New Toyota EV company launched

[voyager]

Toyota will launch a new start-up company this December to develop electric vehicles (EVs). This company, which is yet to be named, will begin work in two weeks' time with the aim of fast-tracking Toyota EV models to the market. It will be comprised of just four employees but will have access to the tools and information of Toyota's main brand. No timescale for when the first Toyota EV would arrive has been revealed, but Japanese newspaper Nikkei claimed last week that Toyota would bring its first EV to market by 2020.

Toyota EV company launched to develop electric cars | Autocar

 

[mspohr]

Wow!
Four employees.
Toyota is really serious about these new EVs.
They should have something ready to go in 10 years if they are lucky.
Of course, if they are good mechanics and have access to all of Toyota's Ice cars, they could rip the engine from a Corolla,stuff some batteries in the trunk an have a Frankencar ready in a few years.

 

[DiamondHands]

I really feel for Toyota, having been a loyal customer over the years, because they could have been so successful had they had the foresight, the vision, to go EV instead of hydrogen cells.

 

[Xenius]

I really feel for Toyota, having been a loyal customer over the years, because they could have been so successful had they had the foresight, the vision, to go EV instead of hydrogen cells.

I feel the same way about Honda

 

[wycolo]

Rav4 EVs on the used market yield high prices even with the low range limitation. For starters Toyota could try to stuff more battery into this mid size SUV. Has anyone succeeded at this or would this just remove the available load rating for the vehicle?
--

 

[Johan]

Seeing how they named their hydrogen car "Mirai" (meaning future) I think they should name this company "Kino" (for yesterday, as in this should have happened yesterday).

 

[MacroP]

I think part of Toyota's (and Honda) push for fuel cell EVs is tied into the upcoming 2020 Olympics. The Japanese government, as I understand it, is throwing bucket loads of money into hydrogen infrastructure and HFCV subsidies for a PR showcase at the Olympics in Japan in 2020 however I think 2020 is now too far away and perhaps Toyota have now realized this as Europe (and the US and China) seem to be full steam ahead with BEV development. The recent VW diesel scandal has accelerated the transition no doubt. If the Japanese manufacturers don't move now they might be caught on the back foot and left behind in the global market if they're not careful. Interesting times.

 

[mspohr]

I ng . If the Japanese manufacturers don't move now they might be caught on the back foot and left behind in the global market if they're not careful. Interesting times.

They're already 5-10 years behind. They are back footed.
Can they catch up? Four employees isn't going to do it.

 

[DiamondHands]

I know that this isn't Tesla-related, but while we're on this topic, I have always had this frustration (as a 2010 Prius owner) of how, in my view, a behemoth of a company like Toyota can create such a hideous looking car, namely the 2016 Prius. My makes fun of me about it, but I literally cringe when I see the car on the road, to me it is strikingly reminiscent of the Aztec crossover. Not a fan. With the amount of resources ( human, capital) such a company has at its disposal, I cannot fathom how they could not have created a car as beautiful as tesla with an extraordinary drag coefficient to match.

 

[ecarfan]

This company, which is yet to be named, will begin work in two weeks' time with the aim of fast-tracking Toyota EV models to the market. It will be comprised of just four employees but will have access to the tools and information of Toyota's main brand. No timescale for when the first Toyota EV would arrive has been revealed,

With 4 employees it looks like their first EV should definitely hit the market before the end of this century.

Toyota appears to be completely clueless about how this announcement will be perceived. Obviously 4 employees cannot possibly design and bring to market a new car. So are these people responsible for coordinating and directing the actions of some other large group of employees, or what?

This announcement reads more like an Onion parody than a real world event.

 

[DiamondHands]

With 4 employees it looks like their first EV should definitely hit the market before the end of this century.

This announcement reads more like an Onion parody than a real world event.

lol

This.

 

[McRat]

Truth?

Nobody is making money selling EV's yet. Those seeking the highest profits, are trying to avoid EV's.

Toyota did not get where they are by being foolish with their money. They are not really an innovator, they are a producer.

They most likely had to license fuel cell tech from outside to build the Mirai. They were way late to game fuel cell game which started in the 1960's. Honda is using GM patents for their Clarity fuel cell car. Toyota is probably non-disclosure with GM since they have been partners in the past.

 

[voyager]

What surprises me is that Toyota reveals nothing about yet another development it has been pursuing since a couple of years, and that is the Free Piston Engine Generator. It doubles energy efficiency by coupling a free moving piston to a generator. A sort of a hybrid, but then way cheaper to make, and you only need a small battery pack, enough to make it out of the city if you want zero emission within city limits.

IMO, it is THE recipe to have small EVs that can compete with ICE cars on price.

 

[mspohr]

What surprises me is that Toyota reveals nothing about yet another development it has been pursuing since a couple of years, and that is the Free Piston Engine Generator. It doubles energy efficiency by coupling a free moving piston to a generator. A sort of a hybrid, but then way cheaper to make, and you only need a small battery pack, enough to make it out of the city if you want zero emission within city limits.

IMO, it is THE recipe to have small EVs that can compete with ICE cars on price.

Another ICE? Just what we don't need.

 

[mspohr]

Truth?

Nobody is making money selling EV's yet. Those seeking the highest profits, are trying to avoid EV's.

Toyota did not get where they are by being foolish with their money. They are not really an innovator, they are a producer.

They most likely had to license fuel cell tech from outside to build the Mirai. They were way late to game fuel cell game which started in the 1960's. Honda is using GM patents for their Clarity fuel cell car. Toyota is probably non-disclosure with GM since they have been partners in the past.

Tesla has a profit margin of 25% on their cars.

 

[McRat]

Tesla has a profit margin of 25% on their cars.

Toyota would make EV's in a heartbeat if they could turn a buck on them. That's what car companies do.

Toyota did not stop building RAV4 EV's because the obscene profits would make them feel guilt. It was cheaper to buy Sacramento off than to continue to lose money on them.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Nobody is making money selling EV's yet. Those seeking the highest profits, are trying to avoid EV's.

And the Mirai...?

 

[McRat]

And the Mirai...?

It's a domestic market car (Japanese government buyer rebate is $20k), and they are trying (successfully) to lobby California to fund the infrastructure and put double the subsidies per car in place.

 

[JohnSnowNW]

It's a domestic market car, and they are trying (successfully) to lobby California to fund the infrastructure and put double the subsidies per car in place.

The R&D is higher on an FCEV, and profitability more difficult...is the point.

 

[ohmman]

Toyota would make EV's in a heartbeat if they could turn a buck on them. That's what car companies do.

That's not exactly true. Companies prioritize based on the upside. Toyota could almost certainly "turn a buck" on an EV. They might not be able to turn as many bucks as they can selling hybrids or ICE vehicles, though.