The new energy information analysis network will summarize the new energy technology route battle between Toyota of Japan and GM of the United States in China and even the world. Based on the irreconcilable contradictions at the ideological level and the entanglement of geopolitical dimensions, it is predicted that the new energy technology route in the next five years will conform to China's national interests.
Remarks: EV is electric technology, HEV is unplugged oil-electric hybrid technology, PHEV and plug-in oil-electric hybrid technology, REV is unplugged extender oil-electric hybrid technology, EREV plug-in range extender oil-electric hybrid technology, FCV is fuel cell technology
Toyota Japan:
In March 2020, Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan announced the establishment of a joint venture with BYD of China to jointly design, manufacture and sell electric vehicles. It is reported that the first model developed by BYD and providing all technical solutions including "battery, motor and electronic control" will be launched and will be affixed with Toyota's unique "bull head" logo. In addition, Toyota Motor's first electric vehicle, the bZ4X, has been unveiled, and it is worth paying attention to whether its core technology is related to BYD.
As a world-class automobile company with a long history, Toyota Motor of Japan has a complete and reliable HEV hybrid technology model application program, and has a leading FCV (hydrogen fuel cell technology) model application solution. However, in the mainstream technology route of new energy in the Chinese market, it has to seek cooperation from BYD to break through the current stagnant dilemma.
U.S. General:
In October 2021, U.S. automotive giant General Motors released its own high-end, all-electric Ultium Platform (Altion solutions including core technologies). The platform has a comprehensive and leading electrification technology, including a flexible layout of the modular body, efficient and integrated electric drive system, 800V power battery platform, high-power fast charging and so on. Based on the first model of the Aoteneng platform, Cadillac LYRIQ has been launched in the global market, and the domestic pre-sale situation is also very hot.
As a traditional automobile manufacturer with a century-old history, GM has reserves different core technologies of new energy such as EV, HEV, PHEV, REV, EREV, FCV and EV, and has put into the application of related new energy technology in the terminal market for retail sales.
GM adheres to EV+HEV+REV, recognizes PHEV+EREV, and takes into account FCV:
The development of the U.S. automobile industry is only slightly behind that of Europe, and it has been fueled by a series of major events such as the oil crisis and the financial crisis. Therefore, the development of the American hybrid system led by General Motors actually started much earlier than we thought, but its development process is very interesting.
On September 29, 1993, the Clinton administration issued the famous "Future Automobile Joint Plan", the most important content of which is to propose the technical direction of new energy development: hybrid, electric vehicles, lightweight materials, high-performance engines, fuel cells, etc. As the leader of American cars, GM naturally became the most important part of the plan.
In 1996, GM developed the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle, the EV-1. The 2-seater, 2-door coupe is made of fiberglass, powered by lead-acid batteries, and has a minimum range of only 89 kilometers. Despite its lack of practicality, the EV-1 is still sought after by many environmental groups and electric vehicle enthusiasts, making a good start for GM on the road of new energy vehicle research and development.
In 2000, the rapid development of lithium-ion battery technology aroused GM's confidence in all-electric vehicle manufacturing. GM also launched the E-Flex system concept that year, later known as Voltec Drive Systems, in which "E" stands for electric drive and "Flex" stands for different sources of electricity, which can obtain electricity from gasoline, ethanol, biodiesel or hydrogen, and can customize propulsion systems to meet special requirements and market-specific infrastructure according to the different needs of customers in different regions, and these fuels are eventually converted into electric powered vehicles, which is simply today's extended range electric vehicle concept.
It should be noted that the electric drive part used by Volanda is the first to apply the "1 slot 4 wire" flat wire winding technology.
At the same time, GM has conducted more in-depth research and development for the "dual-mode system" and "planetary row dual drive motor system", and applied for relevant patents for double star row dual motors and three planetary row double motors with higher efficiency and better power, and has also achieved the GM new energy electric drive system platform with optimized power shunting, which can meet heV, PHEV, EREV and other forms of new energy models.
In 2007, the Chevrolet Volt concept car equipped with the universal E-Flex technology concept electric drive system was officially exhibited at the Detroit Auto Show. This is the first model in the United States that a large manufacturer starts from the real sense of "three electricity" and specially designs a new electrical structure design for strong electrical components such as batteries, motors, and electronic controls. Therefore, as soon as it was born, it was praised by the industry as "really changing the DNA of the car, and it is the pioneer that drove the automotive industry into the electrical age", and it is also sought after by the majority of environmental enthusiasts. The Volttec electric drive system is therefore regarded as the pride of new energy vehicle technology in the United States.
Then the financial crisis quietly approached, but under the Obama administration's stimulus plan, all walks of life were recovering strongly, and General Motors regained full competitiveness in a very short time. The Obama administration has also vigorously promoted the implementation of various automotive environmental protection policies, the most important of which is to promote clean energy vehicles, and implement tax reductions and rebates for owners of new energy models and low fuel consumption models.
Immediately after the launch of GM's second-generation Chevrolet Volt model, the new car uses a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine + two drive motors + a ternary lithium battery system as the powertrain. The latest second-generation Voltec electric drive technology is also used for the first time in this model. Combined with the upgrade of the battery and the electronic control system, the efficiency of the vehicle has been significantly improved by 12%, the endurance of 80 kilometers can be achieved in electric mode, the subsequent mileage with the electric motor has increased to 676 kilometers, and the acceleration time of 96 kilometers / h is only 8.4 seconds.
In February 2016, GM announced that it had changed the name of its GM Powertrain division to GM Global Propulsion System, which had been used for 24 years, and GM's electrified drive technology also completed a leap from quantitative to qualitative change.
