Toyota announces a $ 13.6 billion investment plan for electric vehicle batteries with the ambition of catching up.
Lagging behind most manufacturers in terms of battery-powered electric vehicles, Toyota will react. The automaker plans to invest $ 13.6 billion.
TOYOTA, ONE OF THE MANUFACTURERS WHO DARE EVERYTHING, ALMOST EVERYTHING
Japanese automaker Toyota was one of the first manufacturers of hybrid electric vehicles. With more than 18 million hybrids sold since the introduction of the first Prius in 1997, Toyota is a trailblazer. However, the automaker has been left by the wayside in the transition to battery-electric vehicles.
However, the world’s largest automaker seems to want to turn things around. On Tuesday, Toyota announced a plan to invest $ 13.6 billion in batteries by 2030. Of the 13.6 billion, 9 will be for battery production. The expected production is 180 to 200 GWh / year by the end of the decade.
“What Toyota values most is developing batteries that our customers can use with peace of mind. In particular, we focus on safety, long life, and high-level quality to produce good batteries with low cost and high performance. “,Said Masahiko Maeda, CTO.
TOYOTA WANTS TO CALL UPON ITS DELAY
The manufacturer has a very ambitious goal in terms of battery longevity. Toyota says the new bZ4x electric crossover, which will debut next year, should retain 90% of its battery capacity after 10 years. By comparison in the United States, regulations require manufacturers to warrant battery packs for at least eight years or 100,000 miles, by which time the pack must still retain 70% of its original capacity.
To achieve such a longevity capability, Toyota plans to prevent degradation of the anode surface, which will require keeping moisture out during manufacturing. The manufacturer will also use uniform battery cooling and better control software.
Toyota has also announced its intention to reduce the cost of the battery. In fact, from 2025, the manufacturer will reduce the cost of the battery by 50% per vehicle compared to that of the battery that will be used in the bZ4x. In addition, the manufacturer could offer vehicles with solid-state batteries.
“We are developing fully solid-state batteries to see if we can bring out the joy in things like high efficiency, long cruising range, and shorter charge times.”
SEMICONDUCTOR BATTERIES
In fact, in the summer of 2020, Toyota had already built and started testing a vehicle with solid-state batteries. However, according to Masahiko Maeda, solid-state batteries that provide higher power output will appear first in Toyota hybrids, which require instantaneous power (as opposed to a focus on endurance for BEV batteries).
However, this project will not be that easy to achieve. Indeed, Toyota will have to solve the lack of longevity of solid-state batteries. These can degrade with repeated charges due to the formation of lithium metal dendrites which seep from the anode through the separator and can puncture the cathode.
By 2025, the Japanese automaker wants to put on sale 70 different electrified models.
