Entire Toyota and Lexus range to be electrified – like the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (pictured)
Toyota and Lexus plan to have an all electrified range of cars by 2025, and plan 10 new electric cars by 2020 as they embrace solid state battery technology.
It was only 2009 when Toyota condemned the electric car, declaring it would never be a mass market phenomenon. But they’ve had a change of heart.
That change of heart certainly has something to do with the fact other car makers are ploughing headlong in to EVs to try and reduce their average CO2, but also because Toyota believe they have a solid state battery technology which will yield big range, lower cost and faster charging.
With that in mind, Toyota has announced that every model in the Toyota and Lexus range will be electrified by around 2025 – that’s a mix of hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).
The first stage is to introduce 10 new BEVs, first in China and then to Japan, India, the US and Europe, as well as expanding FCEV offerings for both passenger and commercial vehicles.
The current Toyota Hybrid System II – as found in the latest Prius – will be developed further, including the arrival of a more powerful version, and there will be a simpler hybrid setup for entry level cars too.
Key to all this is clearly Toyota’s new solid state batteries, with all the advantages they should bring, and Toyota are also partnering with Panasonic to develop the best prismatic battery in the automotive industry to contribute to their objectives.
Finally, Toyota plan active cooperation with governments and partners to promote the expansion of a plug-in charging stations and hydrogen refuelling network.
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