Toyota Motor on Wednesday selected its president to head their recently formed electrical vehicle department, flagging its dedication to establish a technology that the car manufacturer has been slow to embrace.
The modification comes as the United States, China and European nations are motivating automakers to make more all-electric battery cars as they push alternative energy methods.
Akio Toyoda, grandson of the automaker’s founder Kiichiro Toyoda, has been at the helm of the world’s largest car manufacturer from 2009. He will head the company’s electrical vehicle (EV) preparation department together with Executive Vice Presidents Mitsuhisa Kato and Shigeki Terashi.
“By putting the president and vice presidents in charge of the department, we prepare to speed up advancement of electric cars,” stated Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi, following a personnel modification statement by the company.
“The president will directly supervise the department’s operations to make it possible for decisions to be made rapidly and nimbly.”
The department consists of a new internal unit to prepare Toyota’s method to develop and market electric vehicles as part of the company’s efforts to equal the tightening worldwide emissions regulations.
Toyota is likewise moving the primary engineer of its Prius petrol-hybrid to its EV efforts, appointing Koji Toyoshima to head the division’s engineering team. Toyoshima will also join the four-member EV strategy unit, which will include representatives from group suppliers – Denso Corp, Aisin Seiki, and Toyota Industries Corporation.
Competitors such as Nissan Motor, Volkswagen AG and Tesla Motors have touted pure electrical cars as the most practical zero-emission automobiles.
However, Toyota until recently stated it preferred EVs for short-distance travelling since their limited driving range and prolonged charging time. It has been investing heavily in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs), which the automaker thinks about as the ultimate “green” vehicle.
