Toyota’s achievements in the field of hybrid technology are well known to everyone. This is not only because Toyota entered the hybrid market first, but also because after more than 20 years of development in the hybrid field, Toyota’s technology has long been mature. , coupled with patent restrictions, other car companies have to find other ways to develop hybrid technology.
According to incomplete statistics, Toyota has tens of thousands of patents in the hybrid field. However, Toyota, which has always been tight-lipped about its hybrid technology patents, has recently "opened the door" and provided a complete set of hybrid vehicles to GAC Group. dynamic system. According to the Nikkei Business News, Toyota will provide the core system of hybrid vehicles to GAC Group. This time it is not the authorization of part of the technology and patents, but the entire hybrid system. This means that in the future, the hybrid models produced by GAC Group will Directly adopts Toyota's hybrid technology.
Insiders of GAC Group said that this news has not been officially announced, but it is certain that GAC Group’s hybrid products using Toyota’s THS system will be launched in 2021 at the latest. In terms of hybrid power, GAC Group is developing two routes in parallel, one of which is jointly developed with Toyota.
Why did Toyota suddenly "open its mind"?
In fact, this is not the first time Toyota has opened up its hybrid technology patents. In April last year, Toyota announced that it would provide 23,740 of its hybrid technology patents for free by 2030. This is Toyota’s great kindness. Send it? Obviously not. The main reason why Toyota began to loosen its restrictions on hybrid patents is because the patents have entered a period of high incidence of expiration.
It is true that Toyota has many patents on core technologies in the hybrid field, but these patents are time-limited. In 2013, Toyota had several basic hybrid patents expired, mainly involving control systems and driving methods. The core patented planetary gear structure also failed in the United States and Europe in February 2017. As time goes by, Toyota's hybrid technology began to enter a "high incidence of failure period."
The expiration of the patent means that other car companies can easily enter the hybrid field. For Toyota, rather than letting its THS hybrid system be imitated by others, it is better to choose to open it up before the patent expires. , adding a bit more brilliance to his image as an industry leader.
Providing technology to GAC is really technological poverty alleviation?
In fact, this is not the first cooperation between Toyota and GAC in this regard. GAC Toyota had previously launched the iA5 model. Although this car did not achieve outstanding market performance, it also marked the In-depth cooperation with Toyota in this field.
Why did Toyota open its doors to GAC? On the one hand, Toyota and GAC have an ambiguous relationship, and there is also a precedent for cooperation in the hybrid field. On the other hand, it is also a last resort for Toyota. After all, the future automobile market will be dominated by new energy vehicles. Many European countries have made it clear when they will ban the sale of fuel vehicles. Some countries will ban the sale of fuel vehicles as soon as 2025. Toyota's gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are not new energy vehicles, which means Toyota's hybrid technology is about to be eliminated in these countries.
In our country, there is no clear indication when the sale of fuel vehicles will be banned. In addition, our country’s market is too large. In a short period of time, fuel, hybrid, and new energy vehicles will still be the main products. Cars are not going out of style. Toyota is expanding its share in the hybrid market through cooperation with GAC. GAC can also use Toyota's mature technology in the hybrid field to reduce its own research and development costs. In fact, it is a win-win situation. There is no such thing as Toyota's "technological poverty alleviation".
Is national policy the main factor?
As the world’s largest automobile market, my country’s various policies in the automotive field will also influence the development policies of many automobile companies. In June this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has reviewed and approved the new version of the "Measures for the Parallel Management of Average Fuel Consumption of Passenger Car Enterprises and New Energy Vehicle Points". The new case proposes the concept of "low fuel consumption passenger vehicles" for the first time, that is: since January 2021 Starting from the 1st, hybrid vehicles will be classified as "low fuel consumption vehicles" and the government will provide preferential policies.
Now that new energy vehicles have not completely replaced fuel vehicles, the new policy classifies hybrid vehicles as "low fuel consumption vehicles" and provides preferential treatment. This is undoubtedly the main reason why Toyota will open hybrid technology to GAC. , after all, the number of hybrid vehicles in the domestic automobile market is increasing day by day, and the prospects for the hybrid vehicle market in the next ten years are also very promising.
According to data provided by LMC Automotive, the proportion of hybrid vehicles in global car sales will increase from 7% in 2020 to 26% in 2030.
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To summarize, there are two main reasons why Toyota provides a complete hybrid system to GAC. One is that its patent is about to expire, and the other is national policy. With the support of Guangzhou Automobile Group, Toyota wants to further increase its share of the hybrid market in China and earn more profits. Of course, Toyota sharing hybrid technology with GAC is also a good thing for GAC. This move is a win-win situation.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.