Koji Sato, who was appointed the next president at Japan’s top automaker Toyota, introduced a management team Monday that he said will lead an aggressive push on electric vehicles.

Sato stressed “electrification” is a key theme for his team and promised to develop a totally new, next-generation electric vehicle by 2026. That will be a Lexus, while Toyota will also beef up all EV model offerings, Sato said.

“Lexus will lead the move,” he told reporters at a hastily called news conference in Tokyo. “I see myself as the captain of the soccer team.”

In a presentation, Sato listed the various executives, each with different responsibilities, such as carbon neutrality, safety technology as well as overseeing regions such as North America and Asia.

The selection of Sato, currently Toyota’s chief branding officer, as the next chief executive was announced last month. The new leadership takes the helm on April 1.

Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan, has billed the move as an effort to stay abreast of social changes such as electrification. At times it has been seen as lagging in EVs.

The company’s success with hybrids, which have both a battery and a gas engine, and hydrogen fuel cells may be partly behind that perception.