Toyota’s Battery Strategy: A Royal Flush in the Electric Vehicle Market

Ever since Akio Toyoda, the former president of Toyota Motor Corporation, assumed the role of chairman and stepped back from frontline operations, the automaker has launched an aggressive campaign in the electric vehicle (EV) market. Recently, Toyota announced its plans to incorporate solid-state batteries into its EVs by 2027, and its investment in battery manufacturing in the United States has escalated to $5.9 billion.

In the past, Toyota faced criticism for its perceived lack of enthusiasm towards EV transition. This skepticism likely stemmed from Toyoda’s assertion that the enemy of carbon emissions was not the internal combustion engine. Hence, Toyota continued to pursue the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. However, as the market tilts significantly towards EVs, Toyota must respond appropriately. Solid-state batteries might be Toyota’s ace to reverse the game.

Yukihiro Nakajima, deputy president of Toyota, has revealed that the company originally planned to launch batteries for hybrid vehicles (HV) early this decade. However, concerns over the durability of these batteries and their potential to hinder the development of EV batteries made them reconsider. Additionally, liquid electrolytes in current lithium-ion batteries pose fire risks when subjected to impact. Consequently…