Toyota is planning to mass-produce electric vehicles by 2020, hoping to expand its lineup of green cars beyond hybrid and fuel-cells, reports Asia Nikkei . Toyota’s plan to launch its EV vehicles coincides with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics of which the Japanese automaker is a major sponsor.
Eyeing a full-scale entry into the electric vehicle market, Toyota will create an in-house team for planning and development beginning early 2017. The Japanese automaker will seek cooperation from group companies to start production as soon as possible.
Toyota will bolster development of batteries, a core component that determines the vehicle’s performance, through the company’s battery material research department established in January. But Toyota also may procure batteries from These EVs is expected to run more than 300km on a single charge.
These EVs would also be available in key markets where governments are pushing for EV adoption like China and California. China for instance, is encouraging EV purchases by offering generous subsidies in order to achieve its 40% new energy car sales target by 2030. And let’s not forget our earlier report on Norway either…
Toyota’s latest plan comes as a shocking reversal of strategy as the company has kept its distance from EVs because the company believed that EVs would not go mainstream due to issues such as the high cost of batteries and limited driving range. Instead, Toyota focused on hybrid and fuel-cell cars, taking a different path on green-vehicles solutions.
However, many nations have introduced EV-friendly rules and measures to promote the vehicles, and improvements have been made in driving range and charging infrastructure. These changes prompted Toyota to lean toward expanding its green-vehicle strategy to include EVs.
Besides Toyota, Volkswagen has announced a plan to have EVs account for almost 25% of sales by 2025 after their Dieselgate scandal broke out last year. China’s leading EV manufacturer, BYD, is also boosting production. Meanwhile, Tesla continues to enjoy strong demand for its EVs, including a small sedan that is expected to roll-out next year.
Source: Asia Nikkei
