Japanese Media: Chinese Automakers Launch Intense Offensive in Hybrid Vehicle Sector
According to Kyodo News on April 27: Chinese automakers are not only advancing in electric vehicles, but are also launching a fierce offensive in the hybrid vehicle segment—where Japanese automakers have long held a dominant position.
The article states: At the ongoing Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Chinese automakers unveiled a new hybrid system claiming to achieve the "lowest fuel consumption worldwide."
Kyodo News reports that executives from Japanese manufacturers have told media outlets they feel "this is a threat" and experience such severe crisis anxiety that "I can't sleep."
Geely Automobile's newly developed system, "i-HEV," uses artificial intelligence (AI) to intelligently distinguish between motor and engine usage, achieving superior fuel efficiency. In tests, it achieved a world record of "2.22 liters per 100 kilometers."
Geely plans to launch passenger cars and an SUV equipped with i-HEV in the near future.
At the exhibition venue on the 26th, Geely staff expressed full confidence in real-world fuel efficiency during urban driving, emphasizing, "Hybrid vehicles will compete directly with Japanese counterparts."
The first hybrid vehicle was introduced by Toyota Motor Corporation in 1997 with the Prius—the hybrid technology being a cherished legacy of Japanese automakers.
At the Beijing exhibition, state-owned major enterprise Changan Automobile unveiled a new hybrid model, reportedly priced at just 80,000 yuan (approximately 1.85 million yen).
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863622305370123/
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