Posted on 08/13/2025 7:11:07 AM PDT by Red Badger
Toyota is adamant that the internal combustion engine still has a bright future despite the rise of electric vehicles. The world’s largest carmaker has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to ICE by partnering with fellow Japanese brands Subaru and Mazda on a new family of gas engines. Smaller and lighter four-cylinder units are touted as a “game-changer solution” by the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Hiroki Nakajima.
We now know the Japanese automotive giant plans to use the upcoming 1.5- and 2.0-liter engines in nearly every conceivable type of powertrain. Toyota Europe Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing Andrea Carlucci told Automotive News the new hardware’s versatility is key: “We are trying to optimize the new engine for any type of application, whether it’s electric, hybrid, or hydrogen.”
While the idea of a gas engine in an electric application might sound odd, a plausible scenario exists. Toyota is likely referring to extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), where the combustion engine doesn’t drive the wheels but instead serves solely as a generator to recharge the battery on the go. This setup allows the engine to run at optimal speeds for maximum efficiency. Examples include the BMW i3 REX, the Ramcharger, Mazda MX-30, Scout’s upcoming truck and SUV, and Nissan’s models equipped with E-Power tech.
Toyota has already announced plans to sell extended-range electric vehicles in China through its local joint venture with GAC, giving the Highlander SUV and Sienna minivan the EREV treatment. These models are expected to use a small engine that isn’t mechanically connected to the wheels. Instead, propulsion will come exclusively from electric motors, with the engine serving only to extend range without abandoning gasoline entirely.
Toyota achieved 41 percent thermal efficiency back in 2018 and could be aiming to improve that figure further. Its next-generation engines will run not only on fossil fuels, but also on biofuel, hydrogen, and synthetic fuel. Beyond full hybrids and EREVs, Toyota is also exploring long-range plug-in hybrids, with Carlucci estimating that 62 miles (100 kilometers) without sipping any gasoline represents the “tipping point.”
Confirmed engines include naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.5-liter units, along with a larger 2.0-liter turbo. Efficiency won’t be the only focus as the latter will also have a performance version for Gazoo Racing (GR) models, delivering up to 600 horsepower in race cars.
New Toyota four-cylinder engines
Carlucci also discussed vehicle architectures:
“Everybody has taken an ICE platform and turned it into something that is electrified to some degree. So, why not conceive a platform that is EV-native and see how much we can adapt it to be used for a plug-in hybrid or a full-hybrid without sacrificing any of the new platform’s strengths?”
Of course, dedicated electric platforms are nothing new. Tesla is the obvious example, but there’s also Volkswagen Group’s MEB, Hyundai and Kia’s E-GMP, and Mercedes’ EVA, among others. Additionally, some EV-native platforms can also accommodate combustion engines, such as Stellantis’ STLA Small, Medium, Large, and Frame. Scout’s upcoming models fit this category, as will VW Group vehicles on the forthcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP).
Much like Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda, who has famously said EVs will never exceed a 30 percent market share, Carlucci maintains that electric cars are not the sole path to decarbonization. He argues for powertrain diversity, giving customers the freedom to choose: “We will not push EVs in markets where there is no demand.”
Eastern weather with high humidity (and possibly costal salt) is hard on vehicles...
Mrs. BBB33 is very happy with her 4th CRV (2018).
Happy days, Friend!
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My brother has a 2016. 150k
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Yeah, those are great. It is the new ones that are terrible. They changed to a different engine and build/assemble in Mexico.
“Which ones are those? All vehicles I know of seem to last way beyond 100k miles.”
Those with CV transmissions. Plus... Any Chrysler product including Jeep. Any Kia/Hyundai/Genesis. Do I need to mention Ford products? They don’t call it an Exploder for no reason. How about a nice new Mini? Pretty much every Nissan has a shitty CV and they break reliably at around 120k. GMC trucks with a 10 speed. Ford F150 with 5.4L V8.
