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.
The world’s largest carmaker dominates the sales of hybrid cars but has been slow to sell all-electric vehicles, alienating some customers and hurting sales.
Akio Toyoda, who has been reluctant to embrace all-electric vehicles, will be succeeded as C.E.O. by a Lexus executive.
The company’s Lexus brand will only sell electric cars by 2030 in China, Europe and the United States.
The auto giant bet on hydrogen power, but as the world moves toward electric, the company is fighting climate regulations in an apparent effort to buy time.