Toyota aims to become a key player in electric vehicles. To do this, the Japanese manufacturer is currently developing a solid-state battery, supposed to offer more than 1,200 km of autonomy. However, there is a catch: only tens of thousands of vehicles can be equipped with this accumulator.
If Toyota was still one of the rare detractors of electric power in the automobile industry a few months ago, the Japanese brand has gone backwards since the appointment of Koji Sato as head. The new CEO, who is a fervent defender of wattage engines, wants to make the firm an electric must-have.
The boss also showed his ambitions in July 2023, with the creation of a division specially dedicated to the development and production of electric cars. In total, the brand hopes to achieve a annual production of 1.5 million copies per year. To offer a catalog worthy of the name, Toyota wants to launch 10 new electric models by 2026.
Since Koji Sato took power, the company has made numerous announcements about its new activities as an electric automobile manufacturer. We know, for example, that Toyota will use the Giga Press, this revolutionary machine popularized by Tesla, to save money on production cycles. The brand also plans to use pooling to reduce development costs. This is why a new platform will be created by 2026 before being shared with partner brands like Subaru or Mazda.
Solid-state batteries will be produced in very limited quantities
In the field of batteries, Toyota also wants to establish itself and become a reference. We already know that the Japanese company is working on new solid-state batteries. These batteries offer significant advantages compared to traditional lithium-ion packs:
- better energy density (up to 1150 Wh/l)
- safer (less risk of fire)
- more durable (damage to the internal structure is less frequent)
- Higher charging speeds thanks to better temperature management
As Toyota explained in July 2023, these solid batteries will allow it to offer electric vehicles with a range of 1,200 km, while 0 to 100% can be done in just 10 minutes. According to the brand’s first estimates, mass production of these batteries was expected to begin by 2027.
Ultimately we will have to wait longer. Indeed, in an article published in the Toyota Times, the manufacturer admits thatwe will instead have to count on 2030. And again, we will not yet be talking about very large-scale industrial production. According to Toyota, the quantities manufactured will be sufficient to equip “more than ten thousand vehicles” only.