Abstract: Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology can convert the exhaust heat energy from engines into mechanical energy or electrical power efficiently to improve the efficiency of vehicle engines. In this paper, the development of ORC waste heat recovery technology for vehicle engines was studied, with a focus on numerical simulations, control strategy and key components (expander, heat exchanger and pump). The future development and prospect were also put forward. Results show that recovering exhaust heat energy from vehicle engines by the ORC system has a broader development perspective. However, at present, the dynamic matching characteristics of the vehicle engine and ORC system under working conditions, three-dimensional simulation and experimental test of ORC waste heat recovery system for vehicle engines, and optimum design of key components suitable for the system, etc., still need further research. The development of high performance components, highly integrated experiment and simulation, and intelligent control strategy of the ORC waste heat recovery system for vehicle engines will be the prevailing trend.