Editor's introduction: Toyota THS, Honda i-MMD and Nissan e-POWER, so far, the hybrid technology of the three major Japanese brands has been assembled in China. Although the hybrid technology of the three companies has not yet been popularized to all models, in the compact sedan segment, the hybrid technology of the three companies has been equipped with the production car.
It seems that since Honda's models began to be equipped with the i-MMD hybrid system, the topic of Toyota and Honda who has a better hybrid system has never stopped. However, we can't ignore another Japanese brand's intensive cultivation of hybrid technology, after all, this is also a brand with the word "technology" as the golden signboard - Nissan. At present, domestic models equipped with Nissan e-POWER hybrid technology, namely Xuanyi e-POWER, have been listed.
That is to say, in the field of compact cars, the three major Japanese families have hybrid models on sale: Corolla Dual Engine, Leiling Dual Engine, Lingpai Rui Hybrid, Xiangyu Rui Hybrid and Xuanyi e-POWER. Three brands, three completely different hybrid technologies and 5 models. As we all know, the best-selling models are the Xuanyi and Corolla, so we will also compare the hybrid models of these two models.
Toyota dual engine technology is complex, Nissan e-POWER principle is simple
In fact, the global sales of Toyota hybrid models alone are enough to establish its position in hybrid models. Not to mention the deep history and unique technical principles. This is also inseparable from Toyota's complex hybrid system structure.
At the heart of the Toyota Hybrid, the THS, is a planetary gear mechanism in which the sun wheel, planetary frame, and outer ring gear connect the generator, engine, and electric motor, respectively. In the case of pure electric power, the battery directly drives the motor to run the wheels, that is, the driving mode used when starting or blocking the traffic and stopping; and the hybrid mode is the running state of the vehicle for most of the time during the driving, part of the power of the engine directly drives the wheels, and part of the power is powered by the generator to help drive the wheels, if there is no motor assistance, then this part of the power will be stored in the battery; when the driver has a large power request, Toyota's hybrid system then allows the battery and engine to power the wheels together. Of course, the Toyota Hybrid system also includes a kinetic energy recovery system to help increase the battery level.
Toyota THS is a hybrid hybrid structure, the key to improving fuel economy lies in the calibration of the electronic control system and the control of engine speed, which is a precise and complex algorithm, and it is also the highlight of Toyota hybrid technology.
In contrast, Nissan e-POWER's hybrid technology is very simple, just a series hybrid structure. The wheels are driven entirely by electric motors, and the only job of the engine is to generate electricity. Although the hybrid principle of Nissan e-POWER is simple, the technical requirements are not low, which also requires complex algorithms to control the speed of the engine, and also has extremely high requirements for power generation efficiency.
Whether the hybrid system is good or not, the key is to see the efficacy
The core of a complex hybrid system is, of course, a must-have ratio for every drop of fuel economy. Because the road conditions and weather are different during the test drive of the two models, it is not possible to compare the measured fuel consumption. However, according to the actual performance, the fuel consumption of both is very good, especially in the urban congestion of the road conditions fuel economy. Previously, I also participated in the Xuanyi e-POWER Fuel Saving Competition, and on the fifth ring road in the evening rush hour, the average fuel consumption of 100 kilometers detoured for a week was 3.7L/100km, not to mention that this was measured in winter and under the conditions of carrying four big men. If you compare the fuel consumption of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Corolla and Xuanyi delivered 4.1L/100km and 3.9L/100km respectively.
In addition, the smoothness of acceleration is also a problem that hybrid models need to face. However, this does not seem to be a problem for Xuanyi e-POWER, after all, accelerated smoothness is a major advantage of electric drive. At the same time, because Xuanyi e-POWER is equipped with a more powerful electric motor, the peak torque is 300N·m, making its acceleration performance of 100 kilometers significantly faster. But behind the glamorous electric motor, we have to mention the 1.2L in-line three-cylinder engine that silently pays behind it. However, this three-cylinder machine is generally good for vibration isolation, especially for the positioning of this car.
On the other hand, thanks to the Toyota THS hybrid system's just-right coupling of engine and electric motor power, the Corolla dual engine also performs equally well in accelerated ride.
How to choose Corolla Dual Engine and Xuanyi e-POWER?
Although in the field of pure fuel models, Corolla and Xuanyi are direct competitors without compromise, in hybrid models, the two have opened up a certain gap. Xuanyi e-POWER currently launches a total of four models, the guidance price of 138,900-174,900 yuan; Corolla twin engine is three models, the guidance price of 135,800-159,800 yuan. Obviously, in terms of pricing, Xuanyi e-POWER has established a more high-end image. Let's take the best-selling Elite Edition of corolla twin engine as an example, and the price closer to it is the Xuanyi e-POWER Super Zhilian PLUS Edition. The latter is even better in terms of technology and comfort, including a 12.3-inch central control screen with support for voice control and OTA upgrades, full LED lights, dual-zone air conditioning, etc. The creation of Xuanyi's overall cockpit is indeed more luxurious and comfortable; Corolla has more safety features such as external mirror heating, active braking, knee airbags, etc., and also provides full-speed adaptive cruise.
Therefore, for the trade-off between Xuanyi e-POWER and Corolla Dual Engine, it depends more on its own needs for configuration and its preferences for design.
Write at the end
In terms of the core fuel economy, both Toyota and Nissan have come up with very eye-catching performance. Although Toyota's THS hybrid system has a more complex structure, whether it is better depends on the actual driving performance, after all, the original complex machinery is to make up for the backwardness of battery and motor technology. With the development of the current three electric technology, Nissan also has the confidence to break the wrist with Toyota.