Toyota Motor Corp. aims to introduce an electric vehicle in China, Vice Chairman Katsuaki Watanabe said Thursday. Noting that the automaker is on track to enter the broader electric vehicle market in 2012, Watanabe said, "We're favorably considering a move into China as well."

"We'll look for an offering best suited for the Chinese market," he added. Watanabe spoke at an international industry conference here. A subcompact will likely be sold in China, according to a local subsidiary. The cars will initially be imported from Japan, with sales focusing on those cities possessing infrastructure for recharging the vehicles. A shift to local production is expected in advance of a nationwide push.

Watanabe also discussed plans for a plug-in hybrid based on the Prius. Sales will begin on a trial basis in China this year, mainly targeting local governments and companies. After making improvements based on gathered data, the firm aims to quickly move on to a full-scale launch.

Toyota debuted the Prius in China in 2005, but sold only around 300 there last year. It will incorporate local consumer preferences into the electric and plug-in models in an effort to boost its Chinese sales of green cars.

In addition to local automakers developing electric cars, Nissan plans to roll out an offering in China next year, followed by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in 2012. China will spend 100 billion yuan, or about 1.2 trillion yen, through 2020 to promote cars that run on fuels other than gasoline. It envisions 5 million such vehicles on the road by then.

 e.nikkei.com