In a major about face, the Nikkei says that Toyota will launch mass market electric vehicles in 2020, after focusing solely on hybrids and fuel cells until now.
Sources have the Nikkei, that Toyota will begin planning and developing a new EV model as early as next year. The company aims for the EV to have a driving range of 300km (186mi) on a full charge, with the Prius or Corolla the likely platform donors.
The last time Toyota sold a pure EV was between 2012 and 2014, when it sold a modified RAV4 fitted with batteries from Tesla.
Toyota may develop its own battery technology or buy it in from an outside vendor. The company plans to launch the new EV model in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
While Nissan and others have pursued EVs, Toyota has stuck to developing hybrids, such as the Prius, plug-in hybrids, like the Prius Prime (above), and hydrogen fuel cell cars, like the Mirai (below).
Source: Nikkei
