According to internal Toyota sources, the company will introduce a series of important changes in its electrification strategy in the short term to close the gap with BYD and Tesla, current world leaders in the sector. The new plan will run until the beginning of 2026 and is already being communicated to providers so that they can adjust to it.
Toyota wants to improve the performance of its electric models, so it is working on new technologies for engines, electronics, integrated climate control systems, etc. The changes introduced could lead to delays in the development program of some of the cars planned for these three years.
The changes will affect the successors of the Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ, as the company wants to reduce its production costs (currently Tesla’s vehicles enjoy a much higher profit margin). In parallel, the development of some projects such as the Compact Cruiser has also been suspended.
The person in charge of reviewing Toyota’s electric car program is Shigeki Terashi, whose working group is considering abandoning the e-TNGA architecture early and creating a new dedicated platform (e-TNGA was developed for line sharing). production with thermal models) that allows us to simplify the manufacturing process as much as possible.
Toyota wants to close the gap between BYD and Tesla
Although the above strategy made sense when Toyota estimated that by 2030 it would sell about 3.5 million electric cars a year (or a third of its total volume), company leaders have realized that at the pace of current growth, this percentage could well exceed 50%.
Toyota could adopt a new thermal management system jointly developed by Aisin and Denso, as well as a more advanced powertrain from Aisin. It is also looking into equipping its larger premium models (ie marketed under the Lexus brand) with an inverter based on Denso’s silicon carbide technology, thereby improving the charging system.
On the other hand, it is considering the use of large castings in its vehicles to reduce weight and costs, a solution already used by models such as the Tesla Model Y. We cannot lose sight of the fact that Toyota is one of the manufacturers that has been around for the longest time. working on solid electrolyte batteries, a solution that could give it a huge competitive advantage over its rivals.
