These engines can be used for hybrids and combustion-only vehicles.
Although electric vehicles are the future of transportation, Toyota believes there is still a place for four-cylinder combustion engines. Toyota has invested $383 million in their production in the United States. The money will be split between four locations in the country. This powerplant, according to the company’s announcement is “the heartbeat of new Toyota and Lexus cars.” The investment in Toyota’s Huntsville plant, Alabama is the largest. It will cost $222 million. There will be a new production line for four-cylinder engines. These engines can be used in both ICE-only or hybrid vehicles. The factory will be expanded by 114,000 square footage. Troy, Missouri will receive $109 million to upgrade its equipment for making four-cylinder engine heads. To build four-cylinder engine blocks, a $36million investment will be made at the Jackson, Tennessee site.
The factory in Georgetown, Kentucky will receive $16 million to increase the flexibility of its four cylinder engine production line. It can produce 600,000 powerplants per year Toyota announced in October 2021 a $3.4 Billion investment to the US to develop batteries. The investment included construction of a battery plant that would employ 1,750 people. The location of the factory was not specified by the company. The production of batteries on this site should start in 2025. Toyota will build a hybrid car with a solid-state lithium battery before 2025. According to the company, introducing next-gen technology in an electric vehicle would make it too costly. The company can combine a smaller battery pack with a gasoline engine to make a cheaper product.
Toyota is currently preparing to launch a series of EVs with the bZ moniker. The BZ4X is the first to arrive. It will go on sale in the US in the spring. The electric crossover is priced at $43,215 without destination, but before any federal or state incentives. The top trim is priced at $49,995.
The bZ4X front-wheel-drive model has a single electric motor that produces 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts), and an EPA-estimated range 252 miles (406 km). While the all-wheel-drive configuration offers 214 horsepower (160 kW), the range estimate is 228 miles (367 km).