How Toyota's Intelligent Electric Hybrid Dual Engine Adapts to Local Customs

In August, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles reached 53.9%. What does that mean? For every 100 cars sold, nearly 54 are new energy vehicles, of which plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and extended-range electric vehicles (REEV) account for a high proportion. As a result, China has become the country with the highest penetration rate of new energy vehicles in the world. However, as the penetration rate of new energy vehicles increases, some problems have emerged, such as difficulty in charging, battery safety, maintenance costs, especially expensive battery replacement, etc.

Some consumers are asking: Is there a hybrid technology that is as fuel-efficient as plug-in hybrid and range-extended hybrid, but safer, more reliable and cheaper to maintain? Well, you never know, there really is one...

Eye-opening: The most fuel-efficient car, only 2.52 liters per 100 kilometers

Recently, an American car owner drove a hybrid car without any modification across the American continent and set a Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption of 2.52 liters per 100 kilometers, which was eye-opening. The owner drove this hybrid car (the car uses a 2.0-liter hybrid system) from Los Angeles City Hall, driving a total of about 5,168.73 kilometers to New York City Hall. On the way, he also experienced a variety of complex road conditions such as high altitude areas above 2,000 meters and deserts with temperatures above 40 degrees.

The final result is equivalent to 39.6 kilometers per liter of gasoline, which means a fuel consumption of 2.52 liters per 100 kilometers! You read that right, this is also a non-charged hybrid car, it is the Prius equipped with Toyota's fifth-generation hybrid system.

Chinese consumers are no stranger to Prius, as it was once produced and sold in China. However, the model that broke the Guinness World Record has not yet been introduced to China.

In fact, recently many Chinese auto brands have launched plug-in hybrid and extended-range models that are competing to test the extreme endurance. It is common to see fuel consumption of 3 or 4 liters per 100 kilometers under power supply conditions. Compared with them, Toyota's smart electric hybrid dual-engine Prius is undoubtedly the most fuel-efficient among mass-produced cars that do not require charging. It can be said that "plug-in hybrids are fuel-efficient, but fuel-efficient cars are the real strength"......

So the question is, in the context of the new energy era, although Toyota also has various new energy power sources including pure electric and hydrogen power, why is Toyota still vigorously developing hybrids? Compared with the plug-in hybrid PHEV and extended-range REEV that are popular in China, what are the unique features of Toyota's oil-electric hybrids......

Different paths to the same destination: Intelligent electric hybrid dual engine is also a good choice

In fact, Toyota's "fascination" with the development of hybrids is also in line with consumer demand. In today's era of high oil prices, many consumers want to buy cars with excellent fuel consumption performance. However, due to the national conditions of various countries and the use environment and scene restrictions, plug-in hybrids and extended-range vehicles cannot be fully popularized, even in China, so more consumers have chosen hybrid systems.

Toyota has been developing this mature, stable, reliable hybrid technology for 27 years, and it is stable, reliable, has a low failure rate and does not require charging. Since it was put into use in the first generation of Prius in 1997, the fifth generation of intelligent electric hybrid dual engine has been iterated many times. Its fuel economy is comparable to that of plug-in hybrid and extended-range vehicles, and is even better than that of plug-in hybrid and extended-range vehicles. More importantly, it has a reputation of "not breaking down" and has been passed on by word of mouth.

This technology is not only very popular overseas, especially in the European and American markets, but also performs well in the Chinese market, and the "dual engine" is even more familiar. From family sedans such as Camry and Avalon, to SUVs such as Crown Land Rover and Highlander, from business MPVs such as Senna and Grevia, to imported Crown Vellfire and Alphard, and even the hardcore off-road SUV Prado that was newly launched this year, all are equipped with intelligent electric hybrid dual engines. Moreover , Chinese automakers also started to study or imitate intelligent electric hybrid dual engine technology in the early days, but later, affected by industrial policies, Chinese brands began to exert their strength in the fields of plug-in hybrid and extended range.

