Toyota City, Japan, March 26, 2015―In the four years since announcing its new Global Vision, Toyota has made significant progress toward achieving sustainable growth by making ever-better cars. This has required a new approach to manufacturing automobiles, with the core aims being greatly improved product development and more competitive production sites. This work is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) and is supported by the cultivation of a skilled and capable workforce.
Commenting on progress made so far, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: "I want 2015 to be a year in which we take steady and bold steps toward sustainable growth. We can do this by launching new models that incorporate TNGA, and making good use of this intentional pause to strengthen our competitiveness. Based on the new management structure we announced this month, it is important that we improve our true competitiveness, including strengthening our human resources. We aim to be a company that grows sustainably―a tree with a strong trunk."
Making better cars through TNGA
To greatly improve core vehicle performance and product appeal, Toyota is implementing an innovative, integrated development approach for powertrain components and vehicle platforms. Development of vehicles is also being grouped to promote strategic sharing of parts and powertrain components with the goal of reducing resources required for development by 20 percent or more. And by working even closer with suppliers, Toyota intends to further reduce costs and reinvest the resulting resources into developing advanced technologies and strengthening product appeal.
New powertrain components
Powertrain components are at the heart of all vehicles. Their development needs to be coordinated with that of vehicle platforms, which form the basic structure of all vehicles. To enhance driving performance and fuel efficiency while also giving vehicles more attractive styling and improved handling, Toyota is focusing on joint development of powertrains and platforms together to create a lower center of gravity, on making components lighter and more compact, and on applying unified design through modularization.
By improving thermal efficiency in engines and energy-relay efficiency in transmissions, Toyota has increased the overall fuel efficiency of its powertrains by approximately 25 percent and overall power output by more than 15 percent. Also, by rethinking drive unit layout and making electric motors, inverters and batteries smaller, Toyota expects to improve the overall fuel efficiency of its hybrid vehicle systems by more than 15 percent. Toyota will begin introducing its new powertrain units this year, and will continue to develop innovative new hybrid systems, transmissions and engines.
New vehicle platforms
Toyota has developed new platforms through innovative improvements to its vehicle underbodies and suspensions. Additionally, repositioning and lowering the center of gravity of powertrain components has contributed to achieving attractive, low-stance designs, responsive handling, a high-quality drive feel, and collision performance that offers safety and peace of mind.
By rethinking body structure, Toyota plans to first increase overall body rigidity by as much as 30 to 65 percent, and then further improve rigidity by joining body components using laser screw welding technology. Toyota will begin rolling out its new platforms with the launch of a midsize front-wheel-drive vehicle this year, followed by specific new platforms for front-wheel-drive compact and large vehicles, as well as for rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
Toyota expects approximately half of its vehicles sold worldwide in 2020 to feature the new platforms.
