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Toyota’s President to Head Company’s EV Efforts

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda has been named head of the company’s new electric-car planning unit, Reuters reports.
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Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda has been named head of the company’s new electric-car planning unit, Reuters reports.

Toyoda will be joined by two executive vice presidents and the chief engineer for the carmaker’s Prius hybrid models. Finally, the planning unit is forming an advisory committee that includes representatives from Aisin Seiki, Denso and Toyota Industries.

Toyota, which has resisted battery-powered vehicles until now, says the appointments underscore the company’s newfound commitment to electrified powertrains and should speed up product-related decisions.

As with other carmakers, Toyota's move reflects the need to sell significant numbers of zero-emission vehicles to meet future fuel economy and emission standards in major markets. Toyota considers fuel cell vehicles a better choice long term. But it acknowledges that improvements in batteries are making EVs more viable for longer-distance driving.

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