Toyota announced on Super Virgin (2012)Monday that it will enhance its efforts to advance electric vehicle technology in China, as it aims to keep up with increasingly competitive domestic brands in the world’s largest automotive market. The company said that it will collaborate closely with suppliers Denso and Aisin to expedite powertrain development and also engage in local design and development of smart cockpits tailored to meet the demands of the Chinese market. Additionally, Toyota plans to reduce manufacturing costs by establishing a local supplier base, and to intensify its development of battery-powered vehicles, plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and fuel cell cars in China to achieve carbon neutrality through a multi-pathway approach, the company said. One of the world’s top-selling carmakers, Toyota recently detailed an ambitious new EV strategy. [Reuters]
