TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota is considering a sharp increase in production of its first mass-market battery-electric vehicle from 2025, according to three people with knowledge of the developing plans, ramping up output of the vehicle amid a broader strategy rethink.
The Japanese automaker is considering increasing production of its bZ4X electric vehicle (EV) crossover by either six or 12 times from its current monthly output of a little more than 1,000 cars a month, from 2025 if it can secure needed components, including semiconductors, they said.
The car is produced at Toyota Motor Corp’s Motomachi plant near its headquarters on a shared assembly line with gasoline cars and hybrids. Both the current and potential production numbers include those of the Subaru Corp Solterra, which is made on the same platform.
The increase would see Toyota add production at another plant near its headquarters, the Takaoka factory, said the three people, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because the information was not public.
Toyota declined to comment.
(Reporting by Maki Shiraki; Writing by Kevin Krolicki; Editing by David Dolan)