While the global electric vehicle market is growing rapidly, automotive giant Toyota Motor Corporation remains firmly committed to small, efficient internal combustion engines and hybrid technology.
It was reported that recently, Toyota showcased a brand-new 1.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine in Tokyo, demonstrating its innovative achievements in small, efficient ICE. This engine adopts a short piston design and, when combined with a battery, can significantly improve fuel efficiency. The engine can not only use gasoline and diesel but also adapt to carbon-neutral fuels such as hydrogen and e-fuels.
Evidently, despite the rapid expansion of the EV market, Toyota is steadfast in看好ing the future of hybrids and ICE. Toyota President Akio Toyoda emphasized the importance of ICE at an event earlier this year, stating, 'We will continue to keep the flame of the engine burning and never let all our previous efforts go to waste.'
Recall not long ago in Xi'an, on the city wall, BYD held a grand conference. The protagonist of the conference was the fifth-generation DM technology and the first models equipped with this technology - the Qin LDM-i and the Seal 06DM-i. With the highest engine thermal efficiency of 46.06%, a 100-kilometer fuel consumption of 2.9 liters in亏电 state, and a comprehensive cruising range of 2100 kilometers, the fifth-generation DM technology has once again rewritten the global automotive fuel consumption history and initiated the era of fuel consumption 2.
BYD President Wang Chuanfu proudly declared at the conference: 'The world's most advanced plug-in hybrid technology is in China! The share of Chinese brands in the global plug-in hybrid market has exceeded 70%, and the global plug-in hybrid has entered the Chinese moment!'
Now, at this moment, in the face of BYD's 'technical invitation', Toyota suddenly announces the continuation of optimizing ICE work, which cannot help but make people curious. What is the exact meaning behind this move?