You build your electric car, I sharpen my old kitchen knife, and Toyota bets on super engines

In the wave of electric vehicles, Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda seems to be more like an alternative "retrograde", he chooses to stand firmly on the side of fuel vehicles, and has repeatedly made remarks in public about maintaining fuel vehicles and belittling electrification. Recently, Akio Toyoda further stated that even in the era of electric vehicles, there is still a lot of room for development of internal combustion engines.

Akio Toyoda firmly believes that as one of the practical means to achieve carbon neutrality, the engine still plays an irreplaceable role. However, compared to always "talking cannons" before, this time he Akio Toyoda finally has to "do something" to take practical action. He said Toyota was launching a new project to "re-push the development of internal combustion engines." He announced that Toyota will never switch to electric vehicles in the foreseeable future, but will develop a "super engine" that will disrupt the technological landscape of the world's automotive industry. Although he declined to give details of the new project, it is widely predicted that Akio Toyoda is referring to the "hybrid-specific engine" that Toyota is developing specifically for the next generation of hybrid models.

Behind this news, in fact, it reflects that in the face of the challenge of electric vehicles, Toyota's in-depth consideration of the existing supporting enterprises and the stubbornness of the fuel vehicle market, at the same time, the industry also generally believes that Toyota is muffling its technology, ready to make a big move, betting on the technical route of the fuel engine.

Of course, combined with the inherent advantages and systems behind Toyota, it is understandable that it is reluctant to give up the route of fuel vehicles. Completely cutting down the existing system and drastically transforming to electrification is not an easy move for Toyota and the entire Japanese automotive industry chain, and it is not as simple as a strong man breaking his wrist.

If Toyota turns to the field of smart electric vehicles, then the companies that provide supporting equipment for the existing Toyota, such as Denso, Aisin, etc., will face a huge existential crisis. More importantly, there is still a lot of uncertainty about Toyota's development in the field of smart electric vehicles. Rather than taking the risk of transformation, it is better to stick to the fuel vehicle market and hope that technological innovation and breakthroughs will continue to maintain market competitiveness.

It must be admitted that Toyota has previously led the world in the accumulation of technology in fuel engines, and has brought a generation of god machines such as 4A-GE and 3S-GTE. However, the limitations of traditional engines are difficult to make a huge breakthrough at present, can Toyota do it? What do you think of Toyota's move?