Toyota May Share Next-Gen EV Tech With Partners Like Mazda And Subaru

• Toyota’s new CEO, Koji Sato, aims to transform the company into an EV powerhouse, possibly sharing its new battery tech with partners like Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki, etc.
• Toyota plans to sell 3.5 million EVs per year by 2030, with half of them based on a new EV platform set to launch in 2026, potentially offering a range of up to 932 miles.
• The company is creating a unit called the BEV Factory business, tasked with designing a simple-to-build new vehicle architecture.
• New production processes, like Tesla-inspired giga presses and self-propelled production lines, aim to reduce the manufacturing costs of EVs.
• Toyota plans to reduce worker dependence, while upskilling employees for more productive roles.
• The company’s tech innovations will be applied across all its vehicles, regardless of whether they’re electric.
• In an effort to increase scale and spread costs, Toyota may share its EV tech with its partners, companies like Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Hino, Isuzu, etc., in which it holds stakes.
• Partners collectively sell 16.3 million units per year and collaborations on EVs, like the Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra, have already been successful.

Detailed View

In a move to cut down costs and broaden the impact of its novel EV platform, Toyota may offer its advanced technology to partner firms like Suzuki.

Koji Sato, the recently appointed CEO of Toyota, envisions a bright future for the brand, one where it emerges as a leading player in the electric vehicle (EV) market, fending off competitors such as Tesla. To reach this ambitious goal, the company considers sharing its cutting-edge battery technology with its associates, including Subaru, Mazda, and Suzuki.

Toyota is preparing a roadmap that includes selling 3.5 million EVs annually by 2030, with nearly half of them built on a fresh EV platform set to debut in 2026. This innovative platform, powered by new battery tech, could potentially deliver impressive ranges of up to 932 miles (1,500 km).

But the advancements aren’t only about covering distances. Toyota is focusing on production efficiency too. According to Autonews, a newly formed division called the BEV Factory will simplify the construction of new vehicles. Incorporating methods inspired by Tesla, like giga presses that enable manufacturing with fewer parts, and self-driving production lines, Toyota aims to cut down on the traditionally high production costs of EVs.

While the company plans to lessen worker-dependency, it’s also committed to developing its employees for more essential roles. Toyota’s learnings from its EV developments will be infused into the production of all their vehicles, electric or otherwise. “It’s not just about EVs,” says Takero Kato, the president of BEV Factory. “We’re aiming to increase our quality and flexibility across the board.”

Toyota isn’t keeping these advancements to itself either. To amplify the impact and distribute the cost of development, it’s considering sharing its new EV tech with other companies it’s invested in, like Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Hino, and Isuzu.

Collectively, these firms sell over 16.3 million units every year. Toyota’s past collaborations have already resulted in successful EVs like the Toyota bZ4X/Subaru Solterra. It is also committed to providing these firms with its future hybrid technology. In doing so, it’s following a similar path to Volkswagen, which is also sharing its EV platforms to manage development costs.