- The PHEV versions of the Corolla and Levin sedans was showcased.
- Toyota plans to introduce 10 new electric vehicles in China by the end of 2020.
- In 2019, Toyota will begin producing EVs in China, marking its first overseas production of PHEVs.
Toyota took to the stage at the 2018 Auto Shanghai with its electrification plans. The Japanese giant revealed its plans to launch 10 new electric cars in China by the end of the decade. The PHEV versions of Corolla and Levin sedans were showcased with their launch slated for 2019. They will be joined by battery electric vehicle (BEV) model based on its C-HR and Izoa crossovers a year later. Toyota also plans to locally produce the electric vehicles and its hardware in China, thus marking its first major electric set-up outside Japan.
The Corolla and Levin in the PHEV guise promise to have an electric range of 50 kilometres. They will be produced in China next year. In order to achieve a high degree of localisation, Toyota is working closely with Chinese companies for a local production base of key components. Now, by 2020, Toyota will open a new battery testing facility at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd. (TMEC), which is Toyota's R&D centre in China
As far as the fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) are concerned, the carmaker claims to be exploring potential applications for it in China. After undergoing a three-year verification test, Toyota might deploy the fuel-cell technologies for commercial vehicles or for public transport.
