Toyota could share EV parts with Mazda and Subaru

---

Under new leadership from president and chief executive officer Koji Sato, Toyota is undergoing a steadfast push towards an EV future and the technology being developed at the forefront of this transition could soon be offered to rivals such as Subaru and Mazda.

According to latest reports from Automotive News, Toyota has not only made “production breakthroughs”, with Tesla-like gigacastings and self-propelled production lines, the brand is also likely to share new EV technologies with partner brands. 

Toyota currently has an alliance with fellow Japanese brands including Subaru, Mazda, Suzuki and Daihatsu. 

Toyota’s chief technology officer Hirokao Nakajima told Automotive News that “if we become confident in our ideas, we would like to open the technologies if it will help others achieve carbon neutrality”. 

This could be the shift that companies such as Subaru and Mazda need to build electric vehicles of their own.

Toyota has already collaborated with Subaru on the development of the mechanically similar Toyota BZ4X/ Subaru Solterra SUV twins, and has committed to providing its iconic hybrid drivetrains for the next generation of Subaru hybrids. 

This means that the hybrid tech underneath current Subaru models such as the Forester midsize SUV and Crosstrek small SUV could be further enhanced in the next few years. 

It’s expected that the next generation Subaru hybrid offerings will be similar, if not the same, series parallel setups found in an array of Toyota models today. 

All-new platform and batteries coming in 2026

Toyota is working to bring a brand-new dedicated electric platform to market in 2026, replacing the current E-TNGA platform that underpins the BZ4X midsize SUV. 

Also expected is a new software operating system and a surge of advanced batteries that reportedly can offer up to 1500km of range. It may be well past 2030 that we see ranges that high for electric vehicles, however. 

Toyota will sink nearly USD$14 billion (AUD$20.9 billion at the time of publishing) into battery technologies and development through to the year 2030. 

Announced late in 2021, Toyota’s battery development will push battery production capacity up to an estimated 200 gigawatt-hours a year, compared to the six gigawatt-hours produced in 2021. 

Toyota is not only working to develop and enhance core lithium-ion battery packs, but is working closely in the solid-state battery industry to attempt to lengthen battery range and enhance battery lifespans.  

The Japanese global automaker plans to sell an estimated 3.5 million electric vehicles globally each year by the end of this decade.