The world’s top-selling automaker, Toyota, is looking to launch its first autonomous driving-enabled electric vehicle (EV) in China after seeing a sharp drop in its shipments to the country.
The Japanese carmaker plans to produce the car as part of its joint venture with Chinese state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC).
GAC Toyota said it would launch Bozhi 3X SUV next year as the carmaker’s first model equipped with the system similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving.
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The car would be equipped with advanced driving assistance for parking and navigation on highways and urban traffics, the JV said.
Once the biggest car seller in China, Toyota has seen its popularity drop in the country as it continues to play catch-up on EV tech.
The legacy carmaker ranked fifth among all brands by car sales in China in the first four months of this year. Its sales dropped 22% from the same period in 2023, according to data from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
At such a time, the autonomous driving-enabled EV would likely help Toyota claw back sales in the world’s biggest automobile market.
Catching-up with rival tech
GAC Toyota is developing the system with Momenta Global, a startup that develops autonomous driving software for automakers including Mercedes-Benz.
It also works with Huawei to use the latter’s in-vehicle operating software starting with an electric sedan to be launched in 2025 for China.
GAC Toyota said it aims to restore Toyota’s market share in China by catching up with domestic rivals on technologies in hybrids, batteries and intelligent vehicles.
The new EV would ensure Toyota’s leadership in autonomous driving technology offerings among all foreign brands in China, it said.
The venture also announced a series of innovation targets at an event in Guangzhou on Friday.
One of those would be an iron phosphate lithium battery that could reduce the production cost of its bZ4X EV by 40%. The automaker plans to roll out the battery between 2026 and 2027.
- Reuters, with additional editing by Vishakha Saxena
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