Toyota

Amid new leadership changes, Toyota is reshuffling its business structure, claiming the “time is right” to accelerate battery electric vehicle (BEV) development. Toyota says it will take a new EV-first approach, starting with its luxury brand Lexus.

Automakers have seen the writing on the wall for the car industry, as millions of new e-bike riders opt for lighter and more efficient vehicles. Now Toyota has become the latest in a long line of automakers dipping their toes into the electric bicycle market.

Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, who has been leading the company since the global financial crisis, is stepping down amid mounting pressure as the industry moves to electric vehicles.

Climate activists across three different social awareness groups have banded together to post over 400 irreverent billboards across Europe, using subvertising tactics to expose automakers like Toyota and BMW for promoting zero-carbon BEVs while simultaneously lobbying to keep combustion vehicles on roads for decades to come. The goal of these billboards is to not only spotlight the harsh truth, but to call local governments into action to ban ads that promote combustion vehicles.

SEA Electric, a global leader in 100% electric commercial powertrain solutions, is leading the charge to eliminate CO2 emissions. The company announced it would convert 8,500 Toyota Hilux and Landcruiser to fully electric powerhouses to be used in the mining industry.

Polestar and Toyota are at two opposite ends of the EV spectrum. The former is building some of the world’s most sustainable electric vehicles, while the latter has been openly opposed to going all-electric. At a recent media briefing, Polestar’s head of sustainability, Fredricka Klaren, took aim at Toyota and its EV strategy (or lack thereof), claiming anything but a fully electric future will fail to address climate change.

Hyundai is officially the third-largest automaker globally after jumpstarting the brand in 2022, behind only Volkswagen and Toyota. However, the South Korean automaker may have an advantage as the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles.

Toyota Motors unveiled its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) pickup truck this week in Thailand. The EV prototype is generating interest among buyers and looks street-ready, but buyers are asking, will Toyota sell its electric pickup in the US?

In a seemingly paradoxical change in mindset, Toyota announced a new partnership Thursday with Oncor Electric Delivery to explore the benefits of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) EV technology for drivers and the grid.

After seeing the success and demand automakers like Tesla and BYD are having with electric vehicles, Toyota is reportedly looking to grab its share. Toyota is set to make significant adjustments to its EV strategy in its upcoming meeting with suppliers next year.

During Toyota’s annual Kenshiki Forum, the Japanese automaker outlined a hardened strategy for electrification in Europe, which will include five additional fully-electric models to join the bZ4X overseas by 2026. Toyota hopes these BEV options will accelerate its sales goal of being 50% electric by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2040.

At the LA Auto Show, Toyota revealed its bZ Compact SUV Concept, the second fully electric vehicle from the bZ (Beyond Zero) lineup. Despite Toyota claiming “Beyond Zero,” the automaker has little to show in terms of zero-emission EV sales.

Toyota launched the global world premiere of its fifth-generation Prius from Japan this morning. The famed plug-in hybrid sees a new exterior design and will deliver a decent boost to its electric range compared to its previous generation.

Toyota can’t seem to get out of its own way lately. The Japanese automaker ranked among the “world’s most obstructive companies on climate policy” of 2022, with oil giants like Exxon Mobile, Chevron, and leading Russian oil companies.

South Korean officials and leaders from Japan are expressing concerns over the new US EV tax credit requirements that kick in at the end of the year. New reports are surfacing that Japan and South Korea will request flexibility in the rule changes. Will they get their way, paving the way for automakers like Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia electric vehicles to qualify?

Honda is shying away from the idea of adding fake manual transmissions to its upcoming EV lineup, unlike Toyota, which has filed for patents to introduce the technology.

Is the world’s largest automaker finally responding to the rapidly changing auto industry? Toyota is now considering ramping up production of its first 100% electric mass-market vehicle, the bZ4X SUV, but not until 2025, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Toyota is struggling with its shift to electric vehicles, and it is reportedly considering major changes in its EV plans driven by Tesla’s manufacturing strategy.

However, it may slow down some of its existing electric vehicle programs.

Toyota can’t seem to grasp why it’s being criticized for its lack of progress in fully electric vehicles. The Japanese automaker is making headlines Wednesday after an executive went off on a tangent defending Toyota’s carbon reduction efforts and future EV plans – the frustration comes as Toyota has come under fire for not going all in on electric vehicles.

Global automaker and hybrid zealot Toyota announced it will resume sales of its first mass-produced battery EV – the bZ4X, following a safety recall concerning risk that its wheels could fall off. Months later, the Japanese automaker appears to have found a fix to the manufacturing defect (as well as a previously undiscovered safety issue) and plans to resume bZ4X production immediately.

It looks like Toyota is still not getting the message: people want electric vehicles, not hybrids. Despite all the evidence pointing to the inevitable growth of EVs in the auto industry, Toyota insists on sticking with hybrids, claiming, “That’s our strategy, and we’re sticking to it.” Well, Toyota, you may end up being left behind as nearly every other automaker, nation, and organization is moving toward sustainable, fully-electric vehicles.