Toyota may well be the world’s leading manufacturer of electric cars, but we don’t necessarily claim that it is ahead, quite the contrary.

To give you a little idea, last year, the Japanese automaker sold just 24,466 all-electric vehicles worldwide. A drop in the ocean compared to the 2.6 million hybrid cars sold by the brand in the same period, or even compared to the 1.3 million electric vehicles delivered by world market leader Tesla in 2022.

Simple and effective

Nevertheless, Toyota intends to catch up. The Japanese manufacturer recently announced a reorganization of its electrification strategy, including the launch of a special architecture by 2026. The Japanese firm intends to draw inspiration from the best for its future range of electric models.

According to Automotive News, Toyota engineers recently conducted a study of the Tesla Model Y, breaking down all of the vehicle’s features item by item. According to the first data reported by Automotive News, Engineers would be very impressed with the simplicity and efficiency of the Model Y.

“Looking at the bottom of the Model Y, it was a real work of art. It is incredibly”said a Toyota executive who analyzed the car piece by piece. They were particularly impressed by how different the latest versions of the Model Y were from the previous versions, even though the models are completely identical from an aesthetic point of view.

The road is still long

The engineers were also impressed by the manufacturing process, such as the use of the famous Giga press, which eliminates countless parts and supports, or the structural battery that acts as a floor, thus also eliminating many parts.

This new design approach by Tesla has eliminated hundreds of pieces and up to 100 kg on scaleswhile increasing battery life and reducing manufacturing costs.

One Toyota engineer said: “This is a completely different production strategy”and another added: “We need a new platform exclusively for electric vehicles.”

Engineers have apparently taken some lessons from this experience and intend to work on four main areas: a dedicated platform for electric vehicles, lighter and more efficient batteries, an all-electric factory and, finally, a centralized software architecture.