The EV lineup includes everything, from sedans and SUVs to city vehicles and performance cars.
We were not expecting much from Toyota’s conference about its future battery strategy. But we were wrong. Chief honcho AkioToyoda took to the stage to show off 15 EVs that span all segments of the market. This includes sports cars with both Lexus and Toyota badges. Is the blue SUV in top-left corner a replacement for FJ Cruiser? It is.
The company’s top brass began by discussing the bZ4x, before moving on to a fully electric compact crossover right next to it. While the vehicle’s generic bZ Compact Utilities moniker will be changed for the production version, the coupe-inspired roofline will remain and the two-tone design will not change. Toyoda said it has a “beautiful shape” that invites you to hop in and take it for a spin. It gives the impression of an electric C-HR in the future.
This tiny, red crossover is a compact urban crossover with an interior that was “designed with Europe in mind” Except for the bZ4X concept, all other concepts were presented with tinted windshields and side windows. This suggests that Toyota was not ready to showcase their cabins yet. Toyota’s chief characterized the midsize sedan with the “bZ SDN license plate as ideal for a first vehicle.
There’s also the bZ Large SUV. It can accommodate three rows of SUVs, and has an equivalent Lexus. It will be placed above the bZ4X, and will be the fifth member in Toyota’s new family of dedicated electric cars as part of its Beyond Zero lineup.
After a preview of the Lexus RZ (a more expensive alternative to the Toyota Z4X), the conference moved on to a sports car. This low-slung coupe has a steep roofline and two seats. It is being built with solid-state batteries. The swoop EV aims at hitting 62 mph (100 km/h), in a low range of just two seconds, and providing enough power for 435 miles (700 km) of range.
Toyoda stated that the car will be a “secret sauce”, thanks to the LFA’s performance. Official images of the entire Lexus EV lineup include a four-seater convertible and a swoopy wagon.
Toyota also showed off a fully-electric truck that sent Tacomavibes. We believe it was joined by an FJ Cruiser to help us understand the EV era. It even comes in the same color as the off-roader boxy, and it is called the “Compact Cruiser EV.” The conference ended with brief glimpses from the Small SU EV and Crossover EV. This two-seater electric sportscar with removable targa top was also shown.
The lineup also includes two tiny vehicles, the Mid Box (or Micro Box), which serve as city delivery vehicles and commuters with zero emissions.
Toyota and Lexus are aiming to reach global annual sales of 3.5million EVs powered by battery power. The dynamic duo will launch 30 electric cars by the end the decade, thanks to an investment totaling $70 billion. It will be fully electric in the United States, Europe and China by 2030, when it aims for one million EV sales annually. Lexus will be a global brand that is entirely electric by 2035. Both companies will also achieve carbon neutrality in their factories.