Toyota organized a press conference to announce its updated EV strategy under the new management. Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima took the stage to reveal plans for 10 EVs launching until 2026. That year, Toyota projects it'll be able to sell 1.5 million cars without a combustion engine. The Japanese automaker had expressed its reluctance toward embracing EVs with open arms but the new team calling the shots sees things differently.
A completely new family of EVs is scheduled to debut in 2026. Toyota says they'll be "entirely different" than today's zero-emission models. Not only that, the next-gen EVs will double the driving range by using batteries with "far greater efficiency." These new models promise to "set hearts racing" thanks to the driving performance and new design language.
While Hiroki Nakajima was talking about the next generation of electric vehicles, the side profile of a mysterious vehicle appeared in the background. It had a Lexus badge on the C-pillar and looked like a swoopy liftback with angular styling and side cameras. As shown in the image above, Toyota's luxury division did tease a bunch of EVs in late 2021, but this new car wasn't one of them.
To bring its new wave of EVs to life, Toyota intends to create an "All in One Team" that will handle everything from development to production and commercialization. The Japanese automotive giant also talked about its new Arene operating system for next-gen EVs that will support over-the-air updates and allow owners to customize the "ride feel." Hiroki Nakajima went on to mention these new models will be more fun to drive.
According to Yoichi Miyazaki, Executive Vice President, the revised EV product roadmap includes a three-row SUV coming in 2025 to the United States where it will be locally assembled with batteries from North Carolina. Meanwhile, China will get two EVs in 2024 while an expanded bZ lineup will be offered in developed countries. In Asia and other emerging markets, Toyota plans to introduce an electric pickup truck before the end of the year, along with a compact model.
