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Toyota: "In The Meantime" Plan For Hybrid And New EV Fleet

Toyota has a plan for more hybrids and EV's but what is it? After revealing secrets at HQ in Plano there is one remarkable thing they are doing to transition into the future.
2021 Toyota BZ4X Concept

Toyota Motor Company is the largest automaker in the world over. With the invention of the hybrid car, Prius, they have forged an empire in the alternative fuel market.

Toyota is very strategic, and their new game plan to transition to EV is not shocking but somewhat expected. It all has to do with the Prius mindset.

Toyota Prius: The Segue Into EV
The word Prius can be defined in several ways. The most common way people interpret the name is "to come before." Toyota developed Prius in order to be a bridge technology into the FCHV platform. Toyota has struggled hard with fuel cell and has now rethought its strategy.

Prius could loosely be defined (and I mean really loosely) as "in the meantime," which is the current catchphrase Toyota is using to make the jump into hyperspace with EV cars.

What Does "In The Meantime Mean?"
The term is a passive way to tell us, consumers, that Toyota has a plan for EV cars, but to get there; hurdles need to be crossed first.

Toyota announced that as it makes its way into the EV world, it must first have a hybrid version for every vehicle in its current lineup.

According to Toyota, they believe that 70 percent of their sales will be alternative fuel options by 2030 and 15 percent of their sales being completely EV.

Thoughts From The Hybrid Guy
Obviously, Toyota knows something we all do not. To offer more hybrid options with an eventual bridge to full EV is a bold statement to make, especially when Elon Musk and the Tesla crew are forging ahead full steam.

I think that this is a basic Toyota move which means they observe what everyone else does, then they will come in and perfect it. That plan of attack is not new to Toyota; they are the King of Kaizen.

Regardless of what happens, a full hybrid lineup is nothing small to talk about. I fully believe that Toyota has all the data they need to support this radical movement toward complete hybridization. Otherwise, they would not be where they are today.

What are your thoughts on "in the meantime?" What do you think the Toyota Kaizen strategy is here with the future of gasoline and Toyota jumping on the EV bandwagon?

Please drop a comment below; I would like to hear from you. That is all for today. Remember Today's Adventure is Tomorrow's Story.

Check it out!

Check out this wild new battery tech that Tesla has and why it will forever change the auto industry.

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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporter.

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Comments

Al D (not verified)    June 9, 2021 - 2:40PM

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Having a 15% EV lineup by 2030 means Toyota expects to sell around 1.5 million of them and 8.5 million of every other vehicle type combined. Considering Toyota sold almost 2 million hybrids last year, which is 4 times as many EV's as Tesla sold, I'd say having a goal to sell 3 times as many EV's in 2030 as Tesla sold in 2020 is perhaps a bit optimistic, given their expected lineup of improved conventional vehicles, hybrids, PHEV's, and FCEV's.

I hope Toyota expands the Prime family to several vehicle types including trucks and Lexus vehicles. I hope to have several Toyota and Lexus PHEV's to choose from when the 2024 models come out. No EV for me. Not with these batteries.

Gerry P (not verified)    June 11, 2021 - 11:35AM

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I own a plug-in Prius and a Tesla. In comparison the Tesla is better in every way. The Prius was innovative when it first came out many years ago, good gas mileage, lower emissions. The had a “first mover” advantage. But now Toyota has lost leadership - their wait-and-see strategy is disappointing. Toyota has a bridge strategy when the world needs change. Hybrids are complex and expensive to build, and then maintain. The Ford F-150 electric shows what corporate leadership looks like.

Luther Renfroe (not verified)    June 11, 2021 - 4:59PM

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A EV at this time is not practical until they can improve the battery & charging rate. At this time the Rav4 Prime is the only sensible solution. We need more of these type vehicles made.