In April, Toyota unveiled the bZ4X SUV concept, paving the way for Toyota’s first battery electric vehicle in years, set to hit the market in 2022.<\/p>\n
Roughly the size of the Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, the bZ4X will be one of seven electric vehicles arriving as part of the bZ (Beyond Zero) electric vehicle sub-brand, with all of them being part of approximately 70 electrified models (including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell models) globally by 2025.<\/p>\n
On paper, that plan sounds optimistic. However, a month later, when Toyota presented some numbers surrounding the plan, the strategy suddenly seemed rather timid. By 2030, it stated, 70% of its vehicles will be electrified in some form, while battery electric models will represent only 15% of the lineup.<\/p>\n
This leaves 30% of the lineup, in nine years, still without any form of electrification. Despite having an electrified version of each model in the lineup, 85% of the lineup will still feature a fuel tank, an engine, and an exhaust pipe.<\/p>\n
For a reality check, that sounds decidedly less optimistic than Ford, which last week said it expects battery electric vehicles to represent 40% of its global sales by 2030.<\/p>\n
In a press session at Toyota’s headquarters in Plano, Texas, earlier this week, Toyota Motor North America Executive Vice President Bob Carter sought to make things clear. “We are not anti-EV,” proclaimed Carter. “In fact, we are committed to deploying more EVs.”<\/p>\n
“The customer is the boss; they will be the ones deciding which technology suits their needs best,” he said. “We are well-positioned with our portfolio approach to go where the market takes us and follow our consumers’ lead.”<\/p>\n
This sounds like a pledge that Toyota will build more than 15% of the market if electric vehicle adoption happens more quickly.<\/p>\n
“For the industry to reach a fully electric future, combined efforts from carmakers, government, dealers, suppliers, and, of course, most importantly, consumers will be needed,” added Carter.<\/p>\n
In 2019, Toyota insisted that buyers at its U.S. dealerships weren’t asking for electric vehicles. As an executive stated in a media Q&A session, essentially, there was “no demand” for them.<\/p>\n
Even if that were true, were customers asking for a hybrid in 2000? With the Prius, Toyota helped create and dominate a segment for which demand didn’t exist entirely. With groundbreaking technology and phenomenal fuel efficiency, it created and fueled that demand, with a durability hallmark exclusive to Toyota. Now, it’s hard to believe the company can’t do the same, faster than other brands, with electric vehicles.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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