The Japanese company, remaining one of the leaders in the hybrid sector, does not see electrification as the inevitable end for ICE. According to Andrea Carlucci, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Toyota’s European division, the new 1.5 and 2.0-liter engines will be more powerful and economical than their predecessors, and their design has been developed from the ground up with an eye on various application options - in electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.
Instead of adapting the existing ICE platform for electrification, Toyota wants to create an architecture prioritized for battery electric vehicles, while also being able to use it efficiently for plug-in hybrids and self-charging hybrids, as well as range-extended electric vehicles (EREV).
The new engines are expected to give the company flexibility in an environment where markets around the world are moving toward electrification at different paces. This will allow for the offering of gasoline versions, hybrids, EREV, or 100% electric vehicles depending on the region. Additionally, Toyota has not abandoned the idea of transitioning to hydrogen and synthetic fuels for ICE models.
The company has not yet revealed in which specific models the new ICE will appear, but one promising area could be pickups. The company has already shown a concept resembling an electric version of the Tacoma and is considering more advanced electrified options for the Tundra. Their next generations may feature an EREV scheme with a large electric range.
Source: CarBuzz
