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CDA
March 6, 2023
Toyota is developing a new strategy for the electric car and Lexus will be the spearhead of it.
The arrival of the new head of the Toyota Group will mean important changes in the manufacturer’s strategy and, above all, in its luxury brand, Lexus, with a greater focus on electric cars.
Just a few weeks ago, the arrival of Koji Satō as president and CEO of the automobile group replacing Akio Toyoda, who had been in office for 14 years. The change will be effective from April 1, but Sato is already working on the future of Toyota and Lexus.
New generation of electric Lexus from 2026
Sato has already revealed that the automaker is going to create exclusive new electric vehicles for Toyota and Lexus, its luxury division. Precisely, this brand will be the first to debuts its “next generation” of battery electric vehicleswhich will be released in 2026.
Toyota is being slow to adopt electric vehicle technology and for his reluctance to go beyond his hybrid models and that is one of the reasons that seem to justify the replacement of Toyoda (who will remain as chairman of the board of directors) by Sato.
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Asked about this apparent slowness in the adoption of the electric car, Sato explained that it is mainly due to communication problems and confirmed that the manufacturer will maintain its “multi-track” and “omnidirectional” approach, which means that won’t be ditching its hybrid vehicles any time soon. “The energy situation varies around the world,” she said. “We want to be in tune with customers around the world and offer diverse options.”
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Nevertheless, Toyota intends to accelerate its electrification plans under his new management and will adopt “a BEV-first mentality” (electric vehicles first).
“To offer attractive electric cars to more customers, we must streamline the structure of the car, and with a BEV-first mentality, we must drastically change the way we do businessfrom manufacturing to sales and service,” said Sato, who confirmed that: “Lexus will lead this transformation.”
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