While Toyota has been a dominant player in the hybrid space for decades, Chinese car giant Geely wants to take the technological lead.
Geely has unveiled a new-generation hybrid powertrain technology at the 2026 Beijing motor show, which the car maker claims will set a new benchmark for efficiency.
Separate to the electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain offerings already seen in Geely vehicles, this new ‘i-HEV’ closed-loop hybrid system (similar to Toyota’s layout) utilises a high-efficiency petrol engine and AI-driven software to achieve what Geely says is record levels of fuel efficiency.
To that point, Geely has earned itself a Guniness World Record for the lowest level of fuel consumption from a mass-produced hybrid vehicle.
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Set during a highway loop in the Chinese city of Hunan, a Geely Emgrand hybrid sedan demonstrated a consumption figure of 2.22L/100km.
Using this new hybrid powertrain, the Geely Emgrand has a total system output of 230kW between a 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor.
Geely says the Emgrand i-HEV can accelerate under electric power up to 66km/h, and the petrol engine has a 48.1 per cent thermal efficiency rate.
While Geely has promised to continue expanding its portfolio of models for the Australian market, this particular Emgrand model is yet to be locked in.
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