Autocar RSS Feed: Toyota R&D boss: we're not behind in EV development

Autocar RSS Feed Welcome to nirvana for car enthusiasts. You have just entered the online home of the world's oldest car magazine, and the only place on the internet where you can find Autocar's unique mix of up-to-the-minute news, red hot car reviews, conclusive road test verdicts, and a lot more besides.

Toyota R&D boss: we're not behind in EV development Oct 24th 2017, 15:53 Toyota leads the way in hybrid technology with the Prius Company chiefs insist investment in hybrid and hydrogen tech hasn't come at the expense of full-electric programmes Toyota's R&D boss has hit back at suggestions that the firm is lagging behind rivals in the race to launch pure electric cars, saying that Toyota has more than 20 years and 10 million unit sales' worth of experience of the components acquired through its hybrid leadership. 2017 Tokyo motor show - complete coverage Rivals have accused Toyota of being slow to develop pure electric vehicles (EVs), with its management preferring to concentrate on hybrid and hydrogen technology until around 18 months ago, when changing legislation, particularly in China, led the brand to set up a division dedicated to EVs. Toyota Concept-i artificial intelligence tech due on roads in 2020 However, R&D chief Kiyotaka Ise dismissed criticism that Toyota had been too focused on the longer-term potential of hydrogen. He said: "We have been working with electric motors, inverters and batteries for more than 20 years. We have nothing to worry about; our EV technology is already developed. The core technology is the same." Reports suggest that the first in a wave of new Toyota electric cars will be a modified version of the C-HR SUV, which will be sold in the Chinese market to meet new regulations. However, a bespoke platform for a range of electric vehicles is being developed by the firm for launch around 2020 - a date that would put it head to head with the launch of Volkswagen's ID family of electric cars. Toyota to introduce game-changing electric vehicle in 2022 - report Asked if advancing battery technology was a concern, Ise responded: "Why would it be? There are basically four battery suppliers in the world and we can buy from any of them." He conceded that the switch to more energy-efficient solid state batteries could provide a point of difference but that he expected Toyota to beat its rivals to market with them. "I will not spoil the story by revealing our range goals or cost expectations, but we are working hard on solid state batteries," Ise said. "The plan is to have them on sale in the early 2020s – and that is an objective that we think puts us ahead of the opposition." Read more 2017 Tokyo motor show - complete coverage Toyota and Mazda form alliance to share EV technology Toyota to introduce game-changing electric vehicle in 2022 - report Toyota CH-R review Toyota Prius review Toyota Yaris Hybrid review

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. By using Blogtrottr, you agree to our polices, terms and conditions. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions.