Toyota, Mazda team-up to make electric cars

Tokyo - Japanese auto giant Toyota said on Thursday it will team up with Mazda and parts-maker Denso to develop electric vehicles.

The move came as Toyota, producer of bestselling hybrid vehicle Prius, steps up efforts to develop clean technologies, including electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid systems that use both petrol and electricity as energy sources.

Toyota will have 90% stake

Joint research - sharing cost, engineers and knowledge - is necessary to meet increasingly stringent but varying environmental standards around the world, the three firms said in a joint statement.

The statement said: "With (electric vehicles) yet to find widespread market acceptance, the huge investments and time required to cover all markets and vehicle segments is a pressing issue for individual automakers."

Toyota will take a 90% stake in the venture, to be launched next month in the central city of Nagoya, near the automaker's headquarters.

Toyota and Mazda agreed in August to a capital tie-up to facilitate joint development of electric vehicles.