Toyota’s new electric car will be using BYD battery tech

The race to develop an affordable electric vehicle (EV) is on as Toyota taps its Chinese carmaker partner BYD to make that possible. Reports are stating that the Japanese auto giant will integrate BYD’s battery technology, and other lower-cost engineering know-how.  

BYD Han electric vehicle

In a report by Reuters, Toyota will launch an all-electric sedan in China late next year that’s integrated with BYD technology. The said EV is also meant to come with a reasonable price tag to make it competitive in the Chinese market. 

Sources familiar with the matter shared with Reuters that Toyota’s new EV sedan will be “slightly bigger” than the Corolla’s overall dimensions. The report added that the upcoming car is set to be Toyota’s “electric holy grail”, specifically in China where the EV market is a tightly contested segment due to competitive pricing.   

Toyota will be using BYD’s less bulky lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade batteries for its upcoming EV sedan. The size of BYD’s battery allowed Toyota to have an EV that doesn’t put too much of a compromise to interior space. 

The Japanese automaker also wants to make use of BYD’s lower-cost vehicle production, which is a big factor in making its EV sedan have more competitive pricing that is said to be priced around $30,000 (Php 1.5 million).   

Toyota bZ electric vehicle

Toyota will be unveiling its EV sedan initially as a concept car at the 2022 Beijing Auto Show in April. Then, it is said to be launched as the second model in Toyota’s bZ series of EVs, which is among the many steps the automaker is taking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

The partnership between Toyota and BYD started in November 2019. The two automakers have signed an agreement for the establishment of a joint venture company to conduct research and development of battery electric vehicles (BEV). Toyota and BYD agreed to join forces in researching and developing BEVs in order to address the shift in mobility, which is electrification.  

However, Toyota previously said that the global market is not yet ready for EVs, and has been somehow hesitant to completely jump on the bandwagon just yet. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said that the industry “shouldn’t focus on just one technology but make use of the technologies we already possess.” Moreover, developing countries such as the Philippines have yet to have a clear roadmap as to when, and how will it make the EV shift.  

Philkotse is always on the go to give you updates in the automotive industry.