Electric cars to have 620-mile range and charge in 20 minutes thanks to major breakthrough
Future Toyota vehicles could have a total range of 1200km within years
PA
Electric vehicles could have a staggering 1,000km (621 mile) range in as little as four years, according to Toyota.
The Japanese car manufacturer has unveiled its battery technology roadmap to set out how its range of electric cars will evolve in the next five years.
Toyota recently announced a new battery electric vehicle manufacturing plant which is set to begin production of new models in 2026.
This will accelerate the brand's aims of phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles, with the new EVs being powered by advanced batteries thanks to a new breakthrough.
Toyota currently only has one electric vehicle on the market
PA
The brand will move forward with three main battery types, namely Performance, Popularised and High Performance.
The lithium-ion battery will increase driving range to more than 800km (497 miles) when combined with vehicle design and reduced weight.
It is expected that the Performance battery will have a 20 per cent cost reduction compared to the bZ4X BEV – Toyota’s only electric vehicle.
Takero Kato, president of the newly established BEV production centre, highlighted how the next generation models will account for 1.7 million of the 3.5 million battery electric vehicles Toyota expects to sell globally by 2030.
It is hoped that the increased range of battery technologies Toyota will appeal to a variety of customers, with Toyota making steps to decarbonise its vehicle fleet, as seen with the recent hydrogen Hilux prototype.
He continued, saying: “We will need various options for batteries, just as we have different types of engines.
“It is important to offer battery solutions compatible with a variety of models and customer needs.”
Toyota hopes that its High-Performance lithium-ion battery will surpass the 1,000km range mark by 2027 and 2028.
This will also present savings worth 10 per cent and a fast charge time from 10 to 80 per cent in just 20 minutes.
Toyota also has loftier goals for the future by producing two solid-state lithium-ion batteries in 2028 and beyond.
The first battery will have a range of more than 1,000km and charge from 10 to 80 per cent in around 10 minutes.
Very little is known about the second solid-state battery, with Toyota only confirming a proposed 1,200km (745mph), but not the cost or the charging time.
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Toyota's roadmap sets out the brand's next generation of electric cars
TOYOTA
The brand aims to optimise battery height to improve range with Toyota aiming to reduce the battery to 120mm and 100mm in performance sports models compared to the current battery height of the bZ4X being 150mm high.