So what would you like to see Toyota do with their “hoards” of cash?

 

Never hurts to keep some cash on hand......remember when they had to bail Julie Hamp out of prison LOL

 

this thread isn't my prescription on what toyota 'should' be doing, it's a theory on what i think they 'are' doing... and one that explains why there's relatively little 'new' or 'wow' in toyota/lexus these days.

what they should be doing may well be exactly what i theorize they are doing... some important r&d on batteries, aligning many of their platforms for cost efficiency, doing 'enough' on current models to keep them competitive and selling well, preparing for an onslaught of electric vehicles, maybe, if you believe their recent announcement.

 

Presently, all I see them doing is accumulating $186 billion dollars in equity [assets less liabilities like loans etc].
I don't see anything wrong with this strategy - if that's what they are presently doing.

At least 7 different power train options is both costly to develop and produce.
8 different driveline options if we include solid state batteries.
Just imagine making that 9 different driveline options if TMC actually produced 48 Volt electric turbos, though I can't see them doing this any time soon.

Meanwhile:
VW AG $133 billion.
Daimler AG $75 billion.
BMW AG $65 billion.

Honda Mo Co $76 billion.
Nissan Mo Co $50 billion.

GMC $42 billion.
Ford Mo Co $35 billion.

Renault $40 billion.
Peugeot Citreon PSA $21 billion.

Jaguar Land Rover $11 billion.
Tesla Motors $4.9 billion.
Volvo $1 billion+.

Mitsubishi Motors $605 million only.
Ferrari $886 million only.

Fiat Chrysler FCA $3.5 billion dollar loss in equity [which is much worse than an annual loss of earnings].

.

 

Prior to about 2015 or 2016, Toyota was tops in R&D spending among all automakers worldwide. Since then, however, it is in second place, behind Volkswagen. VW has no doubt been investing a lot in EVs post-Dieselgate.

 

ok..........

 

Fun topic. Won't get as many clicks and posts than a 5LS hating thread though. *insert shoulder shrug gif*

Jokes aside, I can agree with Pete for once that it is all about money with Toyota (and any great performing company). Sulu did hit you with some height measurements and you responded with JDM whip comparisons. I applaud you. Haha.

 

How are you measuring the amount of money actually spent, though...in the equivalent of American dollars, in Euros, in Japanese currency, or in the local currency of whatever countries these two corporations happen to do business or invest in...or a combination of the above? If you don't use the same standard for comparing the two, it could be a case of apples and oranges.

 

Look at this.

Source

 

More than just money, they say that with seven (7) different power train formats from gasoline, to diesels, to turbos, then hybrids, then plug-ins, to hydrogen fuel cell powered electric, and all the way up to lithium ion battery powered electric - Toyota Motor Corp will end up being a Jack of All Trades, but a Master of None.

 

Thanks, but it still doesn't address the point I brought up, how those dollar-totals for each company were determined in a world full of different currencies.

 

In other words, you're not after Nominal $$$ spent, but Purchasing Power?

 

ah, that's what exchange rates are for... you can convert all those currencies into a common currency easily for comparison.

 

I think a simpler answer was that Toyota wasted a ton of $$$$$ on Hybrid tech and besides the Prius model it has been a huge failure.

Lexus hybrids especially have not gained any traction.

Because of that huge investment in Hybrids, they really didn’t invest in Turbo tech like the Germans. Now they are playing catch up when Germans are on their 3rd/4th gen Turbo engines.

They were running on all cylinders as a company until mid 2000s. Then the economic collapse, natural disaster and hybrid investment failure really slowed them down and they have been just hesitant to make any big commitments as the Auto future is more uncertain than ever.

 

i disagree, and in some parts of the world (with high gas prices), the hybrid lexus models are about ALL that sells.

true, and they didn't invest in diesels either, which now looks pretty smart.

that's a pretty good assessment.