When talking about the word hybrid, this sentence will always come to most people's minds: There are two kinds of hybrids in the world, one is Toyota and the other is others. Against the background of the increasingly strong development of new energy vehicles, Toyota, unlike many independent car companies that vigorously develop pure electric vehicles, cannot extricate itself in the hybrid field. Toyota's hybrid technology is undoubtedly the most advanced in the world.
Since Toyota launched the family's first gasoline-electric hybrid model, the Prius, in 1997, its cumulative sales of hybrid models have exceeded 13 million units, ranking first in the world. What is the concept of 13 million units? This number is an achievement that many gasoline car companies cannot achieve. Mature hybrid technology and reliable quality make Toyota difficult to rival in the hybrid field.
Forward-looking strategic vision helps Toyota take a step ahead
Toyota’s mature hybrid technology did not come into being overnight. It is understood that Toyota had already developed it with hybrid technology in the 1990s. Started research and development of hybrid technology. As we all know, Japan is an island country that is short of resources and is extremely dependent on overseas energy. In the 1990s, with the outbreak of the oil crisis and the complex and ever-changing international situation, Toyota realized the importance of getting rid of oil.
Due to technical limitations, it is obviously unrealistic for traditional cars to completely get rid of their dependence on oil in a short period of time. Gradually reducing their dependence on oil and developing hybrids is the most reasonable and easiest way at this stage. Accepted proposal. So in December 1997, Toyota's first gasoline-electric hybrid model, the Prius (parameters|pictures), officially rolled off the production line. The arrival of the Prius made Toyota the first car company to mass-produce hybrid models in the world, taking the lead in the hybrid market. Take the lead in the field.
Excellent core technology helps Toyota reach the top
As a car, if there is no excellent core technology, even if it enters the market first, it will not make much difference. Toyota's mature hybrid technology is the key to Toyota's reputation in the hybrid field. Since the first generation of Toyota's THS hybrid system was used on the Prius, it has developed to the third generation. Camry (parameters | pictures), Corolla Twin Engine (parameters | pictures), Lexus LC500h and other models currently on the market are all equipped with this hybrid system. The THS hybrid system has been tested in practice for more than 20 years, and its reliable quality has been deeply People's hearts.
The main structure of the Toyota THS hybrid system is an Atkinson cycle engine plus two electric motors, one large and one small, as well as an energy management mechanism and an E-CVT gearbox. These two motors have a clear division of labor. One of them is mainly used for speed regulation, and the other is mainly used as a motor drive. Their biggest similarity is that they can both be used as generators and motors, and the planetary gear is connected to the engine for speed change. E-CVT is a key technology in Toyota's THS hybrid system. It has applied for a patent in 1997 and has blocked E-CVT technology for 20 years. This is one of the reasons why Toyota has become the dominant player in the hybrid field. one.
In addition, Toyota has spent more than 20 years in the hybrid field and applied for a large number of patents during this period. In 1997 alone, it applied for as many as 355 patents, covering almost all core hybrid technologies. Fortunately, many of the patents it applied for have expiration dates. Up to now, Toyota has opened more than 20,000 patents on technologies related to electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles, which will be completely free for other manufacturers to use until 2030. Mature hybrid technology has made Toyota the recognized "hybrid overlord."
The market prospects of gasoline-electric hybrids
As the world’s largest new energy vehicle market, China’s number of new energy vehicles in 2012 was only 11,000 units. As of 2018, the number of new energy vehicles has rapidly increased. increased to 1.256 million units. The reason why new energy vehicles have such strong market performance has a lot to do with the country's subsidy policy. However, since 2019, the state's subsidies for new energy vehicles have declined, which has significantly reduced the competitiveness of new energy vehicles.
Due to various factors such as insufficient battery life, short battery life, high cost, and potential safety hazards in current pure electric vehicles, gasoline-electric hybrid models, as a transitional product between traditional fuel vehicles and pure electric vehicles, are There are many advantages. Gas-electric hybrid vehicles do not require special charging interfaces and charging piles like pure electric vehicles. There is no need to worry about cruising range and the purchase cost is not as high as pure electric vehicles. In the short term, gasoline-electric hybrids represented by Toyota are still very competitive.
Competitors in the hybrid field
Seeing Toyota's success in the hybrid field, many car manufacturers will inevitably be jealous, and they have created their own hybrid systems with the intention of competing in the hybrid field. It occupies a place in the field of dynamic driving, and the more famous one is undoubtedly the Honda i-MMD hybrid system. The Honda i-MMD system has a simpler structure than Toyota THS, and its power output is more powerful than Toyota THS. This is also the biggest opponent of Toyota THS today. Honda i-MMD's performance is closest to Toyota's THS hybrid system in all aspects. The disadvantages are that the cost is slightly higher and the requirements for motor performance are greater.
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It is not difficult to see that the reason why Toyota has such a high position in the hybrid field is due to its long-term strategic vision and more than 20 years of painstaking research and development. relation. For now, only Honda can put pressure on Toyota in the hybrid field in a short period of time.