Toyota Motor said on Tuesday (6 December) it would expand the development of its petrol-hybrid technology over the next five years to speed up the introduction of lower-emission engines in the face of stricter global emissions standards.
Reuters noted the announcement was the latest by the automaker aimed at making cars ‘greener’ as global automakers face tighter regulations in China, the United States and other regions that will require more environment-friendly cars in the coming years.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Toyota is also stepping up the development of longer-range battery-electric cars, in a shift from an earlier strategy of promoting hydrogen fuel-cell technology as the future of zero-emission vehicles, the report said.
“We need to take an aggressive approach to deal with changing regulations,” Toshiyuki Mizushima, president of Toyota’s powertrain division, told Reuters at a briefing.
Toyota said it would expand personnel on its hybrid technology development team by 30% by the end of 2021, by when it plans to introduce 19 new lower-emission powertrain components made on its recently introduced common manufacturing platform.
By 2021, at least 60% of Toyota vehicles sold in Japan, the United States, Europe and China will feature new components which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15% or more compared with the average amount of emissions of vehicles sold in 2015, the automaker said.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataGlobally, regulators require automakers to produce more electric cars while hybrid technology, introduced in the Toyota Prius nearly 20 years ago, is increasingly considered as conventional technology.
But Mizushima told Reuters hybrid technology would be key to developing more zero-emission vehicles.
“The core technology of plug-in hybrids and electric and fuel-cell vehicles is based on hybrid technology. By increasing our hybrid team, we can leverage new developments for use in electric powertrains,” he said.
Toyota is speeding up the development of lower-emission cars, last month appointing president Akio Toyoda to head a new electric car division to accelerate the development of battery powered cars.
Reuters noted Toyota, which sells around 10mi vehicles a year, has pledged to reduce global average CO2 emissions of its new vehicles by around 90% by 2050.
Mizushima said he expected the take-up of hybrid vehicles to increase, accounting for around 20% of Toyota’s global annual vehicle sales by 2025, double the around 10% now.
