Editing Toyota (section)

===Battery electric vehicles===
[[File:2022 Hakone Ekiden Headquarter car bZ4X (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Toyota bZ4X]]]]

Toyota has been criticized for being slow to add [[battery electric vehicles]] to its lineup. It has been publicly skeptical of battery-electric vehicles, instead focusing on hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,<ref name="WP0912" /> and actively lobbying against government mandates to transition to [[zero-emissions vehicle]]s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tabuchi |first=Hiroko |author-link=Hiroko Tabuchi |date=July 25, 2021 |title=Toyota Led on Clean Cars. Now Critics Say It Works to Delay Them. |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/climate/toyota-electric-hydrogen.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/climate/toyota-electric-hydrogen.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=July 27, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, only a small proportion of the vehicles the company sells are of battery electric, which has prompted criticism by some environmental and public interest groups.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.citizen.org/news/biden-administration-must-push-toyota-to-make-stronger-public-commitment-on-evs/ |title=Biden Administration Must Push Toyota to Make Stronger Public Commitment on EVs |work=Public Citizen |location=US |date=May 8, 2023 |access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg-2023-01-06">{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-01-06/toyota-nissan-risk-status-loss-as-tesla-vw-byd-top-global-electric-car-market |title=The World's Love Affair With Japanese Cars Is Souring |first1=Bruce |last1=Einhorn |first2=Nao |last2=Sano |work=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]|location=US |date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref> The company plans to increase its sales of electric vehicles to 3.5 million per year by 2030.<ref name="Kyodo News 2021" /> However, the company has stated that it believes other technologies, including hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, will continue to play a role in the future of the company.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 21, 2020 |title=Toyota doubles down on hydrogen with a new mirai and commercial trucks |url=https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a35026252/toyota-hydrogen/ |website=www.autoweek.com |publisher=Autoweek |access-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626222357/https://www.autoweek.com/news/green-cars/a35026252/toyota-hydrogen/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2016 |title=Toyota doubles down on hybrids despite china's subsidies snub |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-24/toyota-doubling-down-on-hybrids-despite-china-s-subsidies-snub |website=www.bloomberg.com |publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref>

Toyota created the first generation [[Toyota RAV4 EV]] (Electric Vehicle) as a [[compliance car]] after the [[California Air Resources Board]] mandated in the late 1990s that every automaker offer a zero-emissions vehicle.<ref name="NYT0710">{{Cite news |first=Jim |last=Motavalli |date=July 16, 2010 |title=Toyota and Tesla Plan an Electric RAV4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/toyota-and-tesla-plan-an-electric-rav4/ |url-status=live |access-date=July 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718163726/http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/toyota-and-tesla-plan-an-electric-rav4/ |archive-date=July 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Toyota Concept Vehicles-- RAV4 EV |url=http://www.toyota.com/concept-vehicles/rav4ev.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123133646/http://www.toyota.com/concept-vehicles/rav4ev.html |archive-date=January 23, 2012 |access-date=January 22, 2012 |publisher=Toyota USA}}</ref> A total of 1,484 were leased and/or sold in California from 1997 to 2003, when the state dropped its mandate under legal pressure from lawsuits filed by automakers.<ref name="Boschert06">{{Cite book |last=[[Sherry Boschert]] |url=https://archive.org/details/pluginhybridscar00bosc |title=Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America |publisher=New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, Canada |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-86571-571-4 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231172303/http://www.sherryboschert.com/plugin_and_more.html |archive-date=December 31, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A second generation of the RAV4 EV was developed in 2010 as part of a deal with [[Tesla, Inc.|Tesla]]. The production version was unveiled in August 2012, using battery pack, electronics and powertrain components from Tesla.<ref name="Toyota Telsa">{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2012 |title=Toyota RAV4 EV key for meeting California ZEV requirements; Tesla powertrain uses Model S components |url=http://www.greencarcongress.com/2012/08/rav4ev-20120803.html |access-date=August 4, 2012 |website=Green Car Congress}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=White|first=Addison|date=July 30, 2020|title=Toyota Once Partnered With Tesla to Make a Disappointing Electric RAV4|url=https://www.motorbiscuit.com/toyota-once-partnered-with-tesla-to-make-a-disappointing-electric-rav4/|access-date=October 31, 2021|website=MotorBiscuit|language=en-US}}</ref> The RAV4 EV had a limited production run with just under 3,000 vehicles being produced, before it was discontinued in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 29, 2014 |title=Toyota Wraps Up Production of RAV4 EV |language=en |work=PluginCars.com |url=http://www.plugincars.com/toyota-wraps-production-rav4-ev-130150.html |access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 3, 2018 |title=Don't look for a Toyota RAV4 EV successor anytime soon |language=en |work=Roadshow |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/toyota-rav4-ev-sounds-unlikely-hybrid-double-down/ |access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref> According to Bloomberg News, the partnership between Tesla and Toyota was "marred by clashes between engineers".<ref name="Trudell & Ohnsman 2014">{{Cite news |last1=Trudell |first1=Craig |last2=Ohnsman |first2=Alan |date=August 7, 2014 |title=Why the Tesla-Toyota Partnership Short-Circuited |language=en |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-08-07/tesla-toyota-deal-to-develop-electric-suv-fizzles |access-date=July 28, 2021}}</ref>

