Toyota says the internal combustion engine will be dead by 2050 and become far less common than electric powertrains by 2040.
In an interview with Autocar, Toyota’s head of advanced R&D and engineering, Seigo Kuzumaki, said clampdowns on CO2 emissions will force car manufacturers to fully embrace electrification.
“We expect that by 2050 we will have reduced CO2 emissions from vehicles by 90% compared to the figure in 2010. To achieve that from 2040 simple internal combustion engined cars will not be made, but they may be the basis of some hybrid or plug-in hybrid cars,” he said.
One important part in Toyota’s long-term EV plans will be its adoption of advanced solid-state batteries.
The brand’s first all-electric vehicle will arrive in 2020 with traditional lithium-ion batteries. However, Toyota says it will be able to productionize solid-state batteries by the early 2020s, allowing its EVs to offer exceptional range and fast-charging.
“We hold more patents on solid-state batteries than any other company. We are getting close to developing cars using the technology, and we believe that we will be ahead of our rivals in achieving that,” he revealed.
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