Toyota not coming out with an electric car too soon

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According to a story in The New York Times, Toyota is not planning to manufacture an all electric vehicle any time soon. According to Masatami Takimoto, Toyota’s executive vice president, ‘The time is not here.’ Currently ‘to commercialize pure E.V.’s, we need a battery that far exceeds the current technology, he said.

While Toyota has doubts about the commercial viability of electric vehicles, other automakers are not so hesitant. Mitsubishi came out with its iMiEV, Nissan is releasing the Leaf, but Toyota is still sitting on the fence despite its green credentials and its winning Prius.

The automaker rationalizes by saying that electric cars appeal to a niche market. They do not travel far enough on a charge; their batteries are expensive and not reliable; the electrical infrastructure is not in place to recharge them – in the current scenario all true. The competition is hotting up with Tesla’s electric car and GM’s Volt and despite

Toyota’s stand it may well happen that it will lose the race.

Source: NYT