For years, Toyota has been criticized for its reluctance to heavily invest in battery-electric vehicles. Despite being early in investing in hybrids with the Prius, the Japanese automaker has been slow in developing battery-electric vehicles and has even lobbied against the deployment of electric vehicles, spreading misinformation in the process.
However, there are signs of change, especially since the company’s transition to a new CEO. As part of a renewed effort to invest in electric vehicles, Toyota decided to do a teardown of the most popular electric vehicle in the world right now: the Tesla Model Y.
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Toyota executives who participated in the teardown spoke with Automotive News, and one of them called Tesla’s electric SUV a “work of art.” They were particularly impressed with the simplicity of Tesla’s vehicle architecture and powertrain.
This is a significant shift for Toyota, which has been having issues with its recent shift to electric vehicles. Its first global all-electric car, the bZ4x, had a major safety recall that has seriously delayed the program for the next two years.
Now, Toyota is trying to learn from Tesla as it plans to build a new EV platform to launch new electric vehicles starting in 2026. The praise for the Model Y suggests that Toyota is finally starting to take electric vehicles seriously, and this could be a turning point for the company.
