TOKYO, Sept 4 — Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will begin production of electric vehicles (EV) at a plant in the Czech Republic, with an investment of 680 million euros ($792 million), Kyodo News Agency reported.
It will be the first time the Japanese automaker has assembled EVs in Europe on its own, as it ramps up efforts towards attaining carbon neutrality, or bringing down carbon dioxide emissions to net zero.
Toyota has taken a “multi-pathway” approach to achieve carbon neutrality in 2025, vowing to offer a variety of options, ranging from battery EVs to hybrid and fuel cell cars that use hydrogen.
Toyota plans to expand an existing production plant run by a local subsidiary and build a battery assembly plant.
During an event at which the investment plan was announced, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala welcomed Toyota’s decision, as it is expected to help his country maintain the ability to produce cars using advanced technology. – Kyodo
