Toyota Motor Corporation have announced their plan to become a carbon neutral company at a recent press briefing led by Toyota president Akio Toyoda. The strategy includes producing 30 battery electric vehicle (EV) models by 2030 with the aim of 3.5 million sales during this period.
As part of this strategy, the Toyota owned Lexus brand will also aim to be 100 percent battery electric in Europe, North America and China by 2030. This announcement underpins Toyota’s plan for 100 percent CO2 reduction in all new vehicles sales by 2035 in West Europe.
During the press briefing, the Japanese carmaker revealed 16 new Toyota and Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV) models. Toyota are readying these new models for market launch, with the all-new Toyota bZ4X due next year.
Toyota will have a full range of electric vehicles including the bZ Small Crossover, the bZ Compact SUV, the bZ SDN saloon and the bZ Large SUV. Toyota will also launch an electric pick-up and their Compact Cruiser short-wheel-base off-road vehicle. The ‘bZ’ means going beyond Zero which is part of the brand’s aim.
The Lexus range will include a sports car, the Lexus Electrified Sport, along with a crossover, saloon and SUV. The brand will also offer a box-shaped van and a futuristic-looking micro box van.
Akio Toyoda, Toyota president, said: The Toyota bZ means going ‘beyond Zero’. Freedom of movement and fun to drive for all. Our goal is not only to reduce CO2 emissions and other negative impacts to zero. Our goal goes beyond those.
“For the bZ series, we developed a dedicated platform for battery EVs to meet the diverse needs of the global market. The first model in the lineup is the bZ4X. Jointly developing it with Subaru enabled us to pursue smoothness and manoeuvrability as well as the drivability of a genuine SUV.”
“The most compact SUV in the series―a small battery EV with a comfortable interior designed with Europe and Japan in mind. Because this SUV is a small vehicle, there is something we must be thorough and very particular about. And that is power efficiency.
“Putting our best efforts into all aspects of these, with this vehicle, we are aiming for a power consumption of 125 watt-hours per kilometre, which would be the highest in the compact SUV class.”
