---
title: "China's Geely launches new hybrid system to challenge Japanese dominance"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/282563799.md"
description: "Geely Auto has launched its i-HEV Intelligent Hybrid system to compete with Japanese automakers in the hybrid vehicle market. The system features an AI-driven energy management platform that optimizes fuel efficiency based on real-time environmental conditions. A Geely Emgrand model equipped with the system achieved a Guinness World Record for fuel consumption. The hybrid system will be introduced in several models this year, marking a significant challenge to Japanese dominance in the hybrid segment, particularly as Geely aims to enhance electric-drive capabilities and reduce fuel consumption."
datetime: "2026-04-13T14:46:53.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/282563799.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/282563799.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/282563799.md)
---

# China's Geely launches new hybrid system to challenge Japanese dominance

SHANGHAI, April 13 (Reuters) - Geely Auto on Monday launched its i-HEV Intelligent Hybrid system, aiming to challenge the dominance of Japanese ‌automakers in the conventional hybrid vehicle segment by improving fuel efficiency ‌and intelligence capabilities.

The i-HEV system integrates an AI-driven energy management platform that analyses real-time environmental ​conditions such as temperature, humidity and altitude to help boost energy efficiency, Geely said in a statement.

In a highway test, a Geely Emgrand model equipped with the system recorded fuel consumption of 2.22 litres per 100 kilometres, which ‌Geely said set a ⁠new Guinness World Record.

Built on Geely's vehicle architecture, the system offers sufficient onboard computing power to enable intelligent functions ⁠such as smart driving - a feature the company said is not yet matched by Japanese hybrid models.

The hybrid system will be rolled out this year in ​several Geely ​models including the Preface, Monjaro, Starray ​and Emgrand.

"Geely's launch event today ‌marks a key turning point for the industry," said Yale Zhang, managing director at Automotive Foresight in Shanghai.

With more powerful motors, enhanced electric-drive capabilities, lower fuel consumption and advanced intelligence, "this amounts to a full-scale challenge to the dominance of Japanese full-hybrid vehicles in both domestic and international markets, threatening ‌one of the most profitable segments for ​Japanese manufacturers," Zhang added.

Since Toyota's launch of the ​Prius in 1997, Japanese automakers ​have established a strong hold on the global hybrid ‌market, particularly in regions with limited ​electricity supplies and ​less-developed power grids.

China, however, has focused on encouraging the development of plug-in hybrids, which use electric motors as primary drivers, with gasoline engines ​as backups or generators.

Geely's ‌parent, Geely Group, ranked ninth globally with 4.11 million vehicles ​sold in 2025, compared with 11.3 million sold by Toyota.

(Reporting by ​Shanghai Newsroom. Editing by Mark Potter)

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