Where is Toyota in the electric sector? Having been skeptical of this technology for a long time, preferring a hybrid, the Japanese manufacturer finally had to catch up with the market and, in turn, launch exclusively battery-powered models into production. Last year, the brand released its first model: the BbZ4X crossover, the electric equivalent of the RAV4. Since then, a compact sedan has been launched in China to rival the Tesla Model 3: the bZ3. 16 concept models were also presented, sending a strong message: despite the delay, Toyota is achieving its ambitions in the electric sector. A goal mentioned by group boss Koji Sato, to sell 1.5 million electric cars by 2026…

Solid batteries for 2026

But how can we achieve this after going back so far? Already with an ambitious product plan: the brand intends to do what it does best, which is to conquer every market segment and every model category. City car, compact, sedan, crossover, SUV, 4X4, universal, pickup, sports… This is an important condition for its success: the development of low-cost batteries to offer electric models that are more affordable than they are now. To achieve this, Toyota is working on the deployment of solid-state batteries from 2026. Compared to the widespread lithium-ion batteries, they would be 20% cheaper in productionand would not offer the same performance.

Meanwhile, LFP batteries

When we talk about the performance of electric vehicles, of course we mean it autonomy. Toyota is working on technology that allows you to travel 800 kilometers on a single chargeand is able to recover from 20% to 80% in just 20 minutes, thanks to adoption of 800V architecture rather than 400V like most manufacturers now. Until and unless a reliable battery worthy of the name can be brought to the market, meanwhile, the brand will use another promising battery technology: LFP (Lithium-iron-phosphate). These batteries are less expensive to manufacture than the widely used NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and should allow reduce the prices of electric models, waiting for the big “solid” revolution of 2026…

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