Toyota Motor is planning to introduce 10 new electrified vehicles for the Chinese market by the end of 2020.
The company is showcasing the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions of its Corolla and Levin passenger cars at the Beijing Motor Show..
The Japanese automaker plans to introduce the two PHEV versions of Corolla and Levin next year, and a battery electric vehicle (BEV) model based on its C-HR / IZOA compact SUV in 2020.
The company seeks to further speed up its China-based vehicle electrification efforts by further promoting its local manufacturing of electric motors (powertrain components), batteries, inverters and other electrified-vehicle technologies.
The PHEV versions of the Corolla and Levin are anticipated to have a BEV driving range of 50km or greater. When Toyota starts producing the PHEVs in China, it will be the first time the company will be producing its plug-in hybrids overseas.
In order to achieve locally based vehicle electrification, Toyota has been working with its members and Chinese partners to build a local production base for crucial components.
In 2015, the company started producing transaxles for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) at Toyota Motor (Changshu) Auto Parts (TMCAP).
In the future, the company plans to respond to the demand for electrified vehicles via measures such as increasing annual production capacity of nickel-metal hydride battery modules at its Sinogy Toyota Automotive Energy System (STAES) and Corun PEVE Automotive Battery (CPAB) to 220,000 units by 2020.
Toyota also plans to strengthen its local research & development and production based in the country. In 2020, it aims to open a new battery testing facility at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China).
Last year, Toyota recorded sales of about 140,000 electrified vehicles in China, including sales of Corolla Hybrid and Levin Hybrid. The cumulative total of electrified vehicles sold in the country stood at around 350,000 units, and the company plans to continue strengthening its electrified-vehicle lineup.
The automaker is presently exploring potential applications for its fuel cell technology in the country. Last year, it started a three year verification test program in the country that uses Toyota Mirai’s fuel cell electric vehicles.
Toyota senior managing officer and china region CEO Kazuhiro Kobayashi said today at the Beijing Motor Show, "We are steadily and confidently advancing all aspects of our environmental strategy in China, the world's most-advanced country in electrification."
