Toyota Motor Corp. pioneered the world¡¯s most successful hybrid car, but when it comes to pure electric vehicles it has some catching up to do, especially in China.

The Hong Guang Mini EV, a tiny, no-frills car made by a General Motors joint venture that costs under $5,000 is a smash hit in the world¡¯s biggest car market while Toyota has yet to launch its own small, low-cost electric vehicle in China.

Toyota, the world¡¯s biggest carmaker, unveiled its solution at the Shanghai auto show on Monday: a new universal platform for electric vehicles (EVs) called e-TNGA that will underpin an array of models from small runarounds to large SUVs.