On May 10th, in response to recent rumors that a joint venture will adopt BYD DM-i technology to launch new models, Toyota China responded that there is currently no official confirmation.
The company stated that Toyota has always maintained an open attitude towards technological cooperation and hopes to face the challenges of the new era together with excellent partners in various fields. The cooperation between Toyota and BYD mainly focuses on the BEV (pure electric vehicle) field and does not involve other fields.
In addition, Toyota China has also debunked some other recent rumors, including reports about former Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda criticizing the Chinese new energy vehicle market and pricing strategies of Chinese companies. The official clarified that these reports were taken out of context, and Toyota did not make such comments.
Although it has not acknowledged the adoption of BYD's plug-in hybrid technology, Toyota, which is committed to staying in the world's largest market, has recently seen a series of cooperation news that indeed proves that this Japanese car company is striving to expand its social circle in China.
At the Beijing Auto Show, Toyota showcased five models from its bZ series, two of which were based on the deep cooperation between GAC and FAW, making their global debut. At the same time, Toyota also emphasized its cooperation with Tencent to further achieve its SDV (Software Defined Vehicles) goals through AI big models and cloud technologies.
The pressure on sales of Japanese cars in China is no longer news. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Japanese cars, which once accounted for nearly 30% of total sales at their peak, fell to less than 15% in 2024. In this context, Toyota and other Japanese car companies are increasing their cooperation and technological innovation efforts in China.
In the field of intelligent driving, in March 2020, Toyota invested in Momenta, a smart driving startup located in Suzhou, with the goal of developing Toyota's APM automated map platform and strengthening its capabilities in autonomous driving technology infrastructure.
During the Toyota Beijing Auto Show, it was also announced that a joint venture with Xiaoma Zhixing was officially established. The joint venture will launch thousands of autonomous vehicles into the Chinese market and connect these vehicles to Xiaoma Zhixing's L4 level autonomous taxi (Robotaxi) operation platform, providing fully autonomous travel services, mainly in first tier cities in China.
Toyota's attempts in China are not limited to collaborative development of new technologies. In April, Toyota, together with China Minmetals and Minghe Industries, announced the establishment of a joint venture company focused on the comprehensive utilization of vehicle power batteries; In March earlier, the company signed the second phase of the joint research institute cooperation agreement with Tsinghua University, marking a new stage of cooperation between the two sides in the field of technology research and development.
Similar attempts have also been made across the entire Japanese brand. On April 26th, Nissan announced the establishment of the Joint Research Center for Sustainable Development in the Automotive Industry with the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University. This is a specific implementation action after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two sides in December last year.
In addition, Nissan CEO Masayoshi Ueda recently expressed the company's intention to further localize and strengthen its competitiveness in the Chinese market. At the Beijing Auto Show, Nissan showcased multiple pure electric and plug-in hybrid models developed in collaboration with Dongfeng Company.
Although Mazda has a small size, it is also actively adjusting its strategy in China. At the recent Beijing Auto Show, Mazda's EZ-6 model showcased its technological and design connection with Changan new energy vehicles.
With the rapid changes in the market environment, the strategic adjustment of Japanese car manufacturers in China has become increasingly evident. Their goal is simple, to cope with fierce market competition and seek new growth opportunities.