Have you noticed you can get a nice looking BMW with 90K miles for a few thousand? Same with a Mercedes. Maintenance costs are overwhelming. Heck, it cost me $758 to replace the door actuator on my 2020 Grand Caravan. It was $2500 to replace the AC compressor on my 2015 Camry and the center console screen was $1300 just for the part.
The more complicated the electronics get, the more it costs for simple diagnosis of a problem. Finally, don’t get me started on tiny 4 cylinder motors with turbos.
At least when a slant six needs work, most anybody can fix it without special tools.
I see CV and Jeeps well beyond 100k all the time.
“I learned to drive on that exact model. I loved the three on the tree. What do you have against the Holley one-Barrel carb? I think I’d be more concerned about the ball joints and drum brakes.”
My only complaint with the carb is the gas mileage. A decent aftermarket fuel injection kit can be dropped onto the intake manifold and will not only provide much better mileage, but better performance and less maintenance as well. If 22 mpg is good enough, I think I can manage to pull the choke to start the carb version. I prefer a four on the floor for highway cruising, but high gear on the three speed was pretty long.
The real advantage of a slant or straight six is that you can do everything short of a complete motor rebuild in your garage with hand tools. I once pulled the head on a 225 in my garage and took it to a machine shop for a refresh. I did the same thing with a Ford Maverick and I replaced the rocker arm assembly complete from a junk vehicle. I had a 135 piece Craftsman tool set from Sears.
So glad I bought my Tacoma when I did: February 2023. Waited 4 months for it because I wanted Lunar Rock, TRD OffRoad with the Tech Package.
What a FINE truck it is!
This is what it looked like after doing the lift, upgrading the rims and putting the TRD Pro grille on. Added the raptor lights later, Coyote Running boards, factory tonneau cover and then did the OTT Tune to fix the crappy shifting and throttle lag it had.
Just over 33,000 miles on it and not a single issue with it. My first truck and so far best damn' vehicle I've ever owned. 
“The next question is how many kW will these gas engines produce to power the EV car (charge the battery)? Let’s say we’re getting 2 miles / kWh while driving 80mph down the highway. That means we’re consuming 40 kWh in an hour. Will the gas generator in the car provide at least 40kW of power to keep us going indefinitely? Maybe a 4-cyl engine can do that. If not, then the car will still be very dependent on the battery for long trips, and the article says they’re looking at 60 miles on battery alone.”
Modern GDI turbo engines can make 200+ hp per liter of displacement. Even naturally aspirated GDI engines make 100hp per L or more. It’s how high do you want to spin them up motorcycle 1000cc engines easily exceed 100hp per liter.
So a 1.5 liter engine is a 100-150hp naturally aspirated or 300+ with boost they show in this very article they can get 600hp out of 2 liters with boost that’s 300hp per L.
740 watts to a HP so 100hp is 74 kilowatts <<< this is triple what a 5 passenger sedan needs to cruise at 80mph.
I have a model 3 Tesla it is identical in size down to the inch in shadow footprint to the Volvo S60 it replaced. It’s 200lbs lighter in curb weight vs the T5 AWD S60 I know EVs are too heavy right uh nope. It also rides on identical Pirelli tires 18” rims I bought 8 and had a buddies tire shop install them so yeah no special EV tires needed at all just Z rated quality Italian rubber.
At 80mph that Tesla with the A.C. On is using 280 watt hours per mile. That’s 22.4 kilowatt hours per hour which is 30 horsepower this is exactly what a similar size and mass sedan would need to move it at 80mph.
For a 5 passenger sedan 1.5 liters is too big you would get better BSFC overall with a 1 liter 3 cyl running at 30-50hp at 75% of max torque which is where the OTTO cycle reaches its peak eff point and it’s lowest BSFC per kw produced.
Remember the 82,000lb Tesla Semi only needs 1700 watt hours per mile to move it’s DOT gross maximum mass at highway speeds and suburban delivery routes PepsiCo has mountains of data from their in the field real world testing in hills and valleys in California at that. 1.7kWh per mile at 65 mph is only 110kw a 1.5 turbo can do that all day long the 2.0T wouldn’t even be working hard to pump out 150kw.
