Photo: Toyota
Toyota has serious plans regarding electric cars, and it appears that its first model of this kind will be available to the public sometime in 2020.
Toyota’s most recent move in the field of electric cars involves naming its CEO, Akio Toyoda, as the head of the EV division. This may seem like something that is purely administrative, but appointing the company’s CEO to lead a new department is a big move in this industry, especially when considering that the person who was named is leading one of the largest automakers in the world.
The most recent appointment in Toyota’s chain of command shows that the Japanese corporation is serious about this field, and the future EV will be more than a “small scale experiment.” All the rumors regarding a future electric model from Toyota point to development based on the Prius.
Because the popular hybrid model from Toyota has received an all-new generation recently, it is expected of Toyota to build upon that model when the electric vehicle is concerned.
Evidently, Toyota is not going to try to sell an electrified 2016 Prius in 2020, but the platform of the Prius might become the base for the first production EV from Toyota.
It is interesting to see Toyota enter this field today. It already markets the world’s first production hydrogen FCV, which is available in multiple markets. Toyota has acknowledged that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles might not take off too soon, so EVs will be made as a safety net, along with the segments that the brand sees “fitting” for this category of vehicle.
Toyota’s officials have previously explained that they do not see hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as suitable for crowded cities, where EVs are a better proposition. At the same time, Toyota wants to build an electric car with a generous range, which would enable the user to drive several days with a single charge, while also offering an adequate range for longer distances.
Toyota’s first electric car is expected to come with the company’s state-of-the-art battery technology. We are referring to the Lithium-Ion units that are in continuous development, and that should offer more capacity when compared to existing units of the same size.
The year 2020 should bring a Toyota electric car in showrooms at an estimated price of $40.000 before any incentives, and with a range of over 372 miles (600 km).
The most recent appointment in Toyota’s chain of command shows that the Japanese corporation is serious about this field, and the future EV will be more than a “small scale experiment.” All the rumors regarding a future electric model from Toyota point to development based on the Prius.
Because the popular hybrid model from Toyota has received an all-new generation recently, it is expected of Toyota to build upon that model when the electric vehicle is concerned.
Evidently, Toyota is not going to try to sell an electrified 2016 Prius in 2020, but the platform of the Prius might become the base for the first production EV from Toyota.
It is interesting to see Toyota enter this field today. It already markets the world’s first production hydrogen FCV, which is available in multiple markets. Toyota has acknowledged that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles might not take off too soon, so EVs will be made as a safety net, along with the segments that the brand sees “fitting” for this category of vehicle.
Toyota’s officials have previously explained that they do not see hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as suitable for crowded cities, where EVs are a better proposition. At the same time, Toyota wants to build an electric car with a generous range, which would enable the user to drive several days with a single charge, while also offering an adequate range for longer distances.
Toyota’s first electric car is expected to come with the company’s state-of-the-art battery technology. We are referring to the Lithium-Ion units that are in continuous development, and that should offer more capacity when compared to existing units of the same size.
The year 2020 should bring a Toyota electric car in showrooms at an estimated price of $40.000 before any incentives, and with a range of over 372 miles (600 km).
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