Toyota Breaks Up With Tesla, Relationship Was Going Nowhere

Electric car giant Tesla and Japanese auto company Toyota have had a relationship for quite a while, but it seems that’s all over now. Both companies have apparently split up and according to reports, it’s because the partnership was going nowhere. Signs also point to an intent by Toyota to compete with Tesla with its own electric car division.

As Toyota’s spokesperson, Ryo Sakai told Reuters, the partnership between Tesla and his company had actually fizzled some time ago. Deciding that neither company was going to get anything more out of each other if they stayed together, Toyota decided to break it off.

“Our development partnership with Tesla ended a while ago, and since there has not been any new developments on that front, we decided it was time to sell the remaining stake,” Sakai said.

On that note, the Japanese car giant has been cranking up development in several sectors recently, which can put a strain on its resources. Toyota is well on its way to creating a relevant electric car line, though, many of its offerings are aimed more at consumers in its home country of Japan.

There’s also the small matter of the flying car that it is trying to develop, Futurism notes, courtesy of a group it is funding called Cartivator. This is the vehicle that Toyota is hoping will be the one to light the Olympic Torch when the event is held in Japan.

That last part might have a lot to do with the company’s decision to split with Tesla as well. The electric car company’s CEO, Elon Musk has made it well known that he doesn’t think flying cars are a good idea. There’s the matter of scale to consider, according to the tech billionaire, but safety would have to be the biggest issue.