China’s Geely Automobile announces AI hybrid technology to compete with Toyota

issued Tuesday, April 14, 2026 · 07:54 AM

China’s Geely Automobile has unveiled a hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle platform that uses artificial intelligence to compete with Japanese automakers in the automotive field pioneered by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Geely Automobile’s new i-HEV system consumed just 2.22 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers during testing of the next sedan Emgrand around southern China’s Hainan Island, the company announced on Monday (April 13).

“This will comprehensively surpass Japan’s hybrid technology,” Geely Group spokesman Victor Yang said at an industry event on Saturday ahead of the launch.

Toyota’s Prius hybrid model demonstrated fuel efficiency of 2.53 liters per 100 kilometers from Los Angeles to New York in 2024. Under a test protocol more stringent than China’s test cycle, the car can travel up to 32.6 kilometers per liter, depending on the model.

Geely Automobile stated that the fuel efficiency evaluation of the Emgrand equipped with i-HEV has not yet been made public.

Hybrids are growing in popularity, especially in the U.S., among buyers looking to reduce fuel emissions and running costs without relying on full EVs, which are often more expensive due to larger batteries. Toyota sold 4.4 million hybrid vehicles last year, accounting for more than one-third of its total sales.

i-HEV technology integrates intelligent driving functions, cockpit and chassis into a “single centralized brain” and uses AI to optimize energy management, Geely said. The company said it provides an EV-like driving experience without the need to charge the battery.

Mass production will begin immediately and will be installed in popular models such as the sports utility vehicles “Boyuue L” and “Xingyue L,” and the fifth generation “Emgrand.”

Geely Auto last year overtook Honda and Nissan Motor Co. in terms of total vehicle sales and set a goal to become one of the world’s top five automakers by the end of 2020.

The company is one of China’s largest automakers and has some of the country’s best-selling EV models. The company remains committed to a multi-powertrain approach, in contrast to its biggest rival BYD, which stopped producing traditional gasoline vehicles in 2022, opting to produce battery electric and hybrid vehicles. Geely continues to develop internal combustion engine models, hybrid and fuel cell technology. bloomberg