As the market for light cars is expanding, an increasing number of Toyota customers are willing to buy a light car, the companies said.
Daihatsu will supply the Move Conte and Hijet Cargo light cars to Toyota from the fall of 2011 through the end of 2011. And, in 2012, Daihatsu will supply another type of passenger car to Toyota though the type of the vehicle has not been determined yet.
“Though their Daihatsu logos will be replaced with Toyota logos, they will have the same specifications,” said Koichi Ina, president of Daihatsu. “We consider it as OEM supply of existing vehicles. But, if they are fully remodeled, we will supply the new models.”
Toyota and Daihatsu have a contract called TAD (Toyota Alliance with Daihatsu), under which their outlet stores introduce their customers to each other. The number of light cars sold at Toyota’s outlet stores under the contract is about 30,000 per year. In consideration of the expanding light car market, Toyota expects that the number will increase to 100,000 per year in about 2012 (40,000 under the TAD contract and 60,000 due to the OEM supply).
Toyota will sell the three types of vehicles supplied by Daihatsu at its “Corolla” and “Netz” outlet stores across Japan. And, in some areas where the ratio of light cars is high, Toyota will also sell them at its “Toyota” and “Toyopet” outlet stores.
This time, Toyota and Daihatsu agreed to collaborate on electric and hybrid-electric vehicles (EVs and HEVs). Toyota will provide EV/HEV technologies to Daihatsu, and Daihatsu will consider releasing light EVs and HEVs. Daihatsu plans to decide the kinds of technologies and the types of light EVs and HEVs by the end of 2011.