At the end of 2017, several Japanese automotive companies, including Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu, and Toyota Hino Motors, joined forces with Toyota Motor Corporation to form a new electric vehicle research and development company. This initiative expanded into a seven-company alliance that included original members like Toyota, Mazda, and Denso. The collaboration aimed to share intellectual property and accelerate the development of core technologies for electric vehicles, signaling a shift in Japan's automotive landscape.
In recent months, Toyota has significantly stepped up its efforts toward electrification. It announced an ambitious goal to increase global electric vehicle sales—currently at around 15% of the group’s total—to 50% by 2030. To support this, the company plans to invest 1.5 trillion yen by 2030 in battery technology development. Additionally, Toyota partnered with Panasonic to co-develop next-generation electric vehicle batteries, further strengthening its position in the EV market.
As a global automotive leader, Toyota was once less active in the electric vehicle space, focusing instead on hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. However, the recent push towards electric vehicles is driven by two main factors: first, competitors like Volkswagen have accelerated their EV strategies following the emissions scandal, aiming to launch 80 electric models by 2025. Second, global environmental regulations are tightening, with countries like the UK planning to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040, and China, the world's largest auto market, also pushing for greater EV adoption.
Previously, Toyota hesitated to fully commit to electric vehicles due to challenges in onboard battery technology. Current liquid batteries struggle with safety and energy density, limiting long-range performance. As a result, breakthroughs in battery tech will be crucial for dominating the EV market.
Toyota's partner, Panasonic, is a leader in battery development and supplies Tesla with key components. Recently, Matsushita President Tsuichi Kazuhiro stated that it will take 5–10 years to transition to all-solid-state batteries through joint efforts with Toyota. These batteries use solid materials for the positive electrode, negative electrode, and electrolyte, eliminating the risk of liquid leakage. They offer faster charging times—just minutes instead of tens of minutes—and higher energy density, allowing for longer driving ranges.
A senior automotive industry consultant in Japan noted that shifting to electric vehicles presents a major challenge for Toyota and other Japanese automakers. Unlike traditional vehicles, which require around 20,000 parts, EVs need only about 10,000, making them more similar to IT and electronics industries in terms of standardization and modular design. This shift could disrupt the traditional supply chain advantages that Japanese automakers have relied on. Moreover, batteries account for roughly 60% of an EV's cost, requiring significant adjustments to existing value chains.
Toyota's CEO, Akio Toyoda, recently urged Japanese automakers to collaborate on establishing a unified battery standard to compete globally. While Japan still holds some strengths in the three core areas of electric vehicles—batteries, motors, and control systems—global competitors such as Europe, the U.S., and China are rapidly catching up. For instance, Volkswagen has committed to investing 34 billion euros (around 4.5 trillion yen) in electric vehicle technology between 2018 and 2022.
Industry experts believe that large investments are essential for success in the EV sector. If Japanese automakers remain stuck in traditional thinking, they risk falling behind. However, Toyota Chairman Akira Uchida remains cautious, pointing out that pure electric vehicles still face challenges such as range anxiety and battery longevity. He believes that the era of full automation is still far off, and hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles will continue to dominate the market for the foreseeable future.
Kanger Olit Vape
YIWU JUHE TRADING COMPANY , https://www.nx-vapes.com