Starting in 2009, Toyota introduced three generations of concept electric vehicles called the [[FT-EV]] built on a modified [[Toyota iQ]] platform. In late-2012, the company announced plans to build a production version of the car called the [[Toyota iQ EV]] (Scion iQ EV in the US, Toyota eQ in Japan),<ref name="iQEV">{{Cite web |date=July 1, 2011 |title=Toyota officially confirms 2012 launch of electric Scion iQ |url=http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/01/toyota-officially-confirms-2012-launch-of-electric-scion-iq/?a_dgi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023200336/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/01/toyota-officially-confirms-2012-launch-of-electric-scion-iq/?a_dgi |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2011 |publisher=[[Autoblog]]}}</ref> but ultimately production was cut back to 100 cars for special fleet use in Japan and the U.S. only.<ref name="WP0912">{{Cite news |date=September 24, 2012 |title=Toyota beefs up green vehicles, plans electric car for this year, fuel cell vehicle by 2015 |work=[[Toledo Blade]] |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2012/09/24/Toyota-beefs-up-green-vehicles-plans-electric-car-for-this-year-fuel-cell-vehicle-by-2015.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302175523/http://www.toledoblade.com/Automotive/2012/09/24/Toyota-beefs-up-green-vehicles-plans-electric-car-for-this-year-fuel-cell-vehicle-by-2015.html |archive-date=March 2, 2017}}</ref>

In late 2012, Toyota announced that it would back away from fully electric vehicles, after producing less than 5,000. At the time, the company's vice chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, said: "''The current capabilities of electric vehicles do not meet society's needs, whether it may be the distance the cars can run, or the costs, or how it takes a long time to charge''."

A shift in Toyota's formerly battery-agnostic posture could be seen as early as 2016, when Toyota's CFO Takahiko Ijichi "sent a strong signal that Toyota soon plans to jump on the battery bandwagon and make electric cars despite expressing skeptical views about their range and charging times," as the Wall Street Journal wrote.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 2016 |title= Toyota Looks to Electric Cars as Stronger Yen Dents Profits |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/toyota-profit-falls-on-strong-yen-weak-u-s-sales-1478586115?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f|author = Sean McLain |newspaper= [[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref> Toyota said it would make and sell battery-electric vehicles if and where regulations and markets demand.

A year later, Toyota outlined its electric-vehicle plans for between 2020 and 2030 to the press in Tokyo, saying it would introduce ''"more than 10"'' battery-electric vehicles worldwide by the early 2020s, beginning in China, and later in Japan, Europe, the US and India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 18, 2017 |title= Toyota to introduce 10 electric cars by mid-2020s |url= https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/toyota-to-introduce-10-electric-cars-by-mid-2020s/|author = Andrew Krok }}</ref>

In April 2019, Toyota introduced the [[Toyota C-HR EV|C-HR EV]], its first mass-produced pure electric model in China along with an identical twin called the IZOA EV.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Toyota Premieres Toyota-brand Battery Electric Vehicles Ahead of 2020 China Launch |url=https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/27769546.html |access-date=October 31, 2021 |publisher=Toyota}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=December 2023}} It went on sale in April 2020 and May 2020 respectively. Nikkei reported in October 2020 that Toyota had only sold less than 2,000 units in the first eight months of the year.<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 6, 2021|title=Toyota C-HR Electric fails to excite customers in China|url=https://electricvehicleweb.com/toyota-c-hr-electric-first-photos/|access-date=October 31, 2021|website=ElectricVehicleWeb|language=en-US}}</ref>

Toyota introduced the [[Toyota C+pod|C+pod]] in late 2020, a 2-seater [[kei car]] with an estimated range of {{Convert|100|km}} and a top speed of {{Convert|60|km/h}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Padeanu |first=Adrian |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Toyota Reveals Tiny Production EV Ahead Of Late 2020 Launch |url=https://www.motor1.com/news/376824/toyota-ultra-compact-bev-revealed/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018115127/https://www.motor1.com/news/376824/toyota-ultra-compact-bev-revealed/ |archive-date=October 18, 2019 |access-date=October 17, 2019 |website=[[Motorsport Network#Motor1.com|Motor1.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Szymkowski |first=Sean |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Teeny-weeny Toyota electric city car will hit Japanese streets next year |url=https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/toyota-electric-city-car-japan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018115148/https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/toyota-electric-city-car-japan/ |archive-date=October 18, 2019 |access-date=October 17, 2019 |website=[[CNET|Roadshow]]}}</ref>

