Car Giant Goes Strong on “Electric” Plans

Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is planning a massive green upgrade over the next decade, with investments in mind to electrify its vehicle lineup and advance its battery tech.

“Through this integrated development of vehicles and batteries, we aim to reduce the battery cost per vehicle by 50 percent compared to the Toyota BZ4X in the second half of the 2020s,” says Masahiko Maeda, Toyota’s chief technology officer.

The company will invest some $13.6 million in battery tech, including $9 million in production. By 2025, Toyota should have 10 battery production lines, and increase this number over time, reaching a total production of 200GWh of batteries. According to its electric vehicle strategy, the Japanese manufacturer will globally release 70 electric car models by 2025 – fully electric, hybrids, and hydrogen-powered – and wants 80% of its cars to be powered by batteries to some extend by 2030. Through its investment, Toyota hopes to reduce the cost of batteries by 30% by improving the materials and cell designs and to enhance the efficiency of batteries by reducing by 30% the energy consumed per kilometer.