On October 22, 2011, in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation invested 689 million U.S. dollars (about 5 billion yuan) to establish a so far in the Shajiabang Lusong area where 18 victims and puppets resisted the Japanese puppet troops. The largest Toyota overseas automotive R&D base has been regarded as another important milestone in the development of Toyota in China.

This Toyota-owned company named Toyota Motor R&D Center (China) Co., Ltd. (TMEC) has two main tasks. First, it joins hands with the two existing R&D centers of the two joint ventures of FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota. The secondary R&D of Toyota-branded automotive products best suited to the needs of the Chinese market, most in line with Chinese consumer habits, and most welcomed by Chinese consumers; the second is the introduction of hybrid (HEV) technology that represents Toyota's future core technologies into the Chinese market. And products and achieve localized production in 2015.

For a long time, the domestic automobile industry has always believed that due to geographical reasons, Toyota is not willing and does not seem to need to establish a research and development base in China within such a short distance. Therefore, Toyota has invested heavily in setting up an R&D center in China. Still doubtful.

After experiencing the "Brake Gate" incident involving the world, as the head of Toyota at the end of 2010, Toyoda had appeared before Chinese media from all over the country. He expressed his grief and fear to the Chinese reporters. After Toyota’s determination to “change from the past to the wrong place”, the reporter has met Toyota Akio three times in succession. Through these three meetings, the reporter learned that as the successor to the Toyota family, Akio Toyoda is not only Is an enthusiastic car enthusiast, but also dipped in the bones of the Toyota family that kind of gritty DNA. The establishment of an R&D center in China is not merely a matter of commercial interest, but it is also a manifestation of the Toyota family’s “unyielding” stubborn spirit.

"HEV" leads the breakthrough "ceiling"

In the Chinese market (even in the global market), there have been two major automotive engine technology schools. One is the gasoline-injected direct injection turbocharger technology mainly in Germany, abbreviated as TSI, TFSI, or CGI; the other is Japan-based. Traditional gasoline naturally aspirated variable lift valve technology, referred to as VVT, VVTi and so on. If you use the image method to compare the difference between the two technologies, the most appropriate is today's "digital mobile phone" and yesterday's "analog mobile phone" - they are not the technology of the same era. Toyota is a representative of VVT or VVTi technology. As a result, domestic public opinion generally believes that "in terms of engine technology, "Toyota is not doing too much for the public."

Toyota doesn't think so. Not long ago in Japan, a reporter from the China Economic Times had interviewed the company’s vice president, Tetsuo Uchiyama, who is in charge of technology. He believes that every car manufacturer in the world is working hard to balance the environmental protection and driving pleasure of the car, and there will be no one way to achieve this goal. Many manufacturers today are researching different technologies. If there are two major areas to divide, there are two main aspects: One is the improvement of traditional automobiles, and the other is the development of new-generation automobiles. Turbocharged engines, dual-clutch transmissions, etc., all belong to the improved technology in the traditional automotive field. Of course, Toyota continues to improve traditional technologies. However, in the research and development of traditional engine technology, humans have “seeded the ceiling” and must break through the ceiling to find new technical directions and routes in order to survive in the future. From Toyota's perspective, hybrid technology can completely break the ceiling.

Although Toyota's hybrid (HEV) products did not sell well in China, as of August 2011, Toyota's hybrid vehicle sales have exceeded 3,300,000 units worldwide, making it one of the few mass-production and energy-saving projects. New energy automotive products, this is enough to enhance Toyota's expectations for hybrid technology.

In fact, hybrid power has become a philosophical philosophy for Toyota's future technology. It is not only more effective for traditional cars in terms of energy saving and emission reduction, but also because Toyota's hybrid system can use electric energy in the battery to drive in pure electric mode. Based on hybrid core components (batteries, motors, etc.), hybrid technology (HEV) makes it relatively easy to implement plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), pure electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCHEVs). Extending, so, hybrid technology actually becomes the common "nuclear" of Toyota's strategic new energy models.

Faced with the global oil crisis, Toyota believes that "electric energy is expected to become one of the alternative energy sources for the future." Therefore, in order to use electric energy more efficiently, Toyota has actively carried out various research and development in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), pure electric vehicles (EVs), and fuel cell vehicles (FCHEVs). The Toyota External Plug-in Hybrid Power Technology (PHEV), which is about to be introduced in China, is an organic integration of hybrid technology (HEV) and pure electric vehicle (EV) technologies. It can not only rely on electric power for short-distance driving, but also achieve Travel and travel.

In order to introduce the plug-in plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) into the Chinese market as soon as possible, Toyota began to conduct empirical driving experiments with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center from the end of 2010; earlier, Toyota was in Guangdong. South Australia began commercial trials of electric vehicles (EVs); in 1999, it began an empirical test of the city’s small mobile tool e-com. In addition, in advancing the use of hydrogen energy, which is one of the alternative fuel candidates that is as important as electric energy, Toyota is also developing hybrid technology to develop fuel cell vehicles (FCHEV), technical issues such as cruising range, low-temperature startability, and cost reductions. Work is in progress.

Regarding Toyota’s new energy automotive technology line, Toyota’s managing director Ji Guikuan Liang said: “At this stage, as an alternative to most vehicles, it can be a hybrid vehicle (HEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Toyota's core component technology in the hybrid system has the same technology as the future new energy vehicles, and Toyota Motor will further accelerate the research and development of environmental technologies with hybrid technology as its core, and at the same time, in order to be able to save energy for China. With greater contribution to environmental protection, Toyota is actively researching the localization of related components."

