Toyota will launch two new all-electric models in the U.S., both of them three-row SUVs and both assembled at the company’s plant in Kentucky. That will make them the first Toyota-badged BEVs built on the new continent.
We expect both models will be introduced in Canada as well.
Citing a person close to the matter, Reuters reported that one of the new models will be based on the Land Cruiser, the other on the RAV4. It’s expected they will be designed using the Japanese automaker’s e-TNGA platform conceived for EVs.
The Toyota plant in Kentucky currently builds the Lexus ES, but production of that sedan will be moved to Japan when its new generation launches, thus freeing free up capacity at the U.S. facility.
It’s safe to assume the Land Cruiser-based EV will be an outgrowth of the Land Cruiser SE electric concept model presented in 2023. Less is known about the other, smaller model, but it’s expected it will be about the size of the hybrid-only RAV4 coming to market in the near-future.
In the case of the Land Cruiser, it’s worth noting that consumers shouldn’t expect an off-road focused or even-ready model. While plans can surely change, the concept shown two years back did not feature any all-terrain tires or elevated ride height. Expect citified utility models in both cases, thus.
The two models will offer a much-needed boost to Toyota’s electric portfolio, which in North America consists solely of the bZ4X, soon to be known as the bZ pure and simple. And that’s without counting the new, all-electric C-HR planned for our market as well.
The days of Toyota being derided for its foot-dragging on the all-electric front look to be coming to an end.