Toyota Set to Sell Two PHEVs in China

Corolla being one of them.

Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – May 11, 2016

2016 Chinese Toyota Corolla Hybrid

Toyota recently announced that it will launch a PHEV versions of the Corolla and Levin in China during 2018. Only in China mind you as we here in the states already have the Prius and c as the Yaris Hybrid.

The establishment of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. in 2010 created a hub for localized R&D of hybrid technologies. Following this major commitment, Toyota established two local manufacturers of hybrid powertrain components, Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts Co., Ltd. and Sinogy Toyota Automotive Energy System Co., Ltd., in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

These efforts culminated in last year's launch of the Corolla Hybrid and Levin Hybrid―both of which feature locally developed hybrid units―in the Chinese market. Cumulative total orders for both vehicles now stand at approximately 40,000 vehicles. To continue promoting the widespread use of alternative energy vehicles in the future, Toyota is also proceeding with localization of PHEV development ahead of the launch of PHEV versions of these two models in 2018.

Global sales of the Toyota Prius PHEVs began in January 2012, and by the end of March 2016, a cumulative total of 75,000 vehicles had been sold in Japan, the U.S., and Europe, with the latest generation Prius PHEV – the Prime - set to go on sale in Asia, Europe and the U.S. this fall. With PHEVs representing the new benchmark for environmentally-friendly vehicles in China, the mass-market Corolla and Levin PHEV models will be launched in 2018.

New Atkinsonized 1.2L direct injected and turbocharged engine

At the same time, Toyota also announced the introduction of a 1.2L direct-injected and turbo charged engine with a thermodynamic efficiency of 36 percent slated for Chinese vehicles scheduled to go one sale later this year. The engine, first announced in April 2015, delivers good performance while achieving impressive fuel efficiency. At present, it is available in models sold in Europe and Japan.

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The engine pairs a single-scroll turbocharger with a cylinder head that uses an integrated water-cooled exhaust manifold to optimize exhaust temperature. This enables adaptive intake cooling that is not affected by the engine's thermal load.

Toyota also improved combustion speed by creating a strong tumble flow (a vertically-rotating swirl) inside the cylinder. This, together with advanced D-4T technology, creates an ideal air-fuel mixture. In addition, continuous variable valve timing on the intake (VVT-iW) allows the engine to use the Atkinson cycle by adjusting valve timing according to load. These improvements combine to produce maximum thermal efficiency of 36 percent, a leading level among mass-produced gasoline engines.

Vehicles with conventional powertrains still represent the vast majority of vehicles sold across the globe. By constantly increasing environmental performance across its entire vehicle lineup, Toyota aims to offer a portfolio of environment-friendly vehicles that meet the diverse needs of consumers. To a car, Toyota wants to see 30 percent of its sales in China to be alternative fuel, efficient hybrid and Plug-in hybrid cars.

Toyota Safety Sense in China

Following introduction in Europe, Japan and the U.S., the Toyota Safety Sense active safety package will be made available in vehicles sold in China later this year. The system has been specifically adapted for Chinese roads. I am not exactly sure what that means?