Akio Toyoda ran Toyota for 14 years before handing the reins to a new C.E.O. last year, but some have grown concerned about the control he still wields.
Assisted driving systems and robot taxis are becoming more popular with government help, as cities designate large areas for testing on public roads.
Computer-aided driving has official support and public acceptance, but state media seldom reports crashes or safety incidents, and online posts are censored.
A huge run-up in the stock’s value followed a 2018 vote on Elon Musk’s compensation package. But investors have recently become less enamored.
The shift, which could reshape the American auto market, is designed to encourage sales of electric vehicles and hybrids.
Automakers are exploring energy storage as a way to help utilities and save customers money, turning an expensive component into an industry asset.
More efficient manufacturing, falling battery costs and intense competition are lowering sticker prices for battery-powered models to within striking distance of gasoline cars.
Automakers and dealers are starting to offer discounts, low-interest loans and other incentives to lure buyers as the supply of cars grows.
He has vowed to shred President Biden’s E.V. policies and has threatened that “You won’t be able to sell those cars.”
The union, which lost an organizing vote at two factories last week, argued to federal officials that the automaker had violated labor laws.