Masakazu Yoshimura said Toyota is working on clean technology for the Indian market

30 Aug 2023 , 01:53 PM

According to Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) managing director Masakazu Yoshimura, the Japanese automaker is developing a variety of technologies, such as all-electric and flex fuel strong hybrid vehicles, for introduction in the Indian market in accordance with the government’s directive to reduce crude oil imports and vehicular pollution.

In India, the business, which is a joint venture partner of the Kirloskar Group, has begun testing a flex fuel strong hybrid variant of the multipurpose Hycross. ‘We are testing this prototype for the Indian market for the first time globally. It has a greater fuel efficiency of roughly 40–50% (relative to gasoline) and can handle ethanol as well as the powerful hybrid, according to Yoshimura.

He declined to provide a release date for the car’s commercial manufacturing but did say that rigorous testing is now underway, following which the vehicle would submit for homologation and certification.

Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways, unveiled the prototype of Toyota’s first BS 6 (stage II), electrified flex fuel car and declared, ‘Ethanol is an indigenous, clean, and renewable fuel that offers a promising future for India. The purpose of the government’s concentration on ethanol is to increase energy independence, boost farmer incomes, and have a positive environmental impact.

The government’s strategy, according to Gadkari, is ‘not only to diversify agricultural surpluses towards the energy sector but also to generate wealth from waste using 2G technology for producing ethanol from bio-waste.’ Building and extending the essential infrastructure to manufacture ethanol across the nation is a top priority, he added.

Toyota is also developing solid-state batteries and hydrogen-powered vehicles, both of which could enter the Indian market.

For the time being, the company intends to keep introducing electric vehicles to the market alongside alliance partner Suzuki in order to sustainably increase volumes in India. Yoshimura claimed that sales of the Toyota Hyryder and Toyota Innova Hycross’ powerful hybrid versions have been strong for the company. According to him, the company is currently taking steps to increase production and shorten the waiting time for the automobiles.

‘We were caught off guard by the response. Because the waiting period had grown to two years, we had to cease accepting reservations for the top trims. According to him, ‘I would try to see the figures below six months.

To speed up delivery, the business has begun a third shift at its Bidadi, Karnataka, facility.

While the company is working on battery electric vehicles as well, it will look into opportunities to introduce pure electric vehicles in the local market once renewable energy sources make up a larger portion of the energy mix and nationwide charging infrastructure for electric cars is established.

According to Yoshimura, Toyota continues to experience robust demand for its goods in India and is on target to record its highest-ever sales this year. The number of units sold in the first four months of current fiscal year climbed by 26% from the same period last year to 77,439 units. The company’s highest year prior to 2022-23, when TKM sold 174,015 units, was 2012-2013, when it sold 165,504 units.

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