Tokyo, 29 May, /AJMEDIA/
Toyota Motor Corp, Mazda Motor Corp, and Subaru Corp said Tuesday that they will each develop engines to enhance the performance of their electrified vehicles, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, as part of efforts to increase the competitiveness of their gasoline-electric line-ups.
With the shared goal of achieving carbon neutrality, the three Japanese automakers aim to develop smaller, more efficient engines with higher output than existing models while also collaborating on the use of carbon-neutral fuels, they said.
Such engines will enable vehicles to carry more batteries and emit less carbon dioxide, allowing them to operate like EVs most of the time while providing engine power for long-distance travel, they said.
“We will develop engines that perfectly fit the era of electrification,” Toyota CEO Koji Sato said at a joint press conference.
“As technologies for all-electric vehicles advance, we need to think about plug-in hybrid vehicles that center around electric power rather than internal combustion engines,” he said.
The announcement comes as global EV sales have been slowing. Despite early adopters driving a rapid rise in the genre, many consumers remain hesitant to buy all-electric vehicles due to their limited range and a lack of charging stations.
To achieve carbon neutrality, the three companies are concentrating on offering a diverse range of green vehicles rather than solely focusing on manufacturing all-electric cars.
Toyota Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima emphasized at the press conference that the new engines will lead to more flexibility in vehicle development, enabling the firms to strike the right balance between electric and gasoline power, depending on each market’s energy situation.
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda has highlighted the need to maintain the development of engines despite the industry’s rapid shift toward EVs, saying they still play an important role in the era of decarbonization by expanding power train options.
The effort will benefit Japan’s auto supply chains, which were built around gasoline-powered cars and are currently struggling with the global shift to EVs.
“We won’t leave anyone behind in our effort to achieve carbon neutrality,” Subaru CEO Atsushi Osaki said at the press conference.
Toyota is working on 4-cylinder engines that are smaller than its existing engines but just as powerful. Subaru, meantime, aims to launch a new hybrid system utilizing its horizontally opposed engine technology.
Mazda is developing new engines based on its iconic rotary engine. The automaker said the rotary technology will help ensure flexible vehicle development by enabling engines to burn a wide range of fuels.
“We will provide a new value in the era of electrification,” Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro said at the press conference.
