Toyota opens R&D Center in China

---

The foundation laying ceremony of Toyota’s R&D center, or Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing Center (China), was held in Changshu, Jiangsu province recently.

China’s authorities are not satisfied with Toyota’s development of new energy vehicles in China. Now Toyota has invested $689 million to open its fifth R&D center outside Japan, which is expected to complete construction in 2013. It’s also Toyota’s second overseas R&D center with a complete test track.

At the foundation laying ceremony, Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda announced that the center would focus on the technology development of new energy vehicles and the corresponding localization. The company also determined its development route for new energy vehicles in China for the first time: to improve internal combustion engine, develop hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel-cell vehicles.

An official with China’s National Development and Reform Commission thinks Toyota’s two joint ventures in China should catch up with its peers in the development of new energy vehicles. It should take the lead in terms of production and sales. The official also thinks plug-in hybrid vehicles are more easily received for their prices and utilization convenience compared with all-electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles.