Toyota is planning to shift the Corolla to electric power to fight off growing competition from Tesla and Chinese automakers. The upcoming generation of the vehicle represents a major milestone for the brand as it battles a growing sense of crisis. But internal developers admit they are falling behind on development speed.
The Corolla legacy spans 60 years and 12 generations, with cumulative sales exceeding 57 million vehicles globally. During a recent broadcast on the NHK television network, company chairman Akio Toyoda admitted that an internal feeling of crisis is spreading through the boardroom. This concern stems directly from the rapid market expansion of electric vehicle specialist BYD, which recently surpassed Ford in global sales volume and aims to become the top automaker within 5 years.
The new prototype closely follows the design cues of the previously revealed Corolla Concept. Under the hood, the vehicle sits on a brand new platform capable of supporting multi powertrain configurations. This setup will accommodate fully electric battery systems alongside plug in hybrid, traditional hybrid, and standard combustion engine options. This flexibility allows the company to hedge its bets across different global markets.
Staying competitive means matching the rapid production cycles of Chinese rivals. Toyota engineers openly acknowledge that their current development speed is slower than that of competitors like BYD. With market pressure mounting, the success of this multi power platform will dictate whether the world best selling vehicle can hold steady in the electric age.
