A manual transmission for EVs is also in the cards.
There was a time when Toyota Motor Corporation rejected the idea of all-out electrification. The Japanese automaker now appears to have come up with strategies that could propel it to the front of the electric vehicle (EV) market.
In a recent technical briefing session, Toyota BEV Factory President Takero Kato discussed the automaker's plans for the EV era. These include significantly improving BEV capabilities to reducing development and factory investment costs by adopting giga casting. One noteworthy detail was developing EVs capable of providing a cruising range of 621 miles (1,000 km) through the integration of next-gen batteries.
That is almost twice more than what the longest-range EVs can offer today. A car with that much range could theoretically go from Los Angeles to Arizona and still have more than 100 miles left in the pack.
Currently, the Toyota bZ4X is the only EV that Toyota sells in North America, offering around 250 miles of range.
The company is also looking to improve aerodynamics using AI (artificial intelligence) technology. Aero is important in developing an EV model as drag affects the range. EVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 got their streamlined design for this very reason.
In terms of charging, future Toyota BEVs could be fully charged in just 20 minutes using in-development lithium-ion batteries. Solid-state batteries are also said to be in the works, which reportedly could add more than 700 miles in just 10 minutes.
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Another plan discussed at the technical briefing session was the development of an EV manual transmission, which was filed for a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office last year. Although it won't likely give the same feel as transmissions connected to a cranking ICE, Toyota wants to pursue this technology to increase driver pleasure by simulating the feel through software.
Toyota is expecting to sell 1.5 million BEV units annually starting in 2026. Later in 2030, the targeted yearly BEV sales are projected to be at 1.7 million units.
Here in the US, Toyota recently revealed a $50 million investment to build a BEV-dedicated facility in Michigan. The automaker also plans to produce an all-electric three-row locally, which would be its first US-assembled fully electric model.
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Keyword: Toyota Working On New EV With 621-Mile Range And A Full Charge In 10 Minutes