Toyota CEO and President Akio Toyoda to step down
Toyoda, 66, is the grandson of the carmaker's founder and has served as chief executive since June 2009.
www.cnbc.com
+1Toyota has been incredibly successful with their hybrid cars. If you've ever been to a major city all you see is Prius.. I doubt they are unhappy with their contribution to cleaner cars.
And suddenly they're not?Toyota was once one of the most reliable vehicles on the road.
Unexpected. Apparantly the company is unhappy with the path towards clean energy, in their terms.
You may be right, but that's not how it is being received.Not unexpected at all. He explained it in the interview. This is just the proper progression in Japanese business.
You may be right, but that's not how it is being received.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is LMSM?I really don’t believe much what the LMSM says anymore.
I like the transition. Koji Sato was running the Lexus division and that has seen some recent changes.
There is also this :
The current chairman, Takeshi Uchiyamada, 76, will step down but remain a board member.
Toyoda, 66, said in a press release that the leadership change was prompted by Uchiyamada's intention to retire, saying, "I felt it would be best for me to become chairman to support the new president in further reforming Toyota."
Toyota to promote Koji Sato to CEO, Akio Toyoda to become chairman - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toyota Motor Corp. will promote director Koji Sato to president effective April 1, replacing Akio Toyoda, who will become chairman, tmainichi.jp
Akio Toyoda will become Chairman, a symbolic post with little influence on business decisions.
Probably long overdue. Akio is responsible for such decisions as Toyota lagging in EV technology and sinking tons of money in hydrogen (Mirai). Not to mention sponsoring poorly designed new vehicles like the new Tundra and Sequoia which have not lived up to the earlier generations.
This change did not come out of thin air. Likely shareholders were demanding change in light of Tesla, Hyundai/KIA and BYD success.
What I am saying is harsh. But true. Toyota is in danger of losing the next generation of buyers. Kids growing up don't say, I want a Toyota hybrid or I want a Mirai. They say, I want a Tesla or some other EV.
I love Toyotas. But what have they done since the incredible Prius? Kudos for the upcoming Prius; it is a sure winner. I love our GS350 F Sport, RWD sport sedan. Very dependable but very old skool. And dead... There is nothing in the Lexus line I find exciting with the exception of the new Prius. The Toyotas will still sell tons of Camrys and Corollas, but I don't see the excitement. Heck, even the wonderful Tacoma gets V8 gas mileage, right?
This is a good first step. I wish Toyota well!
The Prius is the de facto cab or Uber(not so much these days, HyunKia and Nissan rule Uber/Lyft now) in many major cities.Toyota has been incredibly successful with their hybrid cars. If you've ever been to a major city all you see is Prius.. I doubt they are unhappy with their contribution to cleaner cars.