Toyota testing new technology to make hybrids even more efficient

We all are aware of Toyota’s reputation of making environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles. As the maker of the world’s bestselling hybrid, the Prius , the Japanese brand is now hard at work making hybrid power even more efficient.    

Toyota has announced that it is testing new technology that could make hybrids and other vehicles with electric powertrains even more efficient. A prototype Camry hybrid and a hydrogen fuel-cell powered bus are being used in a year-long trial in Japan. The tests will evaluate the performance of new power semi-conductors that use a silicon carbide material. 

According to the brand, the type of semiconductors used at present account for about 20 per cent of a vehicle’s electrical losses, so making them more efficient is potentially a good way to increase the efficiency of the complete powertrain.

Toyota is now testing new, silicon carbide semi-conductors that create less resistance when electricity flows through them. Tests on the Camry prototype will be carried over a period of about a year from early February. The information gained from the trials will be reflected in the company’s future development programme, with the aim of putting the technology to practical use as soon as possible.