Toyota is one of the manufacturers that left their mark on Galicia in the automotive industry. For starters, a historic partnership with PSA (now Stellantis) that resulted in a joint factory in the Czech Republic (today 100% Japanese) and a more recent agreement for the production of the Proace City minibus in Vigo. On the other hand, in the 80s, Toyota executives were visiting the region to establish an assembly plant here. Its president and CEO in Spain for almost five years has been Miguel Carsi.
What is the secret of Toyota being the country’s best-selling brand?
We believe in teamwork and perseverance, add to this the multiplier effect of a positive attitude and the results can be extraordinary. With the Toyota Group’s dealer network and a team of employees in Spain (including the finance and insurance company, the Kinto rental company and a range of vehicles responding to the needs of existing customers), Toyota has been committed to this commitment for more than 25 years. introduced many years ago by different types of electric technologies: electric hybrids, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell; results are guaranteed. The formula I would say is to always offer the customer what he needs.
Do you have a market share you need to reach this year?
We have sold more than 45,000 cars by June this year and we predict that we will reach 90,000 units by the end of the year. This is our aim and we are working towards it. The quota is more responsive to what the market is doing. Our obsession is to try to deliver all the products the customer demands in a certain volume to mark milestones. We are aware that we cannot meet our customers’ expectations due to supply problems, and this is a point we try to improve every day.
What are Toyota’s immediate plans in the field of electrification?
We have sold more than 21 million electric vehicles worldwide since the first generation of Prius was introduced in 1997, and we remain committed to this. The company plans to launch 40 new electric vehicles by 2025, offering the widest range of electric powertrains, including hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles.
One of the challenges is to reduce the price to make electric cars affordable for the middle class, how and when can this be achieved?
Essentially, there are two factors that will enable electric cars to become widespread: One is raw material costs and the other is the technology used in car batteries. The great electric car revolution is expected to happen with the introduction of solid-state batteries.
In a recent interview, he said that the Japanese brand Perte is considering entering VEC (Electric and Connected Vehicle), will it eventually do so?
Perte VEC did not fit as a priority into Toyota’s operations in Spain, which were more closely linked to the commercial rather than the industrial sphere. However, the production of the Proace City commercial vehicle in Vigo through the agreement with Stellantis and the production of components in Barcelona (Denso) and Malaga (Fujitsu) opens the door to submitting a project to Perte VEC. Application deadlines are very tight and it takes time to decide on such an important industrial investment. However, various options are being evaluated from our European headquarters.
Do you think Spain is working well through Perte on this necessary step towards electrification?
It is important to take a step towards electrification, but we believe that the Spanish vehicle fleet should be reviewed at the first stage, as it is one of the oldest in Europe. Changing these vehicles towards more sustainable technologies will contribute to achieving a society with lower emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 and reduced emissions of polluting gases such as NOx and particulates.
The collaboration between PSA (now Stellantis) and Toyota is a historic one and they produce the minibus in Balaídos. Will this cooperation be expanded?
Our collaboration with Stellantis is the result of an international agreement that allows us to expand our offer to include a range of industrial tools that we do not currently have. Commercial vehicles in Spain represent 15% and therefore it is important for us to have these vehicles to expand our business in Spain. Since it is an international agreement, we do not make such decisions, but we would be pleased to expand cooperation in our country.
How does Toyota see the Chinese electric car’s attack on the European market?
The entry of Chinese vehicles into Europe has changed the rules of the game. The European Union has recently expressed concern about the possible aid some brands will receive from the Chinese government and is considering opening an investigation to ensure free competition. Community regulations give the EU the power to take measures to offset the harmful effects of Chinese public subsidies. In other words, Brussels may decide to impose higher taxes on Chinese electric cars. We will have to see how events develop and how the market develops.
So, do you think it would be positive to launch one of these manufacturers in Spain? BYD is investigating this.
In the past, manufacturers such as Toyota established production facilities in Europe to meet local demand. In our case, 75 percent of the vehicles sold in Europe are produced here, provide employment and comply with European standards. I think it would be positive to realize new factories under these parameters.