Toyota is reportedly planning to debut two new pure electric vehicles by the end of this year and a new PHEV is also in the works
Toyota’s road to electrification is kind of bizarre as the brand left every rival in its wake by introducing hybrid models way ahead of the intended transition but in the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) department, it is safe to say that we have not seen any big impact from the Japanese auto giant yet. Global volume brands like Ford, GM, Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and Honda have laid down their path and it looks like Toyota is jumping on the bandwagon finally.
As an old saying goes, it is better late than never! According to a recent report emerged on the internet, Toyota has plans to introduce two electric vehicles and a new plug-in hybrid vehicle by the end of this year in the United States. Toyota was expected to commence its electric offensive as early as 2019 but the slowdown in the economy and global health crisis postponed the plans.
In a recent interaction, Bob Carter, Executive Vice President of sales for Toyota Motor North America acknowledged the strong impact made by the Prius over the last twenty years while stating that the new electrified products will give customers multiple powertrain choices suiting their requirements.
Automotive News reports that at least one of the zero-emission vehicle will be an SUV. Toyota’s luxury arm, Lexus, may also get its first pure electric vehicle in the due course of this year. While no official details are available, Toyota could be looking to tap into the SUV space which attracts a large audience base in recent times.
It is no secret that Toyota is developing a dedicated BEV platform known as the e-TNGA and it should have modular characteristics to suit different body styles. In the 1990s, Toyota retailed the electric version of the RAV4 for California residents and the Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle is restricted for sale in the same city.
Thus, developing EVs is not something new for Toyota. The lack of infrastructure even in developed markets for FCEVs certainly hampers the expansion in technology.