Akio Toyoda isn’t ready to let internal combustion engines (ICE) idle quietly into the past - at least not where sports cars are concerned.
Despite Toyota’s growing electric vehicle (EV) push, the chairman and self-proclaimed “master driver” remains firmly committed to the raw appeal of petrol-powered performance.
Leading with ICE in his veins
“For me as the master driver, my definition of a sports car is something with the smell of gasoline and a noisy engine,” Toyoda told Automotive News. While he acknowledges internal efforts to create a compelling electric sports car, he’s happy to let others lead that charge... literally.
Enter the FT-Se, Toyota’s electric sports concept revealed in 2023 but still nowhere near production as a road-going version isn’t expected before 2026 or 2027. Behind the delay sits more than just development hurdles - there’s a deeper philosophical split.
Stalled by scepticism
For Toyoda, battery limitations make EVs a poor fit for proper racing. “It’s not exciting,” he said of EV motorsport, noting batteries don’t last more than an hour on track. In his view, that turns the contest into “a race of charging time or battery exchange.”
That view carries weight. Toyoda isn’t a deskbound exec, rather, he’s “Morizo” on the track, a name he’s raced under since 2007’s Nürburgring 24-hour. It’s also adorned a GR Corolla and even the Lexus LBX Morizo RR. His driving experience feeds directly into Toyota’s product philosophy, especially in performance circles.
Meanwhile, FT-Se development hasn’t stalled entirely. Toyota’s design and engineering team is still targeting dual electric motors - one at each axle - and a next-generation battery pack. The projected result? A 0 to 100km/h sprint in about three seconds, with a top speed of 250km/h. But whether that translates into Morizo-grade fun remains to be seen.
The thrill still burns fuel
Toyoda’s resistance to full electrification isn’t new. He’s previously stated that EVs will “never represent more than 30 percent of global sales.” That hasn’t stopped Toyota from expanding its zero-emission range, especially in China, but the company’s commitment to ICE fun isn’t fading either. The Supra is set to continue, and whispers of Celica and MR2 revivals persist.
For Toyota, performance is about character as much as it is about powertrains. And for now, that character still smells like petrol.