Toyota Claims Its New ICE Units Are “Game-Changers”

Toyota boldly claims that its new 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre ICE units will be "game-changers" once released.

While the world is turning towards Electric Vehicles (EVs), Toyota has taken a different approach with combustion engines. In fact, the automaking giant recently unveiled new internal combustion engine (ICE) units that it claims will be “game-changers.”

In a recent interview with and presentation to Automotive News, Toyota’s Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima, shared more insights about these new 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre engines, emphasising their distinctiveness from current ICEs. 

Although hydrogen-powered cars have not gained widespread popularity, Toyota's work on the slow-selling Mirai Hydrogen FCEV saloon yielded valuable knowledge on engine thermal efficiency.

While Nakajima did not provide specific details, it's worth noting that Toyota achieved a 40% efficiency rate several years ago. Nakajima highlighted instead that the new engines would feature a shorter piston stroke, which is a challenging feat to accomplish. 

Toyota emphasised on these new 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre ICE units' distinctiveness over regular ICE units. They also boast high thermal efficiency - up to 50%.

These smaller inline-four engines aim to "revolutionise vehicle packaging," enabling lower front ends to enhance efficiency by optimizing airflow. 

The torque reduction resulting from the shorter stroke will be offset by the instant response of an electric motor - yet another evident fact that these ICE units are being primarily developed for hybrid vehicles.

In contrast, rivals Nissan boasts a 50% efficiency rate with its e-Power technology, where the combustion engine acts as a generator for the battery rather than directly driving the wheels.  Similarly, Mazda employs a rotary engine in the MX-30, a range-extending electric crossover, following a comparable approach.

The first cars equipped with these new engines are expected to hit the market around 2027. As detailed prior, Toyota is designing these powertrains to run on a variety of fuels, including fossil fuels, biofuel, hydrogen, and synthetic fuel. 

These "game-changing" new ICE units are expected to power production Toyotas as early as 2027.

Nakajima further indicated that this new engine family offers "lots of room to play," hinting at numerous engineering innovations that remain undisclosed.

In contrast, Nissan has adopted a different strategy by ceasing investment in ICE development and committing fully to EVs, with range-extending gas engines serving as an interim solution. KR