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Report: Toyota To Set Up R&D Center in China
5 November 2009
The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to build an R&D center in China as early as next year. Toyota would be the first Japanese automaker to establish a Chinese R&D center funded solely by itself.
The automaker has dropped its business strategy of selling the same models worldwide, deciding instead to customize its vehicle offerings to the characteristics of each region. It has begun discussions with subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co. on joint development of low-priced vehicles for emerging markets.
Toyota intends to take this a step further in China, which is expected to surpass the US to become the world’s largest automobile market in 2009. It hopes to pick up on local trends and reflect them in its products quickly. The new R&D facility is to develop models especially for the Chinese market that are highly competitive in price, performance and design.
The new facility reportedly will be on the outskirts of Shanghai.
November 5, 2009 in Brief | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: HarveyD | November 05, 2009 at 11:14 AM
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As China will certainly become (already is) the world's biggest car market, Toyota's decision to move closer to major buyers and involve local researchers and designers to develop units for local sales is a wise move.
Secondly, Chinese built Toyota's (specially future BEVs) may very well be major exports within a few years.
It will be difficult not to involve China, India, Brazil and other large growing countries for future lower cost BEV production.
Warren Buffet will be very busy moving those units accross USA with his newly acquired trains. Large container ships may be a good complement.