【】TopicsElectric VehiclesTeslaElon Musk
The partnership between Toyota and Tesla has finally wound to an end. 。
The Japanese car marker on Saturday announced that it had sold the last of its stake in Tesla, as it prepares to launch its own purely electric car. 。
SEE ALSO:Elon Musk promises smoother new autopilot for Tesla cars 。According to former engineers, a culture clash had emerged between the two companies, with Toyota's conservative "safety first" style of engineering going up against Tesla's risk-taking approach. 。
Toyota had bought about 3 percent of Tesla for $50 million in 2010. 。
The Japanese company had said, at the time, that it was impressed by "Tesla's start-up culture", with Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, calling the partnership "historic". 。
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The companies went on to jointly develop the RAV4 electric vehicle, of which some 2,500 were sold. 。
But the gap between the two companies ultimately proved too wide to bridge. 。
"Incredibly dumb." 。
In 2014, Toyota sold part of its stake in Tesla. 。
Toyota formed its own unit to develop electric cars in November 2016, investing heavily in hydrogen fuel cells -- a technology which Elon Musk has called "incredibly dumb." 。
Toyota's long-range electric vehicles are expected to launch around 2020. 。
The Japanese company has been a pioneer in developing hybrid engines, with the introduction of the hybrid gasoline-electric Prius in 1997. 。
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