Toyota’s Shift to Electric Future Rests on Koji Sato’s Shoulders
- New CEO takes over with vow to accelerate EV efforts
- World’s No. 1 carmaker has embraced a multipronged approach
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When a vintage car shop in Nagano Prefecture found a buyer for a restored AE86 Corolla from a bygone era, nobody expected Koji Sato, then head of Toyota Motor Corp.’s luxury brand Lexus, to walk in and banter with the shop owner before picking up the iconic sports hatchback.
Sato, 53, was handed a different set of keys on Saturday as chief executive officer of the world’s largest automaker. Instead of romanticizing Toyota’s past, he will need to keep a steady gaze on its future.