Toyota Reveals 15 Future Electric Vehicles, Accelerated Electrification Push
Toyota is out to challenge the electric-vehicle-resistant shopper who thinks “electric isn’t right for me” with a dangled carrot in the form of a battery-powered vehicle lineup covering a wide range of use cases and lifestyles. In a press briefing led by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, the automaker unveiled its new electrification strategy with a grandiose visual aid: 15 new EV prototypes. The display included an expanded bZ lineup, the first all-electric model from Toyota’s Lexus luxury subsidiary, high-performance sports cars, a pickup truck, a commercial van and an off-road-ready SUV.
Related: 2023 Toyota bZ4X: Toyota’s First All-Electric Vehicle Officially Revealed
A Wider bZ Lineup
Following the reveal of the all-electric bZ4X in October, Toyota is expanding the bZ (Beyond Zero) brand. Joining the bZ4X SUV, which falls between the RAV4 and Venza in size, is a mid-size SUV and a smaller SUV slated for Europe and Japan. Also revealed was a mid-size sedan intended for first-time car shoppers, plus a family-friendly three-row SUV.
The First All-Electric Lexus
Toyota’s goal of electrifying the entire Lexus lineup by 2030 will start with the RZ SUV, which is likely to be comparable to the bZ4X. The automaker didn’t reveal many details about the first all-electric Lexus SUV, but it did hint at all-wheel-drive capability: “The four-wheel contact sensation here is top-notch,” said Toyoda while taking it for a test drive. Lexus also provided teaser images of the vehicle’s front and rear revealing an “RZ 450E” badge; this could point to the vehicle being closer to production than most of the others unveiled during the briefing.
EVs for Work and Play
In addition to the new bZ-series vehicles and the first all-electric Lexus SUV, Toyota revealed a collection of battery-powered sports cars, compact vehicles intended for city driving, a commercial van, a pickup truck and an off-road-oriented Cruiser EV that resembles a smaller Land Cruiser. No specs were provided for these prototypes except for the Lexus Sports Battery EV, which the automaker claims will get a low ride height and more than 435 miles of range.
An Electrification Overhaul
Although Toyota claims most of the displayed EVs are just a few years away, it is unlikely we’ll see all of them make it into production, and it’s even less likely that they will all make it to the U.S. But those details aside, the reveal shines the spotlight on Toyota’s approach to electrification: Cast a wide net of battery-powered offerings to suit a diverse range of lifestyles and regions.
Toyota’s zealous electrification road map includes increasing its BEV investment to the equivalent of around $18 billion, up from about $13 billion. The automaker also plans to offer 30 all-electric models by 2030, achieve 3.5 million annual EV sales and deliver an all-electric Lexus lineup for North America, Europe and China also by 2030.
Toyota says it will ultimately be the customer that dictates which EVs will be offered and the regions they will land in. “Toyota is committed to providing a diversified range of carbon-neutral options to meet whatever might be the needs and situations in every country and region,” Toyoda said in the presentation. “It is not us but local markets and our customers who decide which options to choose.” Only time will tell which of these 15 EVs (if any) will be seen on U.S. roads.
More From Cars.com:
- Toyota’s All-Electric bZ4X Concept Launches ‘Beyond Zero’ Brand
- Here Are the New Electric Vehicles Planned by 2025
- Toyota SUV Buying Guide
- Lexus LF-Z Electrified Concept: A Look at Lexus’ Electrified Future
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