China’s Geely Automobile has introduced a new AI-enabled hybrid petrol-electric vehicle platform, called i-HEV Intelligent Hybrid.

The company said the system used 2.22 litres of fuel per 100km during a test of an upcoming Emgrand sedan driven around Hainan island in southern China.

Geely Auto Group CEO Jerry Gan said: “Energy diversification is a strategic foresight for Geely Auto. A company’s true strategic focus is ensuring every path leads to the future, which tests the technological depth and powerful energy resilience of our entire system.

“The new i-HEV perfectly embodies this resilience, serving as a powerful testament to how artificial intelligence can elevate hybrid efficiency and performance to new industry standards.”

Geely said the platform will enter mass production immediately.

It is set to appear first on updated versions of several models this year, including the Preface (Xingrui), Monjaro (Xingyue L), Starray (Boyue L), and the fifth-generation Emgrand (Dihao).

According to Geely, the i-HEV was developed to address areas where it says the industry has fallen short, including limited gains in fuel efficiency, performance compromises made to improve economy, and slower progress on smart features.

The company said the platform combines a full-domain AI system, a hybrid-specific powertrain, and new-energy technologies.

It is based on Full-domain AI 2.0 and the i-CMA architecture, which Geely described as a hybrid-optimised evolution of its CMA platform.

Geely said the i-CMA setup brings intelligent driving, cockpit systems and chassis controls under a centralised control structure.

The company also introduced “AI Cloud Power”, which it said manages energy use between petrol and electric drive in real time.

The system uses external data such as temperature, humidity and altitude to adjust operating strategy, and it is claimed this improves overall energy efficiency by more than 10%.

Geely said the platform’s layout is designed to reduce reliance on an engine-led approach by separating the roles of the engine and motor.

This is intended to provide an electric-drive feel without requiring plug-in charging.

Geely’s stated performance figures include electric motor output of up to 230kW, operation on electricity for nearly 80% of the time, an EV-mode top speed of 66km/h, and 0–30km/h acceleration in 1.84 seconds.