Toyota Motor Corp. Vice Chairman Katsuaki Watanabe said here Thursday that the Japanese automaker wants to actively consider marketing electric vehicles in China.
Speaking at a forum that opened in Chengdu in southwestern China, Watanabe made no mention of a specific timeframe or models.
Major carmakers have one after the other been expressing interest in bringing electric automobiles to China, home of the world’s largest car market. If Toyota joins the fray, it is expected to further intensify competition on sales and the next field of automotive technology.
The Chinese government has expressed interest in reducing urban pollution and decreasing its dependence on oil by replacing gasoline-powered cars with electric cars.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. President Osamu Masuko said Thursday that the carmaker aims to put its i-MiEV all-electric car on sale in China by 2012.
Meanwhile, Nissan Motor Co. (OOTC:NSANY) has also announced a policy of marketing its Leaf electric vehicle in China.
