The last two years have served to make us realize an idea that is, in some ways, uncomfortable for America. Tesla’s enemy is not so much BYD as Toyota, which has developed a very powerful hydrogen industry. The key is in the fuel of the future, and they have found it, but it was not all going to be success: the Japanese brand has just made a historic mistake with an engine that experts are already warning about: they have thus turned their back on EVs and FCEVs, with something that, in this case, is no better.
New engine to be presented by Toyota: It’s neither hydrogen nor electric (and neither gas)
In recent years, Toyota has made great advancements in the improvement of its gasoline engines; the company released a new generation of four-cylinder engines that are supposed to deliver better characteristics and driving experience. The new line of gasoline engines was launched in May 2024 and includes 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter displacements.
These engines are notable for the reduction of their size and weight as compared to the previous models, together with a better ability to deliver power and/or economy. They are some of the new generation engines that belong to Toyota’s Dynamic Force Engines and are characterized by high thermal efficiency and low fuel consumption.
The design incorporates several innovative technologies:
- High-Speed Combustion Technology: They result in improved air fuel mixing, better combustion, and therefore high values of the thermal coefficient of around 40 percent for the regular vehicles and up to 41 percent in hybrid applications.
- Variable Control Systems: All these systems serve the purpose of improving performance in a manner that fine-tunes the response of the engine in relation to driving conditions.
- Multi-Hole Direct Injection: It tends to control the flow of fuel and air mixture, assisting in high-speed burning and increasing horsepower (the same trend Toyota is developing)
- Continuous Variable Capacity Oil Pump: They control oil flow based on the operation conditions to cut on engine friction losses, thus improving efficiency with this feature.
It’s not about only one engine, but two: Toyota has unveiled the ultimate prototype in mobility
But, as far as new engines are concerned, they are still under development, and Toyota has revealed the fact that the first cars with such engines will be launched on the market by the last quarter of year 2026. The peculiarities of this timeline imply that Toyota is to bring these engines to a series of car models, which might as well be sports cars designed for car lovers.
The new engines boast impressive performance metrics:
- 1.5-Liter Engine:
- Power Output: To produce some 130 horsepower (kW – kilowatts) of power in the naturally aspirated r Hindering;
- Fuel Economy Improvement: The policy is expected to lead to a 12 percent increment in fuel efficiency compared to the current models.
- 2.0-Liter Engine:
- Power Output: Expected to deliver close to 150 kW, or about 205 horsepower, and an improved torque figure right across the rpm band.
- Fuel Economy Improvement: Raising the target of the corporation’s fuel efficiency to 30 percent above what is currently achieved, or at 2. 4-liter engine.
These are the steps that signify Toyota’s continuous strive to transform the driving experience while at the same time keeping an eye on the environmental balance.
Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 has other plans: These engines could have been a failure
This development of these new engines is at the heart of Toyota’s consistent business strategy of looking for ways to increase performance while respecting the earth. The company has been engaging in innovations towards the realization of what the company has termed the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, under which the company seeks to decarbonize its engines.
Japan’s bet on the fuel of the future may have come to nothing, as the new Toyota gasoline engine is not what was expected from the Asian country. What does this mean for America? On the one hand, it places us as one of the few countries that is moving forward with an almost 100% ZEV (manufactured, not on-road) industry. On the other hand, we run the risk of the brand landing its new models here, delaying our strategy for the 2030–2035 period, which is already complicated.
