By Greg Gao

(JW Insights) Aug 2 -- Japanese automaker Toyota aims to strengthen its local development of intelligence and electrification technology to provide EVs that are competitive in the Chinese market, Toyota announced on its website on July 31.

With EVs becoming increasingly popular in China, Toyota is moving forward with a series of new initiatives. It changes its company name of Toyota China's largest R&D facility "Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (China) Co., Ltd." to "Intelligent ElectroMobility R&D Center by TOYOTA (China) Co., Ltd. (IEM by TOYOTA)" as of August 1.

It places engineers from three R&D facilities within China on the IEM by TOYOTA-led development project.

Regarding electrification specifically, Toyota will strengthen local development of all electrified vehicles (BEV, PHEV, HEV, FCEV) in order to achieve multi-pathway-based carbon neutrality. It will also accelerate electric powertrain development with Denso and Aisin transcending organizational boundaries to also join forces with IEM by TOYOTA.

In auto intelligence, the automaker aims to promote and accelerate local design and development of smart cockpits for a better user experience through interior space design and use of AI, as well as autonomous driving systems/advanced safety features that better fit the actual situation in China.

For both electrification and intelligence, Toyota plans to take on the challenge of significantly reducing manufacturing costs through initiatives in the three areas of "developing local supplier base," "reviewing parts designs," and "production engineering/manufacturing monozukuri reform" to strengthen competitiveness.

Tatsuro Ueda, CEO of Toyota China, stated that "The Chinese market is growing at an unprecedented pace. Toyota will also work together as a group to reform how we work & think to survive in China. By promoting local development with IEM by TOYOTA at its core, we will attempt to develop and provide competitive products that can satisfy Chinese customers at a fast pace. Furthermore, we will look to share development results and lessons learned in China, not only within China, but also globally."

Toyota will continue working towards making ever-better cars that take into consideration the needs of customers in each and every region, according to the company.