Toyota working on new all-electric platform; takes inspiration from Tesla

In February, plans for an all-electric platform for future Toyota EVs were outlined after the OEM’s former chief executive, Akio Toyoda, handpicked Sato as his successor to lead the company. The new Toyota CEO says one of his top priorities will be to streamline the car structure and overhaul the way the company does business. The new pure electric vehicle architecture is expected to play a key role in this strategy.

Also read: Toyota to launch 10 new electric models by 2026; target sales of 1.5m units

Toyota is drawing inspiration from Tesla’s innovations in the electric vehicle manufacturing industry, the report said. The Japanese auto brand is reportedly taking inspiration from Tesla’s Giga Press casting machine and other production-related processes to reduce manufacturing costs and improve profit margins.

So far, Toyota has used the e-TNGA platform for its pure electric vehicles Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ. The e-TNGA is a modular vehicle platform that shares several components with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. As such, it is not as cost-effective as the dedicated EV architectures automakers are working on. Additionally, several projects that were supposed to be built on the e-TNGA platform have reportedly been delayed or canceled because it is not a fully EV architecture.

However, the report also notes that while Toyota is developing an all-new pure electric vehicle architecture, it is reluctant to remove gasoline-powered vehicles from its lineup. Plus, it’s not even ready to provide a timeline for the retirement of ICE-powered vehicles. The automaker has instead focused on a diversified powertrain strategy that will make gasoline hybrids an integral part of the company’s business even as it ramps up production of electric vehicles.

First published date: April 9, 2023 at 13:37pm CST