Will Toyota change course and build a mass-market electric car?

By Stephen Edelstein November 9, 2016

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Toyota doesn’t like battery-electric cars. It believes hydrogen fuel cells are the better technology, because they generally offer greater range, and short refueling times similar to gasoline cars. But Toyota may be changing its attitude.

The Japanese automaker is now considering building an electric car, according to a Nikkei report. That car could appear in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, although that doesn’t give Toyota much time to accomplish a huge task. The company hasn’t even put together an electric-car development team, according to the report. That will happen over the next couple of months.

Interestingly, the Japanese government is expected to use the 2020 Olympics to promote hydrogen fuel cells, and Toyota will likely be a part of that, too. The automaker will supply a fleet of fuel-cell buses, with the first ones set to be delivered next year. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing the concept of a “hydrogen society,” where fuel cells are used to power buildings as well as vehicles.

The Toyota electric car itself could be a small SUV, and may use the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform that underpins the current-generation Prius hybrid. The Prius’ chief engineer, Koji Toyoshima, recently indicated that Toyota is now more confident in the lithium-ion battery cells other automakers already use in their electric cars. Toyota is continuing lithium-ion development work, but could also buy batteries for its electric car from an outside supplier, according to Nikkei.

Toyota isn’t completely new to electric cars. It sold two generations of the RAV4 EV, an electric version of its ubiquitous RAV4 SUV. Both were built solely to satisfy California regulations. The second-generation model (pictured above) used a powertrain from Tesla Motors. Toyota also built an electric version of its tiny iQ city car, which was imported to the U.S. in extremely limited numbers as the Scion iQ EV.

Instead of electric cars, Toyota has focused on promoting its Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car. The Mirai is currently sold only in California, because it’s the only state with a decent network for hydrogen fueling stations.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Move aside, Tesla. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the best electric sedan for the masses

The front view of a red Hyundai Ioniq 6.

EVs of all shapes and sizes are finally coming, but not in equal measure. While we now have a solid array of midsize crossovers (like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6), sedans and SUVs aren't quite there yet. Sure, we have expensive sedans and SUVs, like the Rivian R1S and the Lucid Air, but if you're looking for a car for your small family and don't want, or can't afford, to spend a ton of cash, your options are limited.

But that's changing -- and there's a new car that, at least right now, makes a serious case for itself. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the best electric sedan for the masses, and it goes right up against the likes of the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2. With a base price of $41,600, the Ioniq 6 is right in the same league as the $40,240 Model 3 and $48,400 Polestar 2.
What else is even out there?
When it comes to lower-priced electric sedans, before now, there were really only two options: the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2. Other sedans exist, but they're not accessible by the majority of drivers. I recently reviewed the Lucid Air Grand Touring and loved it -- but I'm not spending $138,000 on a car unless I win the lottery.

Cars

The locations of over 2 million Toyota cars were exposed for 10 years

Ever get the sense that you're being tracked? Well, if you're a Toyota driver, you may have been. Toyota has disclosed in a statement that the locations of 2,150,000 of its customers were at risk of breach between November 6, 2013, and April 17, 2023.

Information that was at risk specifically included the vehicle GPS and navigation terminal ID number, the chassis number, and the location of the vehicle with time data. This information is related to Toyota's cloud-based Connected service, which is used to remind owners to get maintenance done, stream entertainment in the car, and help find owners during emergency situations. Users who used services like Toyota Connected, G-Link, and G-Book were potentially affected.

Cars

Best used EVs: get an electric car without paying full price

A Tesla Model 3 on a road.

Electric cars are all the rage, and for good reason. They're super-responsive, brimming with high-tech, and better for the environment. But they're still relatively new, and new ones are still relatively expensive. As a result, you may be wondering how you can get your hands on a used EV.

But buying a used EV can be a little daunting. After all, given how quickly electric cars are improving, you might want to make sure you're really getting an EV that will last more than a year or two. That's why we've put together this guide on the best used EVs.
Tesla Model 3