Japanese Toyota does not give much thought to the idea that electric cars will take over the entire market. So now the brand is considering a diesel hybrid.
Toyota is considering developing diesel hybrids to improve the fuel economy of the brand's passenger cars.
Although a large part of the passenger car market has moved away from diesel after "Dieselgate", Toyota is not averse to the idea. And especially not in markets where diesel is still dominant.
Toyota's chief engineer Keita Moritsu emphasizes the importance of diesel engines in certain parts of the world, where cars such as the large Land Cruiser are wildly popular.
– Worldwide, diesel is obviously a very important engine for the Land Cruiser, it says.
However, he also notes that gasoline is the primary fuel type in large markets such as the US and China.
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– That is why we have arrived at our hybrid system with a petrol engine. But in the future, the situation will naturally change on a global scale. So I need to monitor and consider everything in hybrid and electrification systems.
That's what Autodrive writes.
Developing a diesel hybrid is not without challenges. Russell Tomlinson, Toyota's Australian head of research, evaluation and training, points out the difference
– With diesel, you have a lot of torque already at the lower revs, so (hybrid assistance, ed.) can come in midway through and support the driveline.
– But the difference and the necessary engineering efforts are the challenge.
Toyota has already taken steps in diesel electrification. Their 'V-Active' mild-hybrid diesel system, found in the brand's 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine in the Prado and select HiLux models, boosts fuel efficiency.
However, the cars cannot be run on pure electricity alone. The engine is always on. Until now, Toyota's focus has primarily been on gasoline-powered hybrids, such as with the i-Force Max V6 hybrid in the Tundra and the upcoming 2.4-liter gasoline hybrid for the Prado.
However, the idea of a diesel-powered hybrid car is not new. Not even at Toyota, who already aired the idea in 2021.
– We are considering diesel hybrids, petrol hybrids… we are looking at all forms of CO2 reduction through different technologies, said Rod Ferguson, Toyota's Australian head of product planning at the time.
However, diesel hybrid systems are still a niche part of the automotive industry. Mercedes has experimented with pairing diesel and battery packs in a number of SUVs and heavier trucks. But there has not been any major spread.
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