On 13 February, incoming Toyota Corp chief executive officer, Koji Sato, announced that the Japanese auto giant will ramp up its battery-electric offerings by focusing on its Lexus luxury brand, Reuters reported.
Sato made it clear, though, that the company will not deviate from a long-held strategy of exploring other technologies.
The comments from Sato, who takes over the world’s largest auto manufacturer from April 1, come as Toyota has pushed back against critics who have said it has been too slow to embrace battery-powered electric vehicles.
Toyota, which popularised the hybrid technology of the Prius, has said that hybrids make better sense for many drivers, especially in markets where the infrastructure is not ready to support batteries. It has also championed hydrogen-powered cars as the future.
Sato said Toyota would accelerate its battery-electric offerings by focusing on the Lexus.
"This is not a fast pivot towards battery EVs," he said, adding that much of the problem stemmed from one of "communication" about Toyota's strategy.
"To the point that we have been slow at battery EV projects, I think around half of it is a communication issue," he said.
He said the company was sticking to a previous goal of selling 3.5 million battery-electric vehicles by 2030.
He reckoned there would be further communication in April about the strategy once his team members assumed their roles.
An engineer by training, Sato started his career at Toyota in 1992 before rising through the ranks to become chief engineer of Lexus International in 2016.
While he oversaw the creation of Lexus's first fully electric model, he did previously speak of keeping open other options for powering vehicles.
DFSK South Africa announced the opening of two new dealerships, DFSK Vaal, operated by Top Speed Motors, and DFSK Welkom, managed by the team behind BMW Welkom and Park Motors.
To mark World EV Day, Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) has launched the N3 EV Real-World Test. The initiative will turn everyday electric vehicle journeys between Johannesburg and Durban into a growing source of real-world data for South African motorists and fleet operators considering the switch to electric.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are changing more than what South Africans drive. They are changing what happens behind the workshop doors, too.
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Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
To mark World EV Day, Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) has launched the N3 EV Real-World Test. The initiative will turn everyday electric vehicle journeys between Johannesburg and Durban into a growing source of real-world data for South African motorists and fleet operators considering the switch to electric.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are changing more than what South Africans drive. They are changing what happens behind the workshop doors, too.
Range Rover, long regarded as the original luxury SUV, has introduced its first electric model. The vehicle is built at the Solihull plant in the UK, where Range Rover production has taken place since 1970.
