At a recent event in Tokyo, Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota has reportedly announced that the automaker is planning to transform older cars into vehicles running on clean technology to further drive EV adoption. Toyota will help customers of old cars in converting their vehicles into eco-friendly cars and reducing carbon emissions from the environment. Up until now Toyota has been reluctant in producing fully electric vehicles due to previously sluggish demand and the high cost related to manufacturing them.
What can be understood by Toyoda’s announcement is that Toyota plans to help old vehicle owners retrofit electric motor or fuel cells into their cars, allowing them to use the vehicles for a much longer time. This conversion strategy would further encourage clean energy adoption in mobility.
Toyota, that has been pioneer in the hybrid mobility space has now been looking at producing full electric vehicles in recent times. In December 2021, the automaker even pledged to sell 3.5 million EVs annually by 2030.
Representational image: Generic EV powertrain
The automaker recently showcased a number of alternative fuel models at the 2023 Auto Expo. The Toyota podium at the expo features the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell sedan, the flexi-fuel Altis and a number hybrid models.