Toyota
Compare Toyota…Designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans, trucks, and related parts and accessories worldwide.
SectorsElectric Vehicles
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ToyotaDesigns, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans, trucks, and related parts and accessories worldwide.
| Date / Milestone | Partner | Capacity / Target / Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2010s. Internal R&D on lithium-sulfide electrolytes | Internal | Toyota Central R&D + manufacturing engineering teams; lithium-sulfide selected over oxide-based electrolytes |
| 2017-07. First public roadmap, 2022 target | Internal | Toyota publicly commits to solid-state by 2022 for hybrids initially, then BEVs; first OEM with named year |
| 2019. Olympic prototype reveal | Internal | Solid-state-equipped LQ concept revealed for Tokyo 2020 Olympics; technical demonstration only |
| 2020-12. Roadmap slips to 2025 | Internal | Toyota acknowledges complexity of cell-stack durability; 2022 target abandoned |
| 2021-09. $13.5B battery investment plan | Toyota + Panasonic (Prime Planet Energy) | 10-year, 9 production lines including solid-state line; first solid-state cell pilot line targeted for 2025 |
| 2023-06-15. Major roadmap reset at investor day | Internal | Three-stage cell roadmap announced: NMC liquid (2026), bipolar LFP (2026 to 2027), solid-state (2027 to 2028) |
| 2023-10-12. Idemitsu Kosan partnership | Idemitsu Kosan | Joint development + mass production of lithium-sulfide solid electrolyte; pilot facility 2027 to 2028 |
| 2024-06. Honda + Nissan + Toyota cross-company collaboration framework | Honda, Nissan via METI | Government-backed precompetitive R&D collaboration on solid-state; commercial implementations remain separate |
| 2024-09. Solid-state target confirmed at 2027 to 2028 for BEV | Toyota + Idemitsu | 1,000 km range, 10-min ultra-fast charge target; commercialization targeted in 2027 to 2028 BEV launches |
| 2025. Idemitsu pilot plant construction | Idemitsu Kosan (Chiba prefecture) | Construction begins on lithium-sulfide electrolyte pilot facility; targets initial output 2027 |
| 2027 (target). First Toyota BEV with solid-state cells | Toyota + Idemitsu + Panasonic | Initial production target ~2 GWh; high-end BEV models only (low volume, premium price); broader rollout 2028 to 2030 |
| 2030 (target). Solid-state at meaningful scale | Toyota network | Cumulative target ~10 GWh+ solid-state; bipolar LFP serves mass-market BEV in parallel |
2003-2025
$TM· Lexus
World's largest automaker by volume, entering the BEV market with the bZ4X crossover and upcoming bZ lineup while maintaining dominance in hybrids. Sold ~170K BEVs globally in 2024, a small fraction of its 10M+ total annual sales but growing rapidly. Investing $35B in electrification through 2030 with plans for next-gen solid-state batteries and a dedicated BEV factory.
Key Milestones
Toyota Motor Co. founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in Aichi Prefecture as a subsidiary of Toyoda Loomworks: develops Toyota Production System (TPS) post-war, becoming the world's largest automaker by 2008.
Prius hybrid launches in Japan: Toyota's pioneering hybrid that delays its BEV pivot for two decades by establishing Toyota's hybrid-electric leadership and proving hybrid can be commercially viable.
RAV4 EV (second-gen) launches in California with Tesla powertrain: production ends in 2014 after limited demand. The Tesla partnership reveals Toyota's reluctance to invest in in-house BEV powertrains.
Mirai fuel cell EV launches in Japan: Toyota's hydrogen alternative to BEVs and the brand's controversial bet that fuel cells will dominate clean mobility, a position that ages poorly versus BEV trajectory.
Reveals 16 BEV concepts and commits $35B/15 BEVs by 2030 in a strategy reset: including Lexus EVs. Akio Toyoda finally publicly capitulates to BEV-first reality after years of resistance.
bZ4X launches in Japan and globally: the first vehicle on Toyota/Subaru's e-TNGA dedicated BEV platform. Long-awaited entrance into BEV mass-market that immediately stumbles on quality issues.
bZ4X recall over wheel-detachment risk forces global stop-sale weeks after launch: embarrassing Toyota's BEV debut and reinforcing perception that Toyota is years behind Tesla and Hyundai/Kia in EV engineering.
Announces solid-state battery breakthrough targeting 1,000 km range and 10-minute charging by 2027-28: Toyota's biggest single technology announcement of the decade and the platform that would catch up to BYD/CATL.
Announces 10 new BEV models by 2026 in updated electrification strategy: Lexus, Toyota, and bZ-brand models on a renewed e-TNGA architecture with revised pack chemistry and digital platform.
Toyota partners with LG Energy Solution for North American EV battery supply at 20+ GWh capacity: first major external cell-supplier deal, reflecting Toyota's recognition that internal cells can't scale alone.
Delays U.S.-built three-row BEV by years; halves 2026 BEV target to ~1M units: citing slower U.S. adoption and aligning with peer-OEM (Ford, GM) strategy resets.
Updated bZ4X launches with faster charging, more power, and longer range: rebranded as bZ in many markets; Toyota's first major BEV refresh signals readiness for sustained BEV competition.
Toyota announces partnership with CATL for next-gen LFP and sodium-ion cell supply for Chinese BEV models: final acknowledgment that Toyota's in-house cell timeline cannot match China's pace.
