On June 28, GAC Toyota held the first Science and Technology Open Day, focusing on a number of transformation achievements and forward-looking technology layout, reflecting the deep accumulation of the company's multi-path electrification technology and the rapid leap in the level of intelligence.
In terms of electrification, GAC Toyota has built a full-path electrification technology system including HEV, PHEV, EV, and FCEV with the fifth-generation intelligent electric hybrid technology.
The fifth-generation intelligent electric hybrid dual engine is the most important core technology of GAC Toyota. It adopts Toyota's original planetary gear structure, which can achieve a balance between "oil" and "electricity", and the seamless connection of the two power outputs of the engine and the motor can bring higher efficiency and better smoothness.
The fifth-generation intelligent electric hybrid engine can also balance strong power and low fuel consumption in the full speed range, and the engine can keep running in the high-efficiency range, bringing better fuel economy. Taking the 9th-generation Camry as an example, the vehicle accelerates quickly, with a 0km/h to 60km/h acceleration time of 4.1 seconds for the 2.5L hybrid model, and 4.71 seconds for 80km/h to 120km/h, and the vehicle is still full of power at speeds of more than 120 km/h. At the same time, the 2.5L large-displacement engine used in the 9th-generation Camry intelligent electric hybrid dual engine can maintain a high thermal efficiency of 41% in the common speed range of 1400-3200 rpm and the torque range of 120-180 Nm, thus achieving good fuel economy.
In addition, the fifth-generation intelligent electric hybrid dual engine also takes into account the balance between performance and safety. The system adopts a small battery with a capacity of only 1.12 degrees and a battery management strategy of "shallow charging and discharging", which greatly improves the battery safety. At present, Toyota's hybrid models have sold more than 26 million units worldwide, and their safety has been widely verified.
Toyota's next-generation electrification technologies were also showcased at the Technology Day, and four types of next-generation batteries, including performance lithium-ion batteries, popular lithium iron phosphate batteries, high-performance lithium-ion batteries, and all-solid-state batteries, will be launched in 2026.
The fastest performance lithium-ion battery, which is expected to be launched in 2026, can quickly charge from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes, and can make the vehicle have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. The popular lithium iron phosphate battery is expected to be launched in 2026-2027, with a 10%-80% fast charging time of less than 30 minutes and a range of up to 600 kilometers. The high-performance lithium-ion battery is expected to be launched in 2027-2028, with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers and a fast charging time of as little as 20 minutes.
The most forward-looking all-solid-state battery is currently under development, and GAC Toyota plans to launch it in 2027-2028. The battery uses a solid-state electrolyte, which allows ions to move faster, has the characteristics of high voltage resistance, less influence by temperature, etc., is more suitable for fast charging and discharging, and can overcome the problem of battery life attenuation. In the future, models equipped with solid-state batteries will have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers combined with aerodynamic improvements and lightweight design, with fast charging in just 10 minutes.
According to the plan, by 2026, Toyota will launch 10 new electric models, and in 2026, it will achieve the goal of annual sales of 1.5 million electric vehicles, and the next generation of electric vehicles will also make their debut in 2026. By 2030, Toyota aims to sell 3.5 million electric vehicles, of which 1.7 million will be next-generation electric vehicles. It is understood that Toyota's plug-in hybrid model that supports fast charging will be launched in China in October this year.
In terms of intelligence, the TOYOTA PILOT end-to-end high-end intelligent driving system jointly created by GAC Toyota and Momenta will be the first to be equipped with the Bozhi 3X model, and the new car is expected to be launched next year. At the hardware level, this high-end intelligent driving solution is based on NVIDIA's 254TOPS computing platform, and the whole car is equipped with 11 ultra-high-precision cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars and 1 lidar (126 lines), with 360-degree global perception capabilities and sufficient vehicle-end computing power. At the algorithm level, the solution is based on Momenta's data flywheel, which can self-learn and iterate quickly through massive mass production data reflow, and continuously improve the upper limit of system performance through OTA. The solution is equipped with Momenta algorithm 5.0, which will provide a full-scene high-end intelligent driving experience covering parking, highways, and urban NOA.
At the same time, GAC Toyota has also joined hands with Pony.ai to carry out the commercial operation of L4 autonomous driving, and actively promote the large-scale mass production of high-level autonomous driving technology. The Saina unmanned Robotaxi equipped with Pony.ai's autonomous driving system integrates the world's first automotive-grade hardware and multiple safety redundancy design, and has been operating accident-free for one year, accumulating rich experience in intelligent driving. In April this year, the joint venture company jointly funded by Toyota China, GAC Toyota and Pony.ai has been officially established, and the first phase plans to launch 1,000 units of the Bozhi series L4 Robotaxi in first-tier cities to carry out large-scale operation.
In addition, the new generation of intelligent cockpit empowered by Huawei and Tencent has been installed on the three flagship models of GAC Toyota, the 9th-generation Camry, the 2024 Seina and the Highlander launched this year. The next-generation intelligent cockpit integrates Huawei's AI voice assistant, Hi-link car-home interconnection ecosystem, and rich Tencent ecosystem services, greatly improving the intelligent experience. GAC Toyota also plans to launch a C-segment electric sedan in 2025, and will cooperate more comprehensively with Huawei in the field of intelligent cockpits.
Under the tide of the "intelligent electric era", GAC Toyota said that it is actively embracing changes, accelerating the formation of new technological competitiveness, and providing users with mobility solutions based on the needs of the Chinese market. (Baichuan)
(Photo from GAC Toyota's official website)