"TMEC" join hands to develop "Chinese products"

As the first foreign-funded R&D institution with almost all R&D facilities in China, the start-up construction of TMEC (Toyota R&D Center (China) Co., Ltd.) attracted sufficient attention from the central and local governments. The National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and technology The Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce, the Jiangsu provincial government, the Suzhou municipal government, the Changshu municipal government, and industry associations have sent representatives to participate.

Mr. Toyoda said that TMEC will build a largest R&D center in Toyota’s global R&D system. Toyota will make full use of this advanced R&D base and promote Toyota’s localization of R&D in China’s environmental technology. Its priority is through We will make use of our strengths, especially HEV and its application technology, Plug-in Hybrid Power Technology (PHEV), to make more outstanding contributions to the development of Chinese society.

In order to put this idea into practice, Akio Toyoda announced that he has appointed Yamamoto, a managing director of Toyota Motor Corporation’s technical department, as the general manager of TMEC. Akio Toyoda even used a long space to explain why he chose Yamamoto. Mr. Toyoda said: "I have been considering that such a large-scale R&D facility must have a good operating team in order to maximize its role and develop products that satisfy Chinese consumers more quickly... To identify the best leader, he must be familiar with what uses and uses of vehicles in the vast Chinese market, and he must have a deep understanding of energy-saving and new energy technologies. Only in this way can he use TMEC to develop real This is the first step towards success for TMEC, which is meaningful for China. Therefore, I think that people who can shoulder this responsibility must be top-level figures in Toyota's technical department, and I also think that it should be me. I would like to announce my decision to Changshu personally so that I can truly express my concern for China.” Mr. Toyoda has confidence in Shankezhong: “The candidate I elected was deeply trusted by Toyota and I... ... I'm deeply convinced that Shanko Zhong is sure to be able to personally experience the automotive culture that he has experienced in Europe, as well as the previous racing events. In cultured 'FUN TO DRIVE' spirit applied to China's development cause them to play a greater role in the development of China's auto industry. "

In the research and development of TMEC, Toyoda announced that during the 12th Five-Year Plan in China, it will develop vehicles equipped with domestic hybrid powertrains and strive to achieve production and sales of FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota around 2015. ... "I believe that through this move, we can effectively promote the adoption of hybrid power technology (HEV) in China. Meanwhile, if we can take this step, the core technology of hybrid power and its production technology can take root in China. The spread of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and pure electric vehicles (EVs), which are connected with it, will also usher in a leap forward.

"Environmental technology" and "Basic research" support TMEC R&D In terms of "environmental technology", Toyota believes that hybrid power technology (HEV) is the core technology that leads to new energy strategic models, and TMEC will develop R&D core components based on this. Localization, matching technology of vehicles equipped with hybrid technology systems, etc., to achieve localization of hybrid vehicles (HEVs). In addition, in order to introduce PHEVs and electric vehicles (EVs) as early as possible, TMEC will also conduct empirical driving experiments for various new energy vehicles represented by electric vehicles (EVs). Given that traditional engines are still the mainstream of the market, TMEC will also develop new technologies in this area.

In terms of "basic research," in addition to vehicle technology, research and development institutions such as materials technology and electronic technology are also set up to conduct basic technology research in a wide range of fields such as materials, environment, safety, and transportation systems. At the same time, it actively cooperated with Chinese research institutions represented by scientific research institutes, universities, etc.

In terms of "infrastructure and R&D equipment", TMEC will build a test drive yard that can reproduce various complex road conditions in China, and thoroughly test and confirm the adaptability and quality of automotive products for China. In addition, evaluation equipment for engines, chassis, etc., as well as various experimental equipment related to hybrid R&D will be deployed in the experimental building. R & D facilities and major research facilities such as the test track are scheduled to be completed in 2013.

It is worth mentioning that in order to contribute to the development of China's automobile industry as a whole, especially environmental technology, TMEC has also set up a technical exchange area. The core of the TMEC is the “Energy-saving Vehicle and New Energy Vehicle Technology Center” with a total area of ​​approximately 11,000 square meters. Here, we will conduct extensive environmental and technological exchanges with R&D centers, partners, and suppliers of joint venture companies.

In order to promote the smooth development of TMEC, Toyota also decided to send a large number of experts in the field of hybrid technology from Japan to China. While training Chinese young technical talents, they also jointly promote R&D in China. As of July 2011, TMEC has approximately 200 employees and plans to reach around 1,000 in the future.

“TMEC's ​​own strong operating system, combined with the mutual trust and joint efforts of the joint venture R&D centers of the two partners, together form the 'troika' of China's R&D business. I believe that it will certainly be able to build more quickly for Chinese consumers. Satisfactory automotive products, which is also my commitment to all users in China.” Toyoda said.

Although there are still doubts about TMEC, through the focus of TMEC's ​​promotion of business content and its operating system, it can be seen that the Toyota headquarters’s technical support for the joint venture established in China has been strategically moved from Japan to China. In particular, the two R&D centers of FAW-Toyota and GAC-Toyota are responsible for the development of the vehicle body suitable for the Chinese market, and TMEC is responsible for the further development of adaptive technologies. The “troika” is expected to promote the development of Toyota’s business in China into a new situation.

All of this shows the determination of Akio Toyoda to implement the "China Plan" and his determination comes from the five words "China's most important" that Mr. Toyoda has clearly expressed in Chinese.