Toyota reportedly considers hitting the reset button on its EV transition

The e-TNGA platform is already in use in the all-electric bZ4X crossover SUV and is (for now) planned to underpin the upcoming 2023 Lexus RZ 450e.

However, according to the sources, Toyota is dealing with an EV manufacturing process that’s too slow and expensive compared to other manufacturers, like Tesla, that have been making electric cars for years. Reuters notes that Toyota co-developed an all-electric version of its popular RAV4 SUV with Tesla back in 2012 but cites sources saying its engineers considered the technology to be no threat. It sold off its stake in the development to Tesla in 2017 before beginning the development of its own platform.

But while Toyota has been content to rest on its laurels with the Prius, the rest of the industry has lapped it several times. Companies like Nissan, General Motors, and Volkswagen have been selling pure battery-electric vehicles for years, while also revealing their plans to phase out gas cars completely. Toyota’s failure to embrace EVs is not a new concept; The New York Times noted as much in this article from 2009.