- Geely’s new hybrid averaged 105.9 MPG during a controlled island test.
- Toyota’s Prius managed 92.9 MPG on its own cross-country efficiency run.
- The system’s combustion engine reaches 48.41 percent thermal efficiency.
For decades, Toyota has been building the most advanced and efficient hybrid powertrains. Now, one of China’s biggest and most important brands claims that its latest hybrid technology surpasses not only what Toyota produces, but is also better than the hybrids of any other Japanese automaker.
Geely’s latest-generation i-HEV Intelligent Energy hybrid will premiere in the new Emgrand sedan. At the heart of the system is a small combustion engine that achieves a thermal efficiency of 48.41 percent, making it one of the most efficient engines ever produced. The engine will be offered in 1.5-liter, 1.5-liter turbo-diesel, and 2.0-liter turbo-diesel configurations.
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While recently testing the new hybrid, which also includes a 308 hp (230 kW) electric motor, Geely says an Emgrand sedan prototype averaged just 2.22 l/100 km (105.9 US mpg) while testing around China’s Hainan island. “It will comprehensively surpass the hybrid technology from the Japanese,” Geely Group spokesman Victor Yang told Bloomberg.
A Toyota Prius Rival
2025 Geely Emgrand
Just how efficient the hybrid system proves to be in the hands of customers remains to be seen. In 2024, Toyota drove a Prius from Los Angeles to New York, and averaged just 2.53 l/100 km (92.9 US mpg) during the more than 4,500 km trip.
According to Geely, its hybrid system uses a single centralized “brain” to manage the cockpit and chassis functions while relying on artificial intelligence to optimize energy management. In addition to being offered in the new Emgrand, the hybrid system will be introduced to the Boyue L and Xingyue L.
Geely’s investments in efficient new combustion-powered models don’t end with this new hybrid system. During a special event for the hybrid, Geely chairman Li Shufu said Geely is investigating in the use of methanol fuel in the future, noting it has more than 10 times the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.