Although Toyota hybrids are not new energy vehicles, their fuel consumption is the same as that of plug-in hybrids, or even lower. For example, the fuel consumption of mid-to-high-end sedans such as the Asia Dragon Hybrid and Camry Hybrid is between 5 and 6 liters per 100 kilometers, and the lowest can even reach about 4 liters per 100 kilometers. More importantly, the hybrid system does not require special maintenance, and its maintenance cycle and items are the same as those of ordinary fuel vehicles. In addition, due to the characteristics of hybrid vehicles, the renewal cycle of its brake pads is longer, which reduces the cost of using the vehicle to a certain extent.

Toyota also provides an extended warranty of 8 years and 200,000 kilometers for the "three-electric" system, which not only reflects Toyota's confidence in the quality of its own products, but also ensures that the value retention rate of the smart electric hybrid dual-engine models remains high.

Safety is the primary factor that consumers are concerned about, and batteries are the top priority of safety. Toyota's intelligent electric hybrid dual engine uses a small battery pack with a capacity of twice that of the previous model, which is safe and reliable. And you just drive it, without having to consider replacing batteries, motors, electronic controls and other things. Its normal design service life is about 15 years, with a long life and good stability. As of today, Toyota has maintained a record of "0 accidents, 0 explosions, and 0 leakage" for batteries. As of May 2024, Toyota's global hybrid sales will exceed 27 million units, and China's cumulative sales will exceed 4 million units. This achievement is enough to illustrate Toyota's leading position in the world.

With low overall vehicle use costs and high value retention rate, consumers can also save money in the long-term use of smart electric hybrid vehicles, achieving the same goal through different means.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do: hybrid is the main mode, and all-round power is developed

Just after talking about fuel saving, it happened that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China recently publicly solicited opinions on two mandatory national standards, namely "Evaluation Methods and Indicators for Passenger Vehicle Fuel Consumption" (hereinafter referred to as "Opinions"), which mentioned that for models weighing less than 1.09 tons, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers needs to be controlled within 2.57 liters; for models weighing between 1.09 tons and 2.51 tons, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers needs to be controlled within 3.3 liters; for models with a curb weight greater than 2.51 tons, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers needs to be controlled within 4.7 liters. The standards after soliciting opinions will be officially implemented on January 1, 2026... After the release of this opinion, many netizens have heated discussions, because there are currently no pure fuel vehicles in China that can meet the above fuel consumption standards. If this policy is implemented in the future, it seems that only Toyota's intelligent electric hybrid dual-engine models that do not require charging can meet this requirement.

Of course, Chinese consumers don't have to worry, Toyota will definitely introduce more advanced intelligent electric hybrid models to the Chinese market in the future. Moreover, in the era of new energy vehicles, Toyota Motors adheres to the "multi-path technology route" based on the needs of Chinese consumers. It not only continues to iterate and update its expertise in hybrid and traditional fuel vehicles, but also achieves a leap in the field of new energy vehicles.

Moreover, Toyota also has its own unique insights on automotive intelligence and is gradually strengthening its cooperative relationship with local Chinese companies.

In terms of intelligent driving, we have to mention the Toyota Pilot advanced intelligent driving system, which can provide stable and reliable driving assistance for car owners, reduce driving fatigue and enhance driving pleasure, whether on long-distance highways or in congested urban roads. The Toyota Pilot advanced intelligent driving system also demonstrates Toyota's innovation and strength in intelligent electric technology, bringing consumers a safer, more convenient and comfortable travel experience, and jointly building a comprehensive safety protection network.

In short, Toyota's "multi-path technology route" in China will not abandon traditional fuel vehicles, but will focus on hybrids and develop all-round power. Moreover, by solving the pain points of electric vehicles in China, Toyota can not only improve consumer satisfaction and loyalty, but also achieve greater breakthroughs in the field of new energy vehicles and continue to write a chapter of innovation.