Automotive Engineering - November/December 2021 - 30

Engineering the
2022 Toyota
Tundra
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FEATURE
Chief engineer Mike
Sweers claims he
knows what he wants
in a pickup, as he uses
them to work on his
Michigan farm.
on a tailgate? " he said. " What purpose does it serve? Do I
have a door that swings out that I can't open if I have a trailer
on the back? Do I have a tailgate that opens down and
smacks the ball of a trailer hitch? "
The Tundra team conducted a survey to find out what
pickup owners were doing with their trucks' tailgates. The
answer: Loading ATVs, snowmobiles, dirt bikes and UTVs
(utility terrain vehicles) is the priority. UTVs weigh more than
the other vehicles and have a different tire-tread pattern, so
STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP
U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Publication Title:
Automotive Engineering 2. Publication Number: 474-100 3. Filing Date: 10/26/21 4. Issue
Frequency: Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov/Dec 5. No. of Issues Published
Annually: 9 6. Annual Subscription Price: $115.00 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office
of Publication (Street, City, County, State, and Zip+4) (Not printer): SAE Media Group, 261
Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters
or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer): SAE International, 400 Commonwealth
Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher,
Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher (Name and Complete Mailing Address): Joseph T. Pramberger,
261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016; Editor (Name and Complete Mailing
Address): Lindsay Brooke, 755 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 1600, Troy, MI 48084 Managing
Editor: None 10. Owner (If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address
of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning
or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the
names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated
firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is
published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address). Full Name and Complete
Mailing Address: SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent
or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. Full Name and Complete
Mailing Address: None 12. For Completion of Nonprofit Organizations Authorized to Mail at
Nonprofit Rates. The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt
status for federal income tax purposes: Not applicable 13. Publication Name: Automotive Engineering
14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 15. Extent
and Nature of Circulation (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/Actual
No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date): a. Total No. Copies (Net Press
Run): 22,470/21,844 b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation: (1) Outside County Paid/Requested
Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541: 20,491/19,936 (2) In-County Paid/Requested
Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 0/0 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors, and Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 39/28 (4) Requested
Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS 0/0 c. Total Paid and/or Requested
Circulation (Sum of 15b(1), 15b(2), and 15b(3): 20,530/19,964 d. Free Distribution by Mail
(Samples, Complimentary, and Other Free): (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on
PS Form 3541: 1,159/1,005 (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies Included on PS Form 3541 0/0
(3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail: 0/0 (4) Nonrequested
Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: 231/285 e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum
of 15d (1), (2), and (3)): 1,391/1,290 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e): 21,921/21,254 g.
Copies Not Distributed: 549/590 h. TOTAL (Sum of 15f and 15g): 22,470/21,844 i. Percent Paid
and/or Requested Circulation (15c ÷ f times 100): 93.7%/93.9% 16. This Statement of Ownership
will be printed in the November/December 2021 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all
information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes
false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on
the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil
sanctions (including civil penalties): Joseph T. Pramberger, Publisher.
30 November/December 2021
Departing from pickup-engineering convention, the 2022 Tundra uses coil
springs at the rear axle - as does chief competitor Ram, which is widely
considered the best-riding of fullsize pickups.
the team focused on strengthening the rear structure around
the tailgate. Their solution included engineering a steel reinforced
composite structure for the bumper. There is a button
on the key fob that automatically opens the Tundra's tailgate.
Otherwise, it is simply a tailgate.
A different hybrid approach
The 2022 Tundra offers a hybrid-electric powertrain, but the
approach to its implementation is unique in the segment,
Sweers explained. The V8 is gone and in its place are two
engine choices based on two 3.5-L twin-turbocharged gasoline
V6s. The i-Force generates 389 hp and 479 lb-ft while
the i-Force Max is fortified with an electric motor, located in
the P2 position within the transmission bell housing. The
Max's output is rated at 437 hp and 583 lb-ft. " I can sell
torque, " Sweers said.
He originally wanted to use a diesel, which Toyota offers in
other markets - and, he admitted, " I was not a hybrid guy. "
But during a development drive in Montana, he met a ranch
owner who had several gasoline-powered pickups. Sweers
asked him why none of the trucks were diesels. " Ever try to
start a diesel truck at -40°F? " the rancher replied.
Then there was the hybrid issue. Sweers said that the objective
with Tundra is not to achieve fuel efficiency but torque.
The electric motor is used to supplement the power of the IC
engine as it ramps from 0 to 2,400 rpm, at which point the
turbos kick in. This, he says, is particularly advantageous in
applications such as towing. Interestingly, the Tundra's electric
motor is being powered by a 1.87-kWh nickel-metal hydride
(NiMH) battery pack that is located beneath the rear
seat of the truck. Sweers explained that they decided use
long-proven NiMH rather than lithium-ion batteries.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
FROM LEFT: STEVE MACAULAY; TOYOTA

Automotive Engineering - November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - November/December 2021