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Toyota’s new R&D hub backs hybrid cars
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Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker by sales, yesterday opened its fifth and biggest overseas research and development center in China to support its first hybrid car study outside Japan.
Covering 2.3 million square meters, the US$689 million Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co (TMEC) opened almost two years after it broke ground in the presence of Toyota’s head Akio Toyoda who reiterated that China is the company’s most important market.
The TMEC’s scope is to localize hybrid powertrain solutions for China as well as improving Toyota’s traditional internal-combustion engines and continuously variable transmission.
Toyoda also promised to roll out hybrid cars equipped with Chinese-made powertrains by 2015 and undertaking R&D projects with Toyota’s Chinese partner FAW and Guangzhou Automobile, said Tadashi Yamashina, general manager of TMEC.
The launch of TMEC is arguably Toyota’s biggest effort to cement deeper roots in China to reinforce its commitment to the market.
Although having sold 5.7 million units worldwide since its release in 1997, Toyota’s hybrid Prius has not taken off in China as it is seen as costly.
Shinichi Matsumoto, vice president of TMEC, said the price of Toyota’s hybrid cars may fall as key parts are made and sourced in China.
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