The product planners at Toyota Motor North America headquarters in Plano, Texas, are feeling pretty hot right now. As competitors slash EV plans—and as longtime rival Honda suffers through its first-ever loss as a public company—Toyota’s hybrid-heavy lineup is printing cash. The company is, as ever, the most profitable automaker in the world. After years of criticism for its tepid embrace of pure electric vehicles, it looks vindicated.
So Cooper Ericksen seemed to be riding high when I walked into his office. Ericksen is TMNA’s senior vice president of product, battery electric vehicles, and mobility planning and strategy, giving him a wide remit and a tough gig. But for now, at least, his plan seems to be paying off. Americans can’t seem to get enough Toyota hybrids, and the company’s EV lineup is finally expanding and improving to boot.
