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Toyota’s Shift To Electric Future Rests On Koji Sato’s Shoulders

For Sato, building a dedicated EV production platform from scratch will be an early challenge as he looks to expand battery EVs.

Koji Sato
Koji Sato

When a vintage car shop in Nagano Prefecture found a buyer for a restored AE86 Corolla from a bygone era, nobody expected Koji Sato, then head of Toyota Motor Corp.’s luxury brand Lexus, to walk in and banter with the shop owner before picking up the iconic sports hatchback.

Sato, 53, was handed a different set of keys on Saturday as chief executive officer of the world’s largest automaker. Instead of romanticizing Toyota’s past, he will need to keep a steady gaze on its future.

Toyota, along with the rest of the $2.86 trillion global auto industry, faces a once-in-a-lifetime upheaval in a shift toward electrification and automation that has already produced a few early winners, most notably Tesla Inc. As the transition to EVs accelerates at a faster-than-anticipated clip, the big question is which, if any, of the incumbents — from Toyota and Volkswagen AG to Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. — can navigate their way and survive.

“The new wave is about to come,” said Koji Endo, managing director of SBI Securities Co. “All those Japanese makers have to be well prepared before it becomes too late.”

Read more: World’s Love Affair With Japanese Cars Sours Over EV Blunders

When announcing his leadership team in February, Sato said he intends to take a bolder and faster “EV first” approach, promising to overhaul battery production and manufacturing platforms by 2026 with Lexus as the strategy’s centerpiece. But so far, no concrete details have emerged.

At the same event, Sato also emphasized Toyota’s multipronged approach touted by Akio Toyoda, the CEO for the past 14 years who will become chairman, a seat that will let him continue to exert influence over the carmaker’s strategy.

“Sato has become captain of the ship, but Toyota is a giant ship and a change in executive leadership won’t make it change course right away,” said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tatsuo Yoshida. “And of course, the owner of the ship is still Akio Toyoda.”

Akio Toyoda, right, with Sato, at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
Akio Toyoda, right, with Sato, at the Tokyo Auto Salon in January. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Until now, Toyoda had consistently emphasized the need for the carmaker founded by his grandfather to spread its bets across different technologies — from batteries, hybrids, hydrogen and legacy combustion engines — to serve customers and successfully transition to a post-gasoline future.

“We see potential in all available options,” Sato said in March. Analysts are expecting Sato to announce his plans in the coming months, which could put Toyota in more direct competition with Tesla and China’s BYD Co., the two biggest EV players.

For Sato, building a dedicated EV production platform from scratch will be an early challenge as he looks to expand battery EVs and regain some of the momentum seized by those two rivals. 

“The big question is whether it’s a plan of his own creation or one meant to avoid embarrassing his predecessor,” said Seiji Sugiura, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research.

Read more: Toyota Swaps CEO as Tesla-Led EV Shift Threatens Dominance

In December 2021, Toyota vowed to sell 3.5 million EVs annually by 2030. Battery EVs accounted for just 16,000 of the 9.5 million cars it sold in the fiscal year ending March 2022, leading critics once again to decry the company’s hesitation to commit to a fully electrified line-up, or put forward a plan to phase out gasoline-powered cars and decarbonize by 2050.

Expectations were high last year when Toyota rolled out its inaugural EV, the bZ4X. That ended in a loss of face, however, when thousands of cars were recalled due to concerns that the tires could fall off because the wheels weren’t bolted on tightly enough. While sales resumed in October, Sato will have to prove that Toyota’s battery-based EVs are ready for the limelight.

Much of that also depends on the executive team behind Sato. Toyota has been known to have a strong bench of vice presidents. Among the all-male senior management team, Hiroki Nakajima became chief technology officer, Yoichi Miyazaki was appointed chief financial officer while Simon Humphries was named chief branding officer.

Sato, center, with Kazuaki Shingo, from left, Yoichi Miyazaki, Hiroki Nakajima, and Simon Humphries in Tokyo, earlier in February.Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg
Sato, center, with Kazuaki Shingo, from left, Yoichi Miyazaki, Hiroki Nakajima, and Simon Humphries in Tokyo, earlier in February.Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg

“The new CEO is young, but Akio’s old guard remains in place,” said Yoshio Tsukuda, director of the Tsukuda Mobility Institute. “They’re still not sure Sato and his team can be entrusted with everything quite yet.”

Read more: Toyota’s New CEO Assembles Leadership Team for EV Future

The exchange at the used-car shop in Nagano last year offered a glimpse into Sato’s leadership style. He’s known for his relaxed demeanor and a quick smile, traits that helped the young engineer ascend the ranks at Lexus before being tapped on the shoulder to lead Toyota.

“An enthusiast is better poised to understand what customers want,” said Toshio Fujimura, a former Toyota engineer who is now a professor at the Aichi Institute of Technology. “It makes sense for a car company to be led by someone who loves cars.”

Toyoda near an AE86 BEV concept vehicle, left, and an AE86 H2 concept vehicle.Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
Toyoda near an AE86 BEV concept vehicle, left, and an AE86 H2 concept vehicle.Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

The AE86, which began production in 1983, quickly became a Japanese icon but reached cult status in the 90s after it was popularized by the anime . When he came across a pristine model restored to near-stock condition, Sato said he couldn’t help himself.

“This car represents my youth,” Sato said, as seen in a video posted in December on the shop’s YouTube channel. “I know this car has a big following and many people adore it.”

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