Toyota is to invest ‘up to’ £4.53 billion in the supply of automotive batteries to help meet the growing demand for electric vehicles. It says it intends to begin battery production in Japan and the United States between 2024 and 2026. 

The investment is aimed at giving Toyota flexibility to meet the needs of different customers in all countries and regions by offering multiple powertrains, including hybrids.Toyota will use the investment to increase its combined battery production capacity in Japan and the United States by up to 40GWh. 

In Japan, around 400 billion yen (approximately £2.48 billion) will be invested in the Himeji plant. In the United States, about 325 billlion yen (approximately £2.02 billion) will be newly invested in Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (pictured above, under construction).

Toyota has traditionally been resistant to producing just all-electric cars, instead arguing that a mix of powertrain options are the best way to achieve lower emissions. It's latest model, the bZ4X, has been plagued by issues since launch.

Toyota's road to electrification has been bumpy