The new CEO of the world’s largest carmaker has announced plans to accelerate its rollout of electric vehicles, but the company will not turn its back on hybrid and hydrogen power.
Toyota is set to accelerate its introduction of electric vehicles, led by its Lexus luxury division, under the watch of its new CEO, amid criticism that it has been slow to adopt battery-powered cars.
However, the Japanese auto giant maintains its belief in offering several types of low-emission vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen power, to meet the needs of buyers who cannot yet switch to purely electric propulsion.
At a media conference overnight, Toyota’s new president and chief executive, Koji Sato, who next April is set to succeed 13-year-old company boss Akio Toyoda, who brought more excitement to the the way Toyota cars look and drive, he said the company will increase its performance. implementation of electric vehicles.
“To offer attractiveness [electric vehicles] to more customers, we have to streamline the structure of the car and, with a [electric]-First mindset: We need to dramatically change the way we do business, from manufacturing to sales to service,” Sato said.
“Now that the time is right, we will accelerate [electric vehicle] development with a new approach”.
Toyota’s luxury division Lexus, which has already signaled plans to go electric-only by 2035 globally, will lead the transition, Sato said, with a range of dedicated “next-generation” electric models. for 2026″.
The executive, who previously ran Lexus along with Toyota’s Gazoo Racing performance car division, said the auto giant intends to meet its previously announced target of selling 3.5 million vehicles annual electricity in 2030.
The company announced plans in 2021 to launch 30 electric cars by 2030.
Toyota has come under fire from electric vehicle advocates, who say the Japanese giant has been slow to adopt the technology, even though it has reduced emissions from millions of vehicles with hybrid technology over the past two decades.
“We are receiving [much] comments that some people say we are slow, and sometimes that is because of our failure to communicate,” Sato told the media through a translator.
While Sato acknowledged criticism of the company’s launch of electric cars, the executive said Toyota would continue to offer customers a variety of emissions-reduction options, as some markets are more advanced than others in the its switch to electrical energy.
“The message has been consistent in what it does [electric vehicles]. That hasn’t changed. One of the options [for future electrified cars] is [electric cars]and therefore we are going to speed up specific and concrete activities on [electric cars],” he said.
“The energy environment is different from one country to another, and the political and economic situations are different from one country to another… We have always believed that it is necessary to offer options.
“On the other hand, there are many countries where electrification has advanced, so these areas and these markets we also need to show and deploy a concrete. [electric-vehicle] product
Sato claims that “electrified” vehicles (hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric and hydrogen) account for 23% of all global new car sales, but the Toyota Group’s hybrid car range has allowed electrified models to account for 26 or 27 percent of sales.
More details on the accelerated launch of Toyota’s electric car are expected after Sato takes over as the company’s chairman in April, and Akio Toyoda steps down to become chairman.
However, it is expected to include more models and production improvements to make electric vehicles faster and cheaper to build.
When the 66-year-old executive announced his decision to step down as Toyota chairman and CEO last month, Toyoda told international media: “I am a carmaker, and this is how I have transformed Toyota.
“But an automaker is all I am. That’s my limit. The new team under President Sato is on a mission to transform Toyota into a mobility company.”
Toyota’s first electric vehicle to be sold worldwide is the BZ4X family SUV, but it has experienced a stalled start, after production was halted and deliveries stopped to fix a problem with falling car wheels
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