Totalcar – Magazine – Toyota is following Tesla

• Similar to other international car manufacturers, Toyota’s market share has shrunk spectacularly in China in the recent period.
• The company is now preparing for an offensive.
• Knocks a Bozhi 3X.

Toyota plans to launch its first electric car in China with an autonomous driving system similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology in 2025, Reuters reported. The source of the news is one of the Chinese joint ventures of the Japanese car manufacturer, in which the Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) is a partner.

Chinese offensive

The joint venture was tasked by the Japanese to regain Toyota’s market share in China, which had fallen by more than a fifth in the first third of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. To do this, it needs to catch up with Chinese competition in battery technology and smart car know-how. According to GAC Toyota’s announcement, the new SUV will be offered to Chinese motorists under the name Bozhi 3X.

It will have a driving support system that will be an effective helper for the driver of the car when parking, as well as on highways and in heavy city traffic. The management of the joint company believes that with this, Toyota can be the most sophisticated car manufacturer in the Chinese market offering smart car technology among foreign companies. In the development of the system, GAC Toyota cooperates with startup Momenta Global, the company that has also teamed up with car manufacturers in the development of autonomous driving, such as Mercedes-Benz. The other partner is Huawei, which also wants to present a sedan with its own on-board operating system next year. Toyota also announced that it will introduce its lithium iron phosphate battery in 2026-2027, thanks to which it can produce its bZ4X electric car 40 percent cheaper than the current one.