Once you have a battery pack for peak loads and regenerative braking energy recovery which doubles your urban MPG as is evident by the ICE Camry vs the Hybrid of the same year the 2024 is the last model’s you can compare and the Hybrid more than doubled the pure ICE mpg in the city. You size your generator for the average load at the max continuous speed you desire. Toyota is putting in a generator of a size that you could do 120+ mph continuously. There is no need for 100+kw in a range extender you need 50kw at most to cruise at a steady 100mph, 85 is only 23kw the power to overcome air drag goes up at the cube root of speed. Nowhere in North America is it legal to drive 100mph the 85mph speed limit tollway was reduced to 80 after a few years and some fatality wreaks even West Texas has a 80mph limit and only in like three very rural counties.
BYD has the Seal QI with this type system already in it. It’s a overexpanding OTTO cycle with VVT and different compression ratios vs expansion ratio using both intake and exhaust valve VVT plus phasing too. The Qi has a pack sized to go 75 miles before the engine kicks on to charge the pack back up. A group of Chinese journalists not professional testers took on for a 1300 mile drive through one of China’s megacities they drained the pack to zero on purpose then let the engine run only to charge the pack back up then ran the pack down again to zero, and again charged it up, and on and on till the gas tank ran empty then they ran the pack to zero. They covered 1300+ miles before the car came to a halt it was returning 2.2L per 100km that’s 106.9 miles per gallon American. How? Because the Chinese designed that little generator to run at its peak eff point and it’s lowest BSFC only to charge the pack at a rate that exceeds the average moving amp draw and then some. They hit 48% BSFC at the flywheel and 42% electrons to the pack it’s a world’s best in both categories. The Prius comes close and can also return 93mpg cross country distance a guy did exactly that he took a Prius coast to coast and averaged 93 mpg setting a record for it officially.
^^^^this is the future Toyota knows it and BYD is already kicking butts and taking names. One electric drive platform feed by any source of high voltage electrons in the 400-1200V range the EDU in the axles don’t care if those electrons come from a lithium ion, sodium ion,aluminum ion pack or from a high speed high voltage AC axial flux generator that is 20kw per kilogram in mass ratio feed into silicon carbide rectifier/inverters the EDU simply doesn’t care, you could just as easy spin a microgas turbine and a turboalt at 400-4000hz a paint can sized turbo alt is 170kw that you can hold up in one hand.
Point is modern electronics and electrical engineering into motors has advanced well past anything mechanical transmissions can do. 20+kw per kilogram in motors which are all automatically triple phase AC generators by physics. The silicon carbide inverters and axial flux induction is The key. Gas turbines struggle to hit 6:1 mass ratios ICE is less than 1:1 kw to kilogram even turbo GDI race engines only hit 2:1 or 3:1 that’s an order of magnitude off from 20:1 for electrons. Yes batteries are heavy but you don’t need much mass for a plug in hybrid pack of 10-20kWh that can dump 10C @ 200kw in miliseconds for peak loads. Even less mass for a Prius sized 1.5kWh hybrid pack it for a under a seat no literally thats where they put it. LFP cells can do crazy amp dumps and the next gen aluminum ion can do 66C charge cycles with 20000+ cycle life’s to 80% SOH.
“Walking is about 3mph, even a slow EV bike ride is 10-12mph.
Bike paths for suburban transportation are now a realistic option in/when warm climes.”
10-12 try 30+ mph the kids down the road have E bikes that hit 45 with the limiter turned off. They are essentially electric motorcycles that happen to have pedals for show and legal reasons I have never seen the kids pedal them they zip by at speeds no one could possibly pedal continuously that’s not the point it’s to make them legal for under 16 year olds with out M endorsements. Sure they are supposed to be limited to 25mph but it takes 3 minutes to hack the ECU and nope nope nope that nonsense. I asked how far they run for an hour at 30 mph so 30 ish miles that’s tons of freedom for a13-15yo. Growing up we all had YZ80 Yamaha by 13 ish those went 70+ mph no one blinked at letting the boys run rampant all day on them. Be home for supper was the command.
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