China’s Geely Auto unveils AI-hybrid tech to take on Toyota
The company is one of China’s largest carmakers, with some of the country’s best-selling EV models
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CHINA’S Geely Automobile unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered, hybrid petrol-electric vehicle platform to compete against Japanese automakers in an auto sector pioneered by Toyota Motor.
Geely’s new i-HEV system consumed just 2.22 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres of driving during a test of an upcoming Emgrand sedan around Hainan island in southern China, the company said on Monday (Apr 13).
“It will comprehensively surpass the hybrid technology from the Japanese,” Geely Group spokesperson Victor Yang said at an industry event on Saturday ahead of the launch.
Toyota’s Prius hybrid model showcased a 2.53 litres per 100 kilometres drive in 2024 from Los Angeles to New York. Under a testing protocol more rigorous than China’s test cycle, the car gets up to 32.6 kilometres per litre, depending on the model.
Geely said that the fuel efficiency rating for its i-HEV-equipped Emgrand is not available yet.
Hybrids have been gaining in popularity among buyers – particularly in the US – looking to cut their fuel emissions and running costs without committing to a fully EV, which is often more expensive due to its bigger battery. Toyota sold 4.4 million hybrids last year, accounting for more than one-third of its total sales.
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The i-HEV technology combines intelligent driving functions, the cockpit and the chassis into a “single centralised brain”, and uses AI to optimise energy management, Geely said. It offers an EV-like driving experience without the need to charge the electric batteries, the company said.
It will go into mass production immediately and be available on popular models, including the Boyue L and Xingyue L sport utility vehicles, and the fifth-generation Emgrand.
Geely overtook Honda Motor and Nissan Motor in total vehicle sales last year and has set a target to become one of the world’s top five carmakers by the end of the decade.
The company is one of China’s largest carmakers, with some of the country’s best-selling EV models. It remains committed to a multi-power train approach in contrast to its biggest rival BYD, which stopped producing conventional petrol vehicles in 2022 in favour of battery electric and hybrid vehicles. Geely continues to develop internal combustion engine models, hybrid and fuel cell technologies. BLOOMBERG
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