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Header Image Source| Visual China

author | Su Peng

LexusThere has been the latest progress in the domestic production plan.

Future Auto Daily has learned from multiple sources that Lexus will take the lead in producing the new UX hybrid and a new pure electric model under the premise of building an independent factory in China. The new car will be sold in China and overseas markets such as Japan at the same time.

However, an insider said, "The current policy has very strict control over factory production capacity, and Lexus' plan to build a wholly-owned factory cannot be implemented soon."

As of press time, Lexus has not responded to this news.

The background of Lexus's wholly-owned factory construction is that at the end of June, Bloomberg reported thatToyotaIt is seeking to set up a wholly-owned Lexus factory in Shanghai, focusing on producing high-end electric vehicles.

Bloomberg cited sources saying Toyota is seeking toTeslaSimilar treatment, including tax breaks, policy support, land grants, and the ability to operate directly without a local joint venture partner, will see the plant produce electric vehicles for its Lexus brand.

Earlier, Tesla's wholly-owned factory in Shanghai served as a model for Lexus. According to people familiar with the matter, Lexus plans to use more than 95% of its local Chinese parts.

In contrast, in 2019, the Chinese government introduced Tesla to build a super factory in Shanghai as an independent foreign investment, one of the purposes of which was to use the technology spillover effect to drive the quality improvement of the domestic industrial chain. Therefore, one of the clauses in the agreement between the two parties was that the use rate of domestic parts would reach 100% within three years.

The policy also provides Lexus with a practical opportunity to produce its products domestically. Starting from January 1, 2022, China's automobile manufacturing sector will remove restrictions on foreign investment in passenger car manufacturing, allowing the same foreign company to establish more joint ventures in China to produce similar complete vehicle products.

China is Toyota's third largest market, after the United States and Japan. However, the slow progress of electrification has also made it difficult for Toyota to make progress in China's new energy market.

In response to this, last year Toyota Motor Corporation decided to further strengthen local research and development of intelligent and electrified technologies to ensure the competitiveness of its own new energy products.

On August 1 last year, Toyota's largest R&D center in China, Toyota Motor R&D Center (China) Co., Ltd., was officially renamed Toyota Intelligent Electric Vehicle R&D Center (China) Co., Ltd.BYDEngineers from the R&D centers of Toyota's three joint ventures will join the R&D projects led by IEM by TOYOTA. Denso and Aisin will also participate in IEM by TOYOTA's R&D activities to accelerate the development of electrified powertrains.

This year, Toyota Motor also reached a cooperation with Huawei to jointly create smart car solutions.

Toyota has already planned the research and development of localized technologies in advance and has actively cooperated with domestic suppliers. Perhaps Lexus' independent factory construction is an important foothold for Toyota's electric localization.