It looks like Toyota is going all-in on battery-electric vehicles. Last week, Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of product, Hiroki Nakajima, revealed that the automaker’s latest strategy aims to introduce 10 new BEVs by 2026. Nakajima also revealed Toyota’s plans to extend the EV-mode driving range of PHEVs out beyond 200 km.
Toyota’s executive vice president in charge of product, Hiroki Nakajima
This update arrives under the leadership of Koji Sato, who recently succeeded Akio Toyoda as Toyota’s president and CEO on April 1. In Sato’s first address, the new CEO announced plans to halve the company’s emissions by 2035, and become carbon neutral by 2050. “We must first do what we can and start electrifying,” Sato said.
Koji Sato, Toyota president and CEO
According to Nakajima, the automaker plans to sell 1.5 million BEVs annually, and will be assembling a “specialized unit” to focus on the development of these vehicles. This unit will reportedly be arranged under a single leader with full authority, and will handle the development, production, and business operation of new Toyota BEVs.
During the announcement, Nakajima described plug-in hybrids as “the practical EV,” and noted that Toyota’s next-generation BEVs will be “entirely different” from those of today. More specifically, Nakajima described these future vehicles as “BEVs created by carmaker.” The best part? These BEVs will reportedly double driving range by using batteries “with far greater efficiency while also offering designs and driving performance to set hearts racing.”
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No distinct timeline for this has been announced thus far, but Toyota just launched the 2023 Prius Prime in the US this week, in addition to production plans for a three-row electric SUV in 2025. Currently, Toyota and its Lexus luxury brand only have three battery models on the market.
