TOKYO — Toyota’s new president, Koji Sato, acknowledged criticism that Japan’s top automaker has lagged its rivals in actual sales of electric vehicles, but said he was aggressive about “electrification.” We promised what we called shifts.
“As people who support Toyota, I like to see it,” Sato said of catching up with electric vehicles. Toyota Motor CorporationTokyo headquarters of .
“If you really look at what’s going on today, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our carbon footprint,” he said, defending the automaker’s record for other gas-consuming technologies.
Toyota is a leader in hybrid vehicles with both gasoline engines and electric motors, and Sato stressed that different markets have different powertrain needs, and emerging markets have been slow to adopt pure electric vehicles. Did.
However, he said that pure electric vehicles would allow for more software functionality due to their connectivity and other features, and emphasized that Toyota’s electric vehicles would highlight “intelligence” such as services and entertainment.
Sato, who has managed Lexus’ luxury goods division, declined to outline details of such features. We noted the high standards of quality as well as affordability.
To make high-quality EVs worthy of the Toyota and Lexus nameplates, he said, the company would have to revamp its entire production system. Toyota’s “just-in-time” production system works like clockwork and is highly regarded by manufacturing professionals around the world.
Toyota currently offers an electric compact crossover bZ4X powered by what it calls the e-TNGA platform. Abbreviation for “Toyota New Global Architecture”, which is also used in Prius and Lexus. The electric platform was jointly developed with Subaru of the Toyota Group.
The bZ4X is sold in Japan, the US, parts of Europe such as Germany and the UK, China and Thailand.
Toyota recently unveiled a new electric vehicle bZ3 for sale in China. It will use technology co-developed with his Chinese EV maker BYD Co., and will also include partners such as state-owned Tianjin FAW.
Toyota and BYD established a joint venture three years ago to jointly research and develop battery electric vehicles.
and shanghai motor show This week, Toyota showcased the ‘bZ series’ of EVs it is developing for the Chinese market, a sleek crossover and a model called the Flex Space Concept, which is advertised as offering a home-like environment in a family car. Did.
But overall, the global EV sector has so far been dominated by the likes of Japanese rival Tesla. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., make Leaf, BYD. So Toyota needs to catch up.
Sato Recently superseded by Akio Toyodais the grandson of the founder who has been CEO since 2009 and has weathered difficult times. Those included the 2010 global financial crisis over “unintended acceleration” and the massive recall scandal in the United States.
Sato kept calling Toyoda “Chairman Akio.” Both of them like cars, but they say that their approach is different as the president who was an engineer. Although Mr. Toyoda has a business background, he is also a race car driver.
Toyota’s new management must be approved by shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders held in June. Sato’s term officially began on April 1.