The new hybrid drive system developed based on the GM second-generation Voltec electric drive system can cover a variety of models such as HEV/PHEV/EREV, from high-tech 3-cylinder gasoline engines to fuel cells, from V8 diesel engines to battery electric systems, as well as 6-speed, 7-speed, 8-speed, 9-speed and even 10-speed transmissions, realizing a new height in the comprehensive performance of electric drive systems in the three aspects of new energy vehicle environmental protection and fuel saving, power performance, and driving comfort.
Interestingly, the Velite 5, Micro Blue 6, Micro Blue 7 and Cadillac CT6 hybrid versions manufactured by SAIC-GM Buick in the Chinese market are almost equipped with local power battery systems, and the original American style is EV\EREV\PHEV models, and the model platform and core technology are synchronized in the United States and the Chinese market without difference.
GM, which has always been determined to innovate electrification in the Chinese market:
In the past 20 years, Toyota of Japan has introduced FCV models from prius to Corolla (Raling) dual engine in the Chinese market, and introduced FCV models - Mirai - through vehicle imports, and PHEV models are Corolla (Ralink) PHEV.
In the past 20 years, GM has launched more than ten EV, HEV, EREV, PHEV and other models in the Chinese market, and there is no shortage of high-end models such as cadillac CT6 hybrid version. Although, because of the power battery, some PHEV and EREV models have not received subsidies to continue the market cycle, but the United States GM, which insists on electrification, has begun to crush Japanese Toyota in sales since 2019.
Later in 2021, GM synchronized the platform architecture based on the global new energy vehicle application in the Chinese market, and in terms of modularization and intelligence, GM continued to follow the trend, creating in addition to its own Ultium Aotene platform, in terms of electric drive, assisted driving, intelligent cockpit and other aspects into the global leading level.
It should be noted that (1) After deciding to stop research and development of FCV technology and models, Toyota of Japan announced that it will make EV the main research and development direction and launch 30 new EV models by 2030.
It should be noted that (2) after the release of the Aotene platform and the Cadillac LYRIQ electric vehicle at the Chengdu Auto Show in China, GM once again emphasized that EV\EREV\PHEV technology and vehicles are the development direction.
The author has this to say:
In the past 50 years, toyota in Japan and GM in the United States have struggled with the core technology route of new energy, and the FCV technology adhered to by Toyota can be seen as a failure; the EV technology route adhered to by the United States has proved to be successful.
Why did Toyota lose and GM win? Because of China, because China has become the most mature country in the global new energy industry chain, the largest growth rate of new energy vehicle manufacturing and sales.
Because China is driven by a series of policies and markets, the EV, PHEV, EREV technology and models that China adheres to constitute the vane for the development of the global new energy market, which not only changes the development direction of Toyota of Japan, GM of the United States and BBA of Germany, but also bends the development strategy of new energy core technology.
That's right! Because China is the world's largest market for the growth of new energy vehicle sales, under the spur of the "double integral" policy, any imported car factory and a joint venture brand that wants to sell cars to the Chinese market to make money must match the sales volume of the corresponding EV\PHEV\EREV models with its total sales, otherwise it will be punished lightly and the new car announcement will be prohibited.
Toyota is subject to Japan's narrow land area, lack of petrochemical resources, short-sighted development strategy, resulting in FCV technology in the next 5 years in the Chinese market has no large-scale commercial development possibilities, the use of HEV technology models can not enjoy any subsidy discounts, passenger car sales will not be qualitatively improved, so must be stopped in time or defeated.
Subject to the vast land area, rich petrochemical resources and long-term development strategy of the United States, GM adheres to the development of EV, HEV, REV, PHEV and EREV at the same time, and almost synchronizes with the development of China's new energy market, making it the source of sustainable development.
The author once again emphasizes that the difference between the victory and defeat of the new energy technology development route of Japan Toyota vs. the United States General Geopolitical Dimension is determined by China, which has the most complete new energy industry chain in the world and the fastest growth rate of new energy vehicle sales.
GM's core energy technology is based on the existing political, economic, diplomatic and military conditions in the United States. China's adherence to the core technology route of electrified new energy first considers the adjustment of the industrial structure, improve the proportion of petrochemical resources that rely on imports, and indirectly or directly serve the diplomatic and military.
It is undeniable that the process of Japan's Toyota's struggle with the new energy technology route of the United States has also caused serious interference with the development of new energy core technologies by China's Everbright Automakers. In order to expand the influence of FCV and HEV technology in the Chinese market, Toyota has simply given away or opened patents, which has gained more support from China's "allies" and quickly seized the market. However, the core technology of FCV has not been mastered by domestic manufacturers, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, hydrogen transmission, hydrogen refueling supporting projects, and the repeated construction of existing gas stations and charging facilities leads to uncontrollable costs, and most importantly, social security factors are uncontrollable.
At the geopolitical level, Japan, which is closer to japan, and the United States, which is more threatening, both need the Chinese market in terms of the determination of new energy technology routes and the increase of the vehicle market. China is both a referee and a participant in the Battle of The Core Technology Route of Toyota in Japan vs GM New Energy in the United States.
In fact, the struggle between Toyota and GM is worth learning from Chinese local manufacturers, but the result is not so important. Because the volume of China's new energy market is the result, China's adherence to the core energy technology route is the result of the development of the global market. In terms of new energy core technology and vehicle research and development, China has taken the initiative and will not be disturbed by geopolitical aspects.
To be continued...
Produced by the news group of the new energy information analysis network