Tokyo-based car manufacturer Toyota led the clean cars movement with its release of the hybrid Prius a little more than a decade ago, but it has since fallen behind as the market has moved toward full electrification and eco-friendly automobile options.
That looks to be changing, though, as the car company has announced that it plans to offer more than 10 purely battery-powered vehicles from 2020 on — with every car it sells available in an electric or hybrid model by 2025, TechCrunch reported Monday.
Toyota has previously announced its intention to first target China for its fully electric vehicle sales, but the company is also planning to sell the cars in Japan, India, Europe and the U.S.
The battery and power technology to make this happen will come from electronics company Panasonic. The electrified vehicles’ batteries will include some next-generation battery tech, as well as current generation lithium-ion models. Toyota plans to invest up to $13.3 billion through 2030 in battery development to help put itself on pace in the electric vehicle space.
Nearly half of the cars Toyota currently sells each year are electrified in some way, and the firm has set a goal of selling 5.5 million electrified vehicles annually by 2030.
Electrification has been a push in the automotive industry for the last two years or so, as automakers race ahead to attain electrified or non-ICE engines.
Toyota had faced some criticism for being behind, though it seems ready to catch up to its rivals.