For the first time in 14 years, there's change at the top of Toyota. As Koji Sato picks up the keys from Akio Toyoda, what can we expect?
Finkelmeyer says no mainstream manufacturers have proven EVs as their sole business aside from Tesla, which operates in the rarefied air of smaller-scale luxury brands. "Toyota is still hedging its bets a little bit, not putting all the chips in one place," Finkelmeyer says. And it isn't just fuel cells. Finkelmeyer points out that Toyota is the global leader in patents involving solid-state batteries, which have the potential to increase range and decrease charging time.
How much of an impact will Sato make in changing Toyota's fortunes? Finkelmeyer says it won't be dramatic. "My impression of Toyota is of a fundamental, cultural set of beliefs about how they go to market and who they are," he says. "They're like the [NBA's] Golden State Warriors. They're just going to keep doing what they're doing."Initial statements by Sato seem to back that up.
What about Toyoda's passion for sports cars? "If Morizo is someone who loves driving cars," Sato said, "I am someone who loves making cars that make drivers smile." Hopefully, that means the brand's affordable, fun performance vehicles will continue, with or without tailpipes.Born in Tokyo in 1969, Koji Sato studied mechanical engineering in college. His interest was always in cars, and he worked part time at a gas station and later at Fuji Speedway.
Sato joined Toyota as an engineer in 1992. His early work was in suspension development and chassis design, including contributions to the first-generation Prius. He later moved to product planning, where he led the team for the Toyota Camry and Lexus GS before taking on the position of chief engineer at Lexus, where he oversaw the development of today's Lexus LC coupe—still one of his favorite cars.
When he isn't working on designing new cars, Sato enjoys his favorite classic, the last of the rear-drive Corollas, the AE86.
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