In December 2020, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda stated that electric cars are excessively "hyped" and that, in Japan, they would not necessarily reduce carbon dioxide emissions since electricity is mostly generated by burning coal and natural gas in the country. He also said that the infrastructure needed for Japan to switch fully to EVs would cost between $135 billion and $358 billion and switching only to EVs would cost millions of jobs and make cars less affordable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2020 |title=Toyota's chief says electric vehicles are overhyped |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/toyotas-chief-says-electric-vehicles-are-overhyped-11608196665 |website=www.wsj.com |publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>

In April 2021, Toyota revealed the [[Toyota bZ4X|bZ4X]], an electric crossover SUV that will be the first vehicle built on a dedicated electric platform called [[Toyota New Global Architecture#e-TNGA|e-TNGA]] when it goes on sale in mid-2022.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Toyota announces its new BEV series, Toyota bZ, in establishment of a full line-up of electrified vehicles |url=https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/35083987.html |access-date=April 19, 2021 |publisher=Toyota}}</ref> It is the first model of the [[Toyota bZ series|bZ]] ("beyond Zero") series of battery electric vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gauthier |first=Michael |date=April 19, 2021 |title=Toyota's bZ4X Concept Previews An Electric SUV Coming In 2022 |url=https://www.carscoops.com/2021/04/toyotas-bz4x-concept-previews-an-electric-crossover-coming-in-2022/ |access-date=April 19, 2021 |website=Carscoops}}</ref> The company has also stated that there will be seven "bZ" models to be launched globally out of 15 BEV models by 2025.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Toyota Reveals Global Electrification Strategy in Shanghai |url=https://toyota.pressroom.com.au/press_release_detail.asp?clientID=2&prID=45748&navSectionID=2 |access-date=April 19, 2021 |publisher=Toyota |location=Australia |archive-date=April 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419042235/https://toyota.pressroom.com.au/press_release_detail.asp?clientID=2&prID=45748&navSectionID=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=December 2023}}

In June 2021, Transport & Environment ranked Toyota as the least ready OEM to transition to battery electric vehicles by 2030, stating: "Toyota has not set a target for 2030 and it plans to produce just 10% BEVs in 2025. It is expected to rely on polluting hybrid technologies."<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 16, 2021 |title=Volvo and VW the only European carmakers on track to electrify on time – study |url=https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/volvo-and-vw-only-european-carmakers-track-electrify-time-study |website=www.transportenvironment.com |publisher=Transport & Environment |access-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626222348/https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/volvo-and-vw-only-european-carmakers-track-electrify-time-study |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announces major shift in the company's BEV plans.png|thumb|[[Akio Toyoda]] shows prototypes of 15 BEVs during Toyota's briefing on BEV strategies in December 2021.]]

In December 2021, Toyota announced in Tokyo plans for 30 battery-electric models by 2030, to sell 3.5 million BEVs per year by that date, and that its premium-brand Lexus will be 100% battery-operated by 2030 in North America, Europe, and China. The company announced investments of $70 billion into the company's electrification.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 15, 2021 |title= Toyota commits $70 bln to bolster electrification, shares rally |url= https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/toyota-says-have-30-battery-electric-line-up-vehicles-by-2030-2021-12-14//|author = Tim Kelly |website= [[Reuters]] }}</ref>

In a session in parallel with the G-7 Meeting 2023 May, Akio Toyoda said that battery electric vehicles are not solely the future, instead offering a mix of battery electric, internal combustion engine-equipped and hydrogen cars.<ref name="Bloomberg-2023-01-06"/>

Toyota has been developing [[Solid-state battery|solid-state batteries]] in partnership with [[Panasonic]], in which the company has more than a thousand patents covering solid-state batteries by late 2020.<ref name="motortrend.com">{{Cite web|date=September 8, 2021|title=Toyota's Already Testing Its Solid-State Battery Tech on Public Roads|url=https://www.motortrend.com/news/toyota-battery-bev-hev-solid-state-future-investment/|access-date=October 31, 2021|website=MotorTrend|language=en}}</ref> The technology has been implemented on the Toyota LQ concept. Toyota hopes the technology could increase efficiency of battery electric vehicles by 30 percent, which in turn would reduce battery costs by the same amount.<ref name="motortrend.com"/>