Toyota reveals its first battery electric SUV, and says it is nearly in production

Toyota, the car maker that pioneered