Latest news with #Morizo
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota's Chairman Shared This Controversial Opinion About EV Sports Cars
As the former President and CEO and now chairman of Toyota's board, Akio Toyoda has long balanced his corporate responsibilities with a passion for racing. Under the pseudonym "Morizo Kinoshita," he created a second identity on the track, competing in major motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Often behind the wheel of Toyota- and Lexus-branded race cars. In fact, his input behind the wheel at races and behind development, production, and race cars has been cemented so deeply into Toyota lore that cars like the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition have been named after him. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda doubled down on his skepticism of battery-electric vehicles. However, when acknowledging that some Toyota engineers want an EV sports car, he said that the idea doesn't exactly align with his values. "There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars," Toyoda told AutoNews. "But for me, as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine."In addition, he still believes that the company has a mountain to climb when it comes to building a selection of EVs that fit with Toyota's mantra of providing affordable, high-quality cars to its customers. Currently, in the United States, Toyota offers only one EV: the bZ4x, a crossover co-developed with Subaru. "Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to think about affordability, even with BEVs," he said. "Once Toyota has the capacity to offer affordable BEVs, then maybe that's a moment when I as a master driver will be introducing a BEV sports car." In response to a question asking him if in his capacity as Toyota's "Master Driver," would he ever race an EV in a competitve race, the man known to enthusiasts simply as Morizo expressed that he wouldn't want to race an EV because the kind of races he likes to do (endurance races) would be less about driving skill and more about the cars' technical limitations. "No! It's not exciting," he said. "Because you won't be able to go around the circuit for more than an hour. The kind of races I enter are mostly endurance races, so with the current BEVs, it's not going to be a race of the cars. It's a race of charging time or battery exchange or something. The next master driver will have to take on that challenge. That's their job." I am not exactly surprised about Toyoda's deterrance towards this sort of thing. He has been openly critical about EVs in the past, and this is just more ink in that section of the book. In a statement at a Toyota company event in January 2024, Morizo argued that EVs "come as a set with infrastructure," arguing that many Toyota drivers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity. "No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," Toyoda said. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain. I think this is something that customers and the market will decide, not regulatory values or political power." In the same AutoNews interview, he defended the company's push toward hybrids by saying: "we said as a company the enemy is carbon," additionally noting that in the span of making 27 million hybrid cars, it "had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road." "But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity," he said. "We should look at all options and work in all directions. As a company, we have been very consistent in saying what we're fighting against is carbon dioxide." Taken together, Toyoda's on-track alter ego and his cautious stance on EVs paint a clear picture: he's someone who believes driving should remain an emotional, accessible experience, not just a political or regulatory checkbox. Whether it's pushing Toyota's race cars to their limits or advocating for a more flexible approach to carbon reduction, Toyoda consistently champions a future where car enthusiasts still have a say in how that future looks.
Miami Herald
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Toyota's Chairman Shared This Controversial Opinion About EV Sports Cars
As the former President and CEO and now chairman of Toyota's board, Akio Toyoda has long balanced his corporate responsibilities with a passion for racing. Under the pseudonym "Morizo Kinoshita," he created a second identity on the track, competing in major motorsport events such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2009, 2014, and 2019. Often behind the wheel of Toyota- and Lexus-branded race cars. In fact, his input behind the wheel at races and behind development, production, and race cars has been cemented so deeply into Toyota lore that cars like the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition have been named after him. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Toyoda doubled down on his skepticism of battery-electric vehicles. However, when acknowledging that some Toyota engineers want an EV sports car, he said that the idea doesn't exactly align with his values. "There will always be people inside Toyota passionate about developing electric sports cars," Toyoda told AutoNews. "But for me, as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine." Related: Cadillac Confirms Another Future High Performance V-Series EV In addition, he still believes that the company has a mountain to climb when it comes to building a selection of EVs that fit with Toyota's mantra of providing affordable, high-quality cars to its customers. Currently, in the United States, Toyota offers only one EV: the bZ4x, a crossover co-developed with Subaru. "Toyota is a mass-production brand, so we also need to think about affordability, even with BEVs," he said. "Once Toyota has the capacity to offer affordable BEVs, then maybe that's a moment when I as a master driver will be introducing a BEV sports car." EVs are not "exciting" to drive, says Morizo In response to a question asking him if in his capacity as Toyota's "Master Driver," would he ever race an EV in a competitve race, the man known to enthusiasts simply as Morizo expressed that he wouldn't want to race an EV because the kind of races he likes to do (endurance races) would be less about driving skill and more about the cars' technical limitations. "No! It's not exciting," he said. "Because you won't be able to go around the circuit for more than an hour. The kind of races I enter are mostly endurance races, so with the current BEVs, it's not going to be a race of the cars. It's a race of charging time or battery exchange or something. The next master driver will have to take on that challenge. That's their job." I am not exactly surprised about Toyoda's deterrance towards this sort of thing. He has been openly critical about EVs in the past, and this is just more ink in that section of the book. In a statement at a Toyota company event in January 2024, Morizo argued that EVs "come as a set with infrastructure," arguing that many Toyota drivers live in parts of the world with little to access to electricity. "No matter how much progress BEVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 % market share," Toyoda said. "Then, the remaining 70% will be HEVs [hybrid-electric vehicles], FCEVs [fuel cell electric vehicles], and hydrogen engines. And I think [gas] engine cars will definitely remain. I think this is something that customers and the market will decide, not regulatory values or political power." In the same AutoNews interview, he defended the company's push toward hybrids by saying: "we said as a company the enemy is carbon," additionally noting that in the span of making 27 million hybrid cars, it "had the same impact as 9 million BEVs on the road." "But if we were to have made 9 million BEVs in Japan, it would have actually increased the carbon emissions, not reduced them. That is because Japan relies on the thermal power plants for electricity," he said. "We should look at all options and work in all directions. As a company, we have been very consistent in saying what we're fighting against is carbon dioxide." Taken together, Toyoda's on-track alter ego and his cautious stance on EVs paint a clear picture: he's someone who believes driving should remain an emotional, accessible experience, not just a political or regulatory checkbox. Whether it's pushing Toyota's race cars to their limits or advocating for a more flexible approach to carbon reduction, Toyoda consistently champions a future where car enthusiasts still have a say in how that future looks. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
An Astonishing Solid-State Battery May Recharge as Fast as Refuel Within Just 2 Years
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." As a racing driver himself, Akio Toyoda, Toyota Motor Company's chairman, is one of only a few automotive top brass who knows proper car control. He even has a nickname, 'Morizo,' which he used to secretly race the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in 2007. Along with possessing a deep understanding of how to make Toyotas go fast, he's taking big steps to steer the future of electric vehicles for Toyota. That starts with investing in solid-state batteries, which Toyota hopes to implement in its customer vehicles as soon as 2027, with mass production set for 2030 and beyond. We wouldn't be the first to tell you that EV interest has waned considerably since its prominence in the early 2010s. When the technology was in its infancy, there was a linear trajectory of improvement; that linearity has since plateaued, and we see EVs now with an average of around 300 miles of range, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. We've reached the apex of current battery tech, and many automakers are now looking at solid-state batteries as the answer. Inherent in their name, solid-state batteries use, well, solid electrolytes instead of liquid. Toyota says the new battery tech allows for faster movement of ions and a greater tolerance for high voltages and temperatures. These qualities bring many advantages, especially longer range and faster charging times. Toyota says its batteries of the future would be able to supply 620 miles of range and be fast-charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 10 minutes, which is about the time it takes to refuel your typical gasoline vehicle. Solid electrolytes also lower the risk of fires while increasing energy density—the amount of energy a battery can deliver compared to its weight. This will theoretically allow Toyota to produce a higher-capacity battery pack that's lighter and more powerful than ever. For context, the Japanese automaker says its prototype batteries are about the size and thickness of a thin spiral notebook. Heat is the biggest enemy of the current battery technology: Charging a battery quickly produces a tremendous amount of heat. The same can be said for rapidly discharging a battery; it's one of the reasons why high-performance EVs struggled for such a long time to do a full lap of the 12.9-mile Nurburgring Nordschleife course. Mini was the first to attempt a lap record in 2010 with a prototype EV-converted Mini Cooper—setting a somewhat lukewarm lap time of nine minutes and 52 seconds. Volkswagen's motorsport division already developed a bespoke fast-charging solution for its I.D. R Pikes Peak car as early as 2018. Considered to be cutting-edge technology at the time, it was able to juice up the battery pack in as little as 20 minutes. However, the lithium-ion (liquid electrolyte) battery still struggled to keep cool with the amount of energy being pumped into it in such a short amount of time. Seven years later, we're still facing the same issues with the same technology in road vehicles. Along with greater range and fast charging times, Toyota is also looking at the aerodynamic benefits of solid-state batteries. Most EVs have their battery packs mounted underneath the vehicle's floor to keep the center of gravity low. However, Toyota says the current batteries are too tall, forcing vehicles to run a higher ride height to stop them from scraping the ground. This is detrimental not only to handling, but also aerodynamics. If we reduce the height of the battery pack, the vehicle's height can also be reduced, lowering its CdA (coefficient of drag multiplied by frontal area) and increasing its effective range. For context, Toyota says the battery pack in its all-electric bZ4X is 150mm tall (5.9 inches), while its batteries of tomorrow could be made as thin as 120mm—4.7 inches. Sure, that's just a sneeze over an inch of ride height, but that's not an insignificant amount. The Japanese automaker also mentioned that it would be able to shave another 20mm off to make low-profile batteries for performance EVs where weight distribution is even more important. Unsurprisingly, Toyota isn't the only automaker looking to implement solid-state batteries. Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, and let's not forget Tesla—among others—are all working on implementing solid-state batteries before 2030. We'll have to see how this evolves in the United States, pending the effects of tariffs on the automotive industry. Many manufacturers are considering hybrid batteries—combining solid and liquid electrolytes—to be a more approachable alternative in the interim. Solid-state batteries have many 'holy grail' benefits, but they aren't without compromise. For instance, solid-state batteries are much more complicated to produce, still have longevity concerns, and swell considerably while charging. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
