A short while ago Toyota announced a joint venture with fellow Japanese behemoth, Panasonic, to produce lithium batteries for Toyota and other car makers.
https://www.caradvice.com.au/718779/toyota-panasonic-collaborating-on-battery-production/Now, today, Toyota has announced an agreement with another Japanese heavy hitter, the motor cycle and car small car manufacturer, Suzuki, that in part helps get Toyota into the Indian market where Suzuki is already well established and in part helps Suzuki get into producing hybrid vehicles in India and electric vehicles in Europe, which are segments that Toyota excels at.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyota-suzuki/toyota-suzuki-charge-up-partnership-for-electric-cars-idUSKCN1R112C?il=0And of course an associate of the Toyota motor company, Toyota Tsusho, is an equity and marketing partner with Orocobre for the Olaroz lithium brine project. It would seem that the various strands of Toyota's grand plan to become a dominant player in the EV sector are coming together nicely. What continues to confound me is why they of the grand plan seem to be struggling to close the EPC deal for the Naraha LiOH plant...