Toyota Motors is looking at mass- production of long range electric vehicles/Cars (EV's) that would be available for the market around 2020, The report is believed to be a strategic turnaround for the world's second largest car manufacturer behind Volkswagen.
Dubbed as the vehicles of the future, the Toyota Motors has already flirted with the idea of an Electronic Car with the productions of vehicles such as i- Road single seater the Toyota IQ EV but in very small scale without a worldwide release. Toyota recently built a limited number of electric powered Recreational Active Vehicle with 4 wheel drive (RAV 4) in collaboration with another automotive company Tesla for the U.S market, but primarily for the California consumers.
However while Toyota has up until now been lukewarm on EVs, the battery electric category has been rapidly expanding. EV specialist Tesla Motors has capitalised on growing acceptance of electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is already planning an all-electric sub-brand previewed by the EQ concept SUV, and Toyota's chief rival Volkswagen has committed to bringing out the first of a broad family of pure electric cars at the end of the decade.
In addition, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei stated that by early 2017, Toyota is setting up a team that will be developing electric cars that can travel 300 km (186 miles) on a single charge.
Plans that are being considered for Toyota's electric car includes using an existing car line such as the Prius hybrid car or the Toyota Corolla. The Toyota Prius Hybrid is one of the car models used by the company which are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The car cost around 33, 450 Euros which translates to $37622.05.
Going deeper, the article says that Toyota is aiming to sell its first long range electronic car in 2020 in Japan, which will host the Olympics that year, as well as markets in California where car dealers are required to sell a small portion of zero emission vehicles.
Meanwhile Nissan currently holds the title for the world's highest-selling EV with its Leaf small hatch, and, through its alliance with French manufacturer Renault, they are planning more electric cars for the future. With the wider car industry increasingly gravitating towards EVs, Toyota cannot afford to sit on its hands.
