Korean Media: Geely Challenges Toyota's Dominance in Hybrid Power, Sets New Record for Production Vehicle Thermal Efficiency!
On May 19, South Korea's Hankyoreh Economic published an article stating that China's Geely Automobile has unveiled its next-generation hybrid technology, achieving the world's highest fuel efficiency among mass-produced engines. At the launch event, Geely confidently positioned itself alongside Toyota, which has long led the hybrid vehicle market for decades.
Recently, Geely Automobile introduced its new i-HEV hybrid power system. At its core is a dedicated gasoline engine with a thermal efficiency of up to 48.41%. This figure exceeds Toyota’s Dynamic Force engine—the current market leader in hybrid systems—by more than 7 percentage points, which currently stands at 41%.
The system not only boasts exceptional thermal efficiency but also delivers a maximum electric driving output power of 230 kilowatts, approximately 1.72 times higher than that of existing conventional hybrid vehicles. The company explained that this significantly enhances acceleration performance and driving responsiveness—two aspects previously considered persistent weaknesses of hybrid cars.
According to data released by Geely Automobile, real-world driving performance indicators are equally impressive. The first model to adopt this technology, the Star Ray i-HEV, achieves a fuel consumption as low as 3.98 liters per 100 kilometers. Through optimized control, engine operation time has been reduced by 27% compared to previous models, thereby maximizing efficiency.
Geely has integrated the "StarRui AI Cloud Power 2.0" large language model and the GEEA 3.0 electronic architecture into this i-HEV system. Its strategy involves strengthening connectivity with Huawei smartphones and implementing an intelligent cockpit powered by DeepSeek, aiming to bridge the gap with Japanese brands, which have historically been relatively conservative in applying information entertainment technologies.
For years, the hybrid vehicle market has been seen as a domain dominated by Japanese brands. Geely plans to reshape this landscape by combining overwhelming hardware specifications with cutting-edge software.
An industry expert analyzed: “The reported 48.41% improvement in fuel economy from Geely, viewed from an engine engineering standpoint, is nothing short of astonishing. If reliability during actual mass production and real-world fuel efficiency across global markets can be verified, it will undoubtedly trigger a storm in the hybrid vehicle market long dominated by Toyota.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865579504097348/
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