Toyota Motor has appointed its president to head the newly formed electric car division, a move that reinforces its recent commitment to develop a technology its has been slow to embrace.

Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder Kiichiro Toyoda, has been at the helm of the world's largest automaker since 2009 and will head the company's electric vehicle (EV) planning department along with executive vice presidents Mitsuhisa Kato and Shigeki Terashi, Reuters reported.

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"By putting the president and vice presidents in charge of the department, we plan to speed up development of electric cars," Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi told the news agency.

"The president will directly oversee the department's operations to enable decisions to be made quickly and nimbly."

According to Reuters, the department comprises a new in-house unit to plan Toyota's strategy to develop and market electric cars as part of the company's efforts to keep pace with the tightening global emissions regulations.

Toyota is also shifting the chief engineer of its Prius petrol-hybrid to its EV efforts, appointing Koji Toyoshima to head the division's engineering team. Toyoshima will also join the four-member EV strategy unit, which will include representatives from group suppliers Denso, Aisin Seiki and Toyota Industries Corporation.

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Toyota said until recently it favoured EVs for short-distance commuting given their limited driving range and lengthy charging time. It has been investing heavily in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs), which the company considers as the ultimate green car, Reuters noted.