[Martinjlm]

First of all, I would be the first to say that some version of Toyota's approach to maintaining hybrids and plug-ins is a better strategy than going all in on EVs. And at the end of the day, it's the way it is likely going to end up, even for GM and BMW and the others that say 100% by 2035. But on the other hand, Toyota's detailed explanations of why hybrids are a better solution than EVs is spin purposed to slow the growth of EVs to allow them to catch up. And also to extend the life of hybrid vehicles in the market because they have a commanding lead there. Do not under-estimate the weight of the last line of the article.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda tests high-performance full-electric sports car
The only thing missing from the electric prototype is 'the smell of gasoline,' Toyoda said.
June 15, 2023 03:11 AM UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

LUCA CIFERRI
Europe Editor, based in Turin, Italy, for Automotive News


LUCA CIFERRI


LE MANS, France — Toyota Motor Corp.’s Gazoo racing arm has developed a full-electric sports car that aims to show EVs can be just as exhilarating to drive as fast gasoline models.

Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda tested a prototype of the car, which looks like a battery-electric model, but offers the driving sensation of an internal combustion engine vehicle.

“You hear the engine noise inside the car and you have a manual transmission with a clutch," Toyoda said on the sidelines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race June 10. "You truly do not notice you are driving an electric car — the only thing missing is the smell of gasoline."

Toyoda said a decision on whether the GR electric sports car will be brought to market has not been made.

If it goes into series production, the Gazoo car could be the pinnacle of Toyota’s electrification push, just as the GranTurismo Folgore high-performance coupe is for Maserati and production models derived from the Mission X hypercar are for Porsche.

Toyota so far has lagged in the electrification age, launching its midsize battery-electric bZ4X SUV in 2021, followed last year by the similarly sized Lexus RZ.

Despite being the world's largest automaker, the company produced just 24,000 Toyota and Lexus brand EVs worldwide in 2022, compared with the 1.31 million EVs sold by Tesla.

Toyota plans to sell 3.5 million EVs a year by 2030.