Much has been written about Toyota’s minor role in the pure electric vehicle boom. The world’s largest automaker is lagging behind most of its rivals in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) race in terms of products and sales. There, Tesla, Volkswagen and Chinese brands are the new protagonists. But don’t more than 20 years of Toyota’s work with electric drives and batteries count for nothing?!
With 22,300 electric vehicles delivered worldwide, Toyota occupies the 29th position in the global BEV sales ranking in 2022. Numerous smaller manufacturers such as Renault, BMW, Ford and many new Chinese companies have outsold the Japanese giant . Pure electricity accounts for only 0.2% of Toyota’s total sales, which are 10.48 million units in 2022.
The electric portfolio of the Japanese is limited to three SUV models (C-HR, bZ4X and Lexus UX) and a family of commercial vans (Proace). By comparison, BYD, China’s largest electric car maker, makes 13 different models, not including vans. BMW Group has eight electric cars, Stellantis – nine cars and 15 vans.
While most of Toyota’s Western competitors focused their efforts and resources on accelerating the transition, the Japanese company was busy improving its hybrid technology. When it went on sale in December 1997, the Toyota Prius became the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car. It was the result of the Earth Charter document announced by Toyota in 1992, which contained the goal of producing low-emission vehicles (in the late 1990s, car emissions were not a hot topic in the industry).
As of September 2022, the Japanese firm has sold 5.05 million units of the Prius across four generations. The truth is that Toyota opened the door to the development and adoption of pure electric cars while reducing the harmful emissions of its fleet over the years. At the same time, the company has been dealing with electric drives and batteries longer than the current leaders.
What should we expect?
If there is one trait that best describes Toyota, it is its ability to understand global markets. Unlike any other car manufacturer, the Japanese concern is present in almost every country, thanks to a wide range of products that adapt to the needs of different users. Toyota is the first choice for new car buyers in Africa, the Middle East, Japan, Southeast Asia and Oceania. It is the most attractive non-American brand in the US, the second most popular manufacturer in China, the third most popular in Latin America and the fifth most popular in Europe.
The company’s cars are popular because they are reliable and people trust them, so Toyota is not to be underestimated. The “electric” plans announced in June, which call for the development of batteries capable of traveling on a single charge of up to 1,000 km after 2026 and 1,500 km after 2028, are just the beginning of the recovery. The goal is to join the all-electric vehicle boom when demand is well established and following inspiration from today’s major manufacturers.
With everything in place, Toyota could be comfortably poised to attack thanks to its size, know-how and international presence – three elements that the world’s largest electric car maker, Tesla, is still building.
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2023-08-15 00:22:58
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