Toyota Has Finally Seen The EV Light

The electrified car movement is picking up even more momentum, thanks to Japanese automakers jumping on the bandwagon. Most notable is Toyota, which has openly questioned the value of pure electric vehicles.

That’s right, hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell cars are no longer good enough for Toyota. This is huge, because Toyota is one of the largest automakers in the world.

Per a report from Automotive News, Toyota is setting up an internal organization dedicated solely to electric vehicles. For now, this “in-house venture” will only have four employees. One of them is from Toyota, while the other three are coming from different suppliers for the automaker. So, it sounds like Toyota’s just dipping its toe in the water.

Somehow, those four individuals are supposed to mash the pedal and get Toyota up to speed with competitors in a hurry. Toyota’s CEO claims the size of this group will make it nimble. So far, there’s no set deadline to bring an EV to market. In other words, don’t hold your breath.

Volkswagen is getting in on the EV action after Dieselgate, and GM is making more aggressive moves with the new Bolt. So the three largest automakers in the world are all in on the electric car party now.

Before you think this means Toyota’s giving up on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, know it isn’t. When the company announced this new electric car effort, it made sure to mention that the “ultimate eco-car” concept involves using hydrogen, not pure electricity, for fuel.