Tech
Giant Crisis Confession from Toyota: "We Cannot Survive with Conventional Methods!"
- Speaking in the documentary where Japanese state television NHK hosted Toyota's secret development center, company Chairman Akio Toyoda said, "We cannot survive by sticking to our old methods."
- If we get complacent, everything will end, he warned.
- While the new generation models and prototypes under development were revealed for the first time during the documentary, the words of a Toyota engineer from the development team, "To be honest, we are losing against China, attracted attention."
Japanese giant Toyota, which maintains its leadership in world automotive sales, admitted so clearly for the first time the pressure it experienced in the electric vehicle transformation and against its Chinese competitors. Stating that there is a feeling of serious crisis within the company, officials see the Toyota Corolla EV project, the new generation electric version of Corolla, the best-selling model in automotive history, as the turning point that will determine the fate of the brand.
Speaking in the documentary in which Japanese state television NHK hosted Toyota's secret development center, company Chairman Akio Toyoda warned, "We cannot survive by adhering to our old methods. If we get complacent, everything will end. While the new generation models and prototypes under development were revealed for the first time during the documentary, the words of a Toyota engineer from the development team, "To be honest, we are losing against China, attracted attention.
In particular, manufacturers such as BYD and Tesla dominate the industry with their fast production cycles, software-oriented architectures and low battery costs, forcing Toyota to radically change its classical and slow-moving product development processes. The new model, bearing the lines of the Corolla Concept shown recently, is not only pure electric (BEV); It is built on a new modular platform that supports plug-in hybrid (PHEV), hybrid and gasoline engine options simultaneously. Technical highlights of the development process are: Multiple Power Options: New platform; It will house fully electric (EV), plug-in hybrid and conventional engines on the same chassis.
New Generation Battery Technology: It is planned to use updated battery packs with higher energy density in the full electric version of the vehicle. Different Body Types: Within the scope of the project, a wide product family is being prepared, from sedan to hatchback, from crossover to performance-oriented GR version.
Source: ShiftDelete