Want to see a return of the Rusa? After reforms, Daihatsu can now resume commercial BEV development

Following yesterday’s restructuring announcement, Toyota Motor Corp stated that its troubled small car partner Daihatsu will begin to look more into compact battery electric vehicle (BEV) development.

"We will expand the appeal and potential of “mini” vehicles, which can be considered national cars, and take on the challenge of mini-vehicle BEVs as well," Daihatsu said in a statement.

Japan’s number one automaker is behind compared to rivals in offering compact kei-sized BEVs. Nissan and Mitsubishi offer the Sakura and eK X EV respectively while Honda is planning to launch its first kei BEV, the N-Van e: later this year.

However, Daihatsu’s first BEV could be for commercial use which will rival the Honda N-Van e: and the Mitsubishi Minicab EV. Daihatsu President, Masahiro Inoue said the company has conducted internal studies for a passenger kei BEV but no concrete timetable for market launch has been given.

Also read: Mitsubishi to introduce kei EVs for ASEAN, Minicab MiEV to be produced in Indonesia

The President also stated that Daihatsu must first implement corporate reforms to prevent repeated misconduct before moving ahead on BEVs. The company has plans to go ahead with BEV development but they were put on hold following circumstances.

Also read: Taking responsibility: Toyota wants 10 exiled Daihatsu bosses to return their bonuses

Before the scandal erupted last year, Daihatsu announced it was partnering with parent Toyota and longtime rival Suzuki to jointly develop and produce a commercial BEV for all 3 brands. Suzuki also does not offer a kei BEV in its lineup.

At Monday’s press conference, Toyota announced that the Emerging Market Car Company (EMCC) which was led by Daihatsu will be dissolved and replaced by the Toyota Compact Car Company.

Also read: Last Daihatsu-developed Vios: Toyota terminates EMCC, takes over ASEAN models development

This comes after a management restructure following a safety scandal that saw Daihatsu forging crash test results for many of its models including those developed for markets like Malaysia.