Toyota To Launch A China-Only Affordable EV Sedan In 2022 Using BYD’s Technology

Toyota is reportedly developing a new fully electric sedan for the Chinese market in collaboration with BYD. According to Reuters, Toyota's second production EV is expected in late 2022, with competitive pricing, a roomy cabin, and a sedan bodystyle that is still quite popular among Chinese buyers. Citing its sources, Reuters states that Toyota "Has struggled for years to come up with a small EV both competitive on cost in China and doesn't compromise on comfort". Using BYD's tech will help the Japanese automaker to learn more about cost-cutting strategies that are making the Chinese models more affordable and quite competitive since they no longer have the design and quality disadvantage they had in the past compared to established automakers from Europe, USA, Japan, and Korea. Another reason why BYD models are cheaper than Toyotas is the difference in development strategies between the two companies, with Toyota investing a lot more time and effort in testing each component. In any case, it is clear that BYD has gone a long way from copying the Corolla with the 2005 BYD F3, to becoming a partner for Toyota's next electric model. Toyota engineers have tested BYD vehicles in the past, with insider sources acknowledging the progress made by the Chinese manufacturer in terms of quality, styling, and performance, offered at a significantly lower cost compared to equivalent Toyota models. Today, 24 engineers from Toyota and another 100 engineers from BYD are working together in Shenzhen.