When discussing Toyota’s electric vehicles, aside from the widely criticized “CAPTCHA” car—the bZ4X—some may know about the Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the Corolla Dual Engine E+, but few are likely familiar with the RAV4 Dual Engine E+.

Toyota has made an all-out effort to popularize hybrid vehicles globally, securing its position as the world leader, but in doing so, it has neglected the development of new energy vehicles (NEVs), leading to a minimal presence in this market.

Following the global recall debacle of the bZ4X, Toyota slowed its pace once again. However, the most notable result of its reevaluation was the partnership with BYD. Leveraging BYD's pure electric technologies, FAW Toyota launched the bZ3 electric sedan in 2023.

This marked Toyota's first attempt—or perhaps trial and error—at penetrating the world’s largest NEV market. The bZ3 was primarily targeted at ride-hailing and fleet operations. But come 2025, Toyota is poised to make a real impact on the Chinese automotive market, with cutting-edge electric intelligent vehicles as its key weapon.

Traditionally, FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota have localized global Toyota models. Now, however, they are leveraging BYD and GAC Group’s pure electric technologies respectively to develop NEVs tailored for the Chinese market. Beyond the bZ3, models like the bZ3C, bZ3X, and bZ7 are slated for release this year.

Setting aside competitive slanders such as accusations of using substandard steel or having thin, unsafe car bodies, there’s no denying Toyota's unparalleled dedication to automotive manufacturing. It may well be the most meticulous carmaker in the world.

Admittedly, features like large central control screens, intelligent cockpits, and lidar-assisted driving have not traditionally been Toyota’s strengths, and one might doubt Toyota’s ability to excel in these areas. Yet, Toyota is determined to astonish the Chinese NEV market in 2025.

While other joint ventures are announcing their foray into localized NEV ecosystems in China, Toyota has once again taken the lead. Its new vehicles, equipped with Momenta’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and Huawei’s intelligent cockpit technology, will be delivered to Chinese consumers ahead of competitors.

When Toyota’s renowned quality combines with China’s top-tier electric and intelligent vehicle technologies, the longstanding criticisms and mockery directed at Toyota will no longer hold weight.

As Western automakers invested heavily in small-displacement turbocharged engines and three-cylinder engines, Toyota achieved price parity between hybrids and traditional fuel-powered vehicles. While autonomous driving was being hyped as a buzzword but remained largely experimental, Toyota equipped nearly all its models with Level 2 driver assistance systems.

This reflects Toyota’s manufacturing philosophy and prowess, as well as the speed and efficiency of China’s automotive supply chain. It also underscores that the Chinese market has become the pivotal battleground for global automakers seeking transformation and breakthroughs.

Toyota is often mocked for being stuck in the past or out of step in the NEV market because of its reliance on hybrid technology—a segment with vast potential but misaligned with the global push for pure electric vehicles. Ironically, while global automakers struggle in the NEV market, Toyota has maintained its dominance in global sales.

These critiques stem not from genuine opposition but from envy and frustration. Toyota’s success, in many ways, disrupts market narratives and provokes jealousy among competitors.

For Toyota, pure electric vehicles have long been viewed as supplementary to mainstream cars, suitable primarily for short trips, due to high costs, limited scale, and underdeveloped infrastructure. Yet, China’s unprecedented growth has addressed these challenges, accelerating EV adoption and driving its advancement.

In contrast, companies like Volkswagen and General Motors have seen their grand EV plans falter, resorting to heavy discounts and sales promotions. These failures can largely be attributed to their outdated strategy of localizing global models rather than developing market-specific vehicles.

Japanese automakers represent the second wave of global brands transitioning to EVs. Unlike Honda and Nissan, Toyota’s approach integrates global resources with China’s capabilities.

For instance, the bZ3C is one of Toyota’s global models, but its core components for the Chinese market—BYD’s electric drivetrain and localized intelligent systems—are entirely Chinese. Similarly, GAC Toyota’s bZ3X exemplifies extreme localization, effectively reengineering GAC Aion’s EVs using Toyota’s methodologies.

Toyota never engages in unprepared battles. Its goal is not to create one or two best-selling models but to steadily introduce vehicles that cater to global markets and consumers.

By 2025, Toyota will demonstrate its confidence in NEV development to Chinese users. For Toyota, NEVs are not reluctant choices, tools for overtaking in corners, or mere cash-burning experiments. They are vehicles designed to meet genuine consumer needs.

Major players in China’s electric and intelligent automotive sectors—BYD, CALB, Huawei, Pony.ai, and Momenta—will become key selling points for Toyota’s next-generation EVs in 2025.

While many EV makers are focused on short-term profits, Toyota is positioning itself to reap the rewards of the rapidly growing Chinese NEV market. The automaker poised to satisfy consumers in the long term is the one that will ultimately win the market.

As the Chinese automotive market enters a new phase of consolidation, viewing Toyota through the lens of its past achievements would be naive in 2025.

Toyota’s first All New NEV—the bZ4X—was simultaneously produced and sold by FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota, but its failure was significant. Today, Toyota has adopted a contrasting approach: FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota are taking divergent paths for NEVs.

FAW Toyota has rejected GAC’s technology for Toyota EVs, while GAC Toyota has excluded BYD-powered vehicles from its lineup. As a result, FAW Toyota continues the cooperation model from the fuel vehicle era, introducing EVs with Toyota’s global design and BYD’s core technologies. Meanwhile, GAC Toyota has taken a different approach, deepening collaboration with GAC Group to develop NEVs.

It remains to be seen which of these two approaches will succeed. FAW Toyota’s NEVs represent a three-way collaboration based on global Toyota models, while GAC Toyota’s NEVs signify an upgrade in the partnership between GAC Group and Toyota. The winner in terms of capability and confidence will be evident soon enough.

In 2024, FAW Toyota is projected to sell 800,000 vehicles, with over 50,000 units of the “electric Corolla” bZ3. Though largely utilized in ride-hailing operations, the bZ3 represents Toyota’s biggest breakthrough in NEVs globally, highlighting its determination to competitors and consumers alike.

The bZ3C and bZ3X, which emphasize further advancements in electrification, intelligence, and localization, will kick off Toyota’s efforts in China for 2025. Upon release, they are expected to stand at the pinnacle of China’s electric intelligent vehicle development.

An affordable, joint-venture NEV equipped with advanced ADAS and a large central control screen priced at just RMB 150,000, ready for delivery upon launch—this is enough to terrify competitors and excite consumers.

In times of significant challenges for China’s automotive industry, Toyota consistently defies the odds and acts as a stabilizing force in the market.

For example, since 2021, Toyota has built three new factories and launched high-end models like the Crown Kluger, Sienna, and Granvia. Global models such as the Corolla Cross and Frontlander have also entered the Chinese market.

As China’s automotive sector faces new growth bottlenecks, Toyota is once again forging ahead, introducing new factories, brands, and models while leveraging its China-made, globally leading NEVs to guide the global expansion of Chinese automobiles.

When the path of localizing global models becomes less viable, Toyota is among the first to combine local resources to create electric intelligent vehicles tailored for Chinese consumers. While Toyota’s progress in NEVs may have seemed slow, it is now fully prepared to accelerate.

In reality, the world’s biggest proponent of NEVs is not BYD or Tesla but Toyota. Backed by its globally dominant hybrid technology and bolstered by China’s automotive industry, Toyota is finally poised to lead the NEV race with confidence.