Daimler and Toyota’s Efforts to Popularize EVs

From seminar presentations at the Automotive World Nagoya 2020

2020/12/03

Summary

  This report introduces the content of the presentations by Daimler and Toyota on their efforts to popularize EVs given during one of the special sessions held at the 3rd Automotive World Nagoya 2020 (October 21-23, 2020 at Portmesse Nagoya).

 

Daimler: At the Forefront of EV Development, Shaping the Future of Electric Mobility - New EVs and the Evolution of Batteries

Speaker: Dr. Benedikt Friess, Research Scientist & Engineer, Battery Research & Development, Daimler AG
* The presentation was conducted using a video recording.

Daimlerの推し進めるxEVフルライン化
Full line of xEV promoted by Daimler
(Source: Daimler)

  When envisioning the future of mobility, Daimler wants to explain what is needed and how it will be realized with EVs. It will not be the activity of a single company, but a collaboration of various industries and citizens under a national policy.

Social initiatives in line with the government policy Energiwende (Energy Transition):

  In a European customer sentiment survey, more than 50% said they were unwilling to buy an EV because of high vehicle prices and concerns about running out of electricity. Daimler considers a battery price of USD 100 USD/kWh and a range of 500 km to be the thresholds for the proliferation of EVs, and plans to achieve these thresholds and increase the number of EVs that can effectively use clean power sources.

  Total zero emissions cannot be achieved by the automotive manufacturing industry alone and requires the cooperation of society as a whole. For example, to absorb the supply and demand imbalance that occurs in local renewable power with in-vehicle batteries, all EVs must be considered to be connected to the grid and their charge/discharge states controlled from the grid side, rather than being left to the vehicle owner side.

  When CO2 emissions are evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, CO2 emissions decrease in the order of gasoline vehicles, then diesel vehicles, then EVs, and it is expected that the difference between each will widen in the future, and Daimler is developing new models with this in mind.

  As for the introduction of new technologies, Daimler intends to use all-solid-state batteries in production vehicles by 2024.

 

Toyota: To Popularize ZEV

Speaker: Mr. Koji Toyoshima
Toyota ZEV Factory, Deputy Chief Officer, and ZEV B&D Lab Manager, and ZEV B&D Lab Chief Engineer

トヨタが描く将来の各種モビリティ共存の姿
Toyota's vision of the coexistence of various types of mobility in the future
(Source: Toyota)

  The purpose of this talk is to review why and how Toyota is bringing to market EVs that are not popular or profitable. The underlying idea is the desire to promote happiness by controlling air pollution and CO2 emissions from a global perspective.

Building friendships for the social deployment of EVs and batteries:

  According to a Japan domestic consumer awareness survey, the concern about EVs is the high price of products, but short range is not a major obstacle. To reduce the price of EVs, it is necessary to standardize products for volume production and reduce battery prices. Therefore, Toyota is sharing its designs and the procurement of parts with OEMs that agree with its approach and building mutually supportive relationships with Chinese battery manufacturers as partners.

  To popularize EVs, it will be necessary to build a large coalition that transcends the boundaries of the industry, including users such as businesses and households, battery manufacturers, and power generation and storage companies, through battery recycling and sharing.

  If CO2 emissions are assessed by LCA methods, there will be no significant difference between hybrids, EVs and PHEVs. Therefore, Toyota plans to introduce a variety of eco-friendly vehicles from the perspective of expanding customer options. In addition, Toyota will promote the electrification of commercial vehicles because it can expect the infrastructure to be strengthened.

  The Toyota two-seat BEV, which will be launched this winter, is a product that aims at reducing costs by building friendships and sharing technology and components from the perspective of popularizing EVs.

 

Related Reports:
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Electric Powertrain Market Forecast in Major Countries (Oct. 2020)
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Daimler: Priorities are to invest in electrification, curb total investment, and preserve cash (May 2020)
Using EVs as storage batteries, and battery sharing services (Apr. 2020)
Asian OEM Electrification Strategies, Including EV Product Timelines - Part 1 (Dec. 2019)
Tokyo Motor Show 2019: Toyota Exhibits an Array of EVs, FCVs, and Mobility Solutions (Nov. 2019)
German OEM Electrification Strategies, Including EV Product Timelines (Oct. 2019)

 

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