Toyota, from Deployer to Evangelist of Electric Vehicles?

At the very least, Toyota has not shown much enthusiasm for 100% electric vehicles until now. But with the arrival of Koji Sato, the Japanese manufacturer’s stance will clearly shift.

More than just a technical or strategic choice, electric vehicles will soon become a legal obligation. For this reason, Stellantis, which has never hesitated to voice its reservations through its CEO Carlos Tavares, is ramping up battery-powered vehicles across its various brands.

At Toyota as well, management is caught between a generally measured interest in electric vehicles and the need to comply with new regulations. However, this ambiguous stance is expected to evolve with Koji Sato’s appointment as head of the manufacturer. The Japanese executive, who will officially become Toyota’s CEO on April 1st, has already promised to inject a new, much more supportive dynamic toward electric cars.

An Electric Offensive Led by Lexus

It is Lexus, Toyota’s premium brand, that will be entrusted with development efforts. Without going into details, Koji Sato mentioned a new generation of Lexus electric vehicles starting in 2026. The architecture of these vehicles will be specifically designed for this type of powertrain, which should theoretically ensure better efficiency. Naturally, the technologies introduced by Lexus will later be deployed on Toyotas.

This new approach does not mean that electric vehicles become an insurmountable goal for Toyota, which will still offer other types of powertrains (hybrid, hydrogen, etc.) in parallel. However, it marks a significant shift in the strategy of the world’s leading manufacturer.

For now, Toyota can only play a secondary role in the electric market. The bZ4x, which appeared to have interesting commercial potential, is experiencing serious teething problems and is still not available for sale in Europe.

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