Toyota electric car to enter market by 2020 as battery-electrics fall into favour

Toyota, long the champion of petrol-electric hybrids and fuel-cell hybrids, is reportedly preparing to dive into the world of pure-electric vehicles instead, with the market debut of its first entirely battery-powered mass-market passenger car expected in 2020.

A report in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper says plans for a Toyota EV are already moving ahead, and the automaker – the world’s second-largest behind Volkswagen – is aiming to develop a car with a single-charge range of more than 300km.

If the reports are true, it signifies a significant departure from the company’s present green car strategy. Toyota popularised hybrids with its Prius family of vehicles and has sunk significant capital into the development of hydrogen fuel cell powertrains over the past two decades, yet has all but shunned electric cars entirely.

Toyota has only briefly flirted with production-capable electrics, with the i-Road single-seater and the diminutive Toyota iQ EV being built in very low numbers and missing out on a global release. Toyota recently built a limited number of electrified RAV4s in collaboration with Tesla for the US market, but primarily for the Californian market.

However while Toyota has up until now been lukewarm on EVs, the battery electric category has been rapidly expanding. EV specialist Tesla Motors has capitalised on growing acceptance of electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz is already planning an all-electric sub-brand previewed by the EQ concept SUV, and Toyota’s chief rival Volkswagen has committed to bringing out the first of a broad family of pure electric cars at the end of the decade.

Meanwhile Nissan currently holds the title for the world’s highest-selling EV with its Leaf small hatch, and, through its alliance with French manufacturer Renault is planning more electric cars for the future. With the wider car industry increasingly gravitating towards EVs, Toyota cannot afford to sit on its hands.

To aid its EV goals, Toyota will also focus on improving its battery technology – and may even source batteries from other companies to keep production costs low. Toyota may be late to the EV party, but indications are that it has no intention of falling too far behind its battery-loving rivals.