In the field of pure electric vehicles, leading companies in China have already established a clear advantage. They are now also making significant progress in the internal combustion engine technology field.
According to a report by Nikkei Asia on June 18, Chinese automakers are rapidly catching up with Japanese automakers' long-held advantages in engine technology, thanks to several significant technological breakthroughs in fuel economy. Companies such as Chery, Geely, and Changan have successively introduced hybrid engines with high thermal efficiency. They are also leveraging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and high-pressure fuel injection to overcome bottlenecks in fuel economy.
The report noted that at a car exhibition in Shenzhen earlier this month, the engine equipped on Chery’s new SUV model, the Qashqai 9, became the focus of attention. In April of this year, Chery announced that the efficiency of its hybrid engine, the “Kunpeng Tianqing,” had reached 48.57%. According to Hong Gaoming, vice president of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., this figure ranks first in the world.
2025 Shanghai Auto Show, Chery Automobile booth, Kunpeng Tianqing engine. IC Photo
Thermal efficiency refers to the proportion of heat generated by fuel combustion that is converted into power. The higher this value, the better the fuel economy. Chery states that the thermal efficiency of currently available gasoline engines is generally between 38% and 45%.
"Kunpeng Sky Lifting" will be applied to plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles equipped with a small engine for extra power.
Last year, Chinese new energy vehicles accounted for 48% of the total new vehicle sales. Chery ranked third in the domestic passenger car market by wholesale volume. Although many Chinese automakers specialize in new energy vehicles, Chery still has 70% of its sales coming from fuel-powered vehicles.
Chery sold a total of 2.8 million cars last year, of which 1.34 million were exported. It surpassed BYD and Geely to become the largest car exporter in China.
Geely Auto has developed engines with a thermal efficiency of 48.41%, and has used artificial intelligence to improve the fuel efficiency of its i-HEV hybrid system. Gan Jiayue, CEO of Geely Automotive Group, said at a press conference in April this year: "We will completely revolutionize Japanese traditional hybrid technology."
GMC's goal for this year is to increase overseas sales by 80%, reaching 750,000 units. Last year, internal combustion engine models accounted for more than half of its export products.
Changan Automobile introduced a model with a new hybrid engine in May this year, equipped with a 500 bar fuel injection system. Changan stated that this is the world's first model to produce engines at this pressure level. A higher fuel injection pressure can improve thermal efficiency and provide stronger power during acceleration.
Market research firm GlobalData predicts that by 2038, the share of electric vehicles in global sales will rise to 49%, an increase of 33 percentage points from 2025. The share of conventional fuel vehicles will decrease by 36 percentage points to 25%. The proportion of ordinary hybrid vehicles will remain at around 15%, while that of plug-in hybrids will increase to 8%.
According to Nikkei Asia, for a long time, Japanese automakers have been at the forefront of engine technology globally. Chinese automakers previously tried to bridge this gap by focusing on electric vehicle technology. According to industry intelligence firm MarkLines, last year Chinese companies accounted for 59% of the global electric vehicle market, while Japanese automakers only made up 3%. However, in areas other than electric vehicles, Japanese companies hold a share of 30%, which is higher than China’s 20%.
Now, Chinese automakers are steadily improving the technology of internal combustion engines. According to analysis by Guangfa Securities, a Chinese securities firm, with higher fuel efficiency and more intelligent products, Chinese companies will reshape the global hybrid vehicle market landscape.
