, a flow sensor to measure the amount of water, a pressure sensor to detect how much water is left in the drum, and a turbidity sensor, which is a sensor that measures how dirty the clothes are.
“The sensors communicate with each other as a network,” he explains. “Through the flow and pressure sensor, the machine can determine what type of fabric is in the drum. Via the turbidity sensor, the machine knows how dirty the clothes are and if there is any detergent left after rinsing.”
Based on this data, the system generates seven parameters: wash temperature, wash time, number of rinses, spin speed, amount of detergent, drying temperature and wash intensity. The parameters are uploaded to the cloud, where the system learns to optimise future wash programmes.
“The more you wash, the smarter the machine becomes,” says Shan Lingxuan.
Our AI Super Drum is true AI (Shan Lingxuan)
It all sounds promising. But does it work in practice? We don’t get a demonstration during the visit. Instead, we see the transparent model with LEDs that visualise water flows. TCL assures us that the technology works and that the company has an R&D team of 500 people in Shenzhen working exclusively on software and computing.
We ask if the AI Super Drum technology will also be available in mid-range products coming to Scandinavia.
‘We are in dialogue with customers about which features to include,’ replies Mathias Ekman.
This newcomer from TCL is a great choice when you want great picture quality without paying a premium.
Megaspace: More volume without taking up more space
On the fridge side, TCL is focusing on what the company calls the “Megaspace series” – refrigerators that provide more interior capacity without getting bigger on the outside.
“We want to give customers the option to upgrade to a fridge of the same size but with more capacity,” explains “Mr Andy”, who is responsible for TCL’s refrigerator category. “Capacity has increased by around 20 per cent in the last two years,” he says.
The technology behind this is better insulation: the high-quality foam layer and Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIP), which improve cooling performance and thus allow the interior space to be maximised.
In addition, TCL has emphasised user-friendliness. For example, the new combi fridge has a wine shelf that doubles as a tray. The French door models have foldable shelves that can be folded up towards the back to accommodate large items. And the upright freezers have extra space in the door for both cold packs and pizza boxes.
TCL is also working to reach the highest energy classes. This year the company has products in the E and D classes, but next year TCL will launch refrigerators in the A class – and later even A-10%.
“It’s very difficult to achieve,” says Andy. “But we have an advantage in the market.”
Refrigerators of the future: Cameras and AI
Just like washing machines, TCL is working to integrate AI into refrigerators. The company is developing Wi-Fi connected fridges with features such as energy saving, noise reduction and email alerts of potential failures.
Future generations could have a screen on the door that provides control over the fridge and monitors food with expiration reminders. TCL is also considering a dual camera system – one on the door and one inside the fridge – that can automatically recognise food and keep track of what goes in and what comes out.
We pay close attention to data protection in Europe (“Mr Andy”)
“The camera can take a picture and the fridge will know what you put in,” explains a TCL engineer. “The system can give you advice, such as storing the cucumber at a certain temperature and placing it on a certain shelf.”
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But isn’t this a big privacy issue in Europe?
“We’re very aware of data protection in Europe,” Andy replies. “It’s a sensitive area and we are very careful about collecting user data.”
The feature is still under development and it’s uncertain when – and if – it will be launched in Europe.
(Video: Peter Gotschalk)
The art of the possible
Back in the lab, Shan Lingxuan demonstrates the largest drum TCL offers – a washing machine with a drum diameter of 540 millimetres, which the company claims is the largest in the world.
“A larger drum means better washing results and greater capacity in the same dimension,” he explains.
In addition, the drum has six bionic lifters – as opposed to the three normally found in washing machines. They are designed to improve the movement of clothes in the drum and ensure a smooth wash, so no part of the garment escapes being cleaned properly.
TCL’s Hefei factory is an extensive complex filled with development departments, test labs and production lines. The company has the resources, the patents and the ambition.
The question is whether this is enough to convince Scandinavian consumers who already have an established relationship with European brands such as Miele, Bosch and Electrolux, as well as Korean electronics giants LG and Samsung. TCL aims to compete on price, performance and technological features such as AI-powered washing programmes.
When TCL’s appliances hit Scandinavian stores in 2025 and 2026, it will be interesting to see if the Chinese machines can live up to the company’s own promises, or if AI Super Drum and Megaspace are just clever marketing.
TCL’s appliances have already started to appear in selected Scandinavian stores. You can soon read the first tests of TCL washing machines, tumble dryers and refrigerators here on the L&B Tech Reviews website.
