Aug 31 Reuters Toyota Motor Corp said on Wednesday it would invest up to 730 billion yen 5.27 billion in Japan and the United States to make batteries for fully electric vehicles, a category of automobile that critics say it has been slow to embrace.

When the additional facilities come on line between 2024 and 2026, Toyota39;s battery production capacity in the two countries will have increased by 40 gigawatthours, the company said, giving no current figure for comparison.

This investment is aimed at enabling Toyota to flexibly meet the needs of its various customers in all countries and regions by offering multiple powertrains and providing as many options as possible, it said in a statement.

Some green investors and environmental groups have said the company should move faster to introduce fully electric or battery electric vehicles, rather than clinging to the internal combustion engine in such powertrain configurations as the hybrid. 

Toyota is the latest in string of companies announcing big battery investment in the United States, where a shift towards fully electric automobiles could accelerate as the country discourages use of gasoline and diesel vehicles and tightens eligibility for tax credits.

Major rival Honda Motor Co said on Monday it and Korean battery supplier LG Energy Solution Ltd would build a 4.4 billion lithiumion battery plant for electric vehicles in the United States.

In its Wednesday statement, Toyota said it would invest about 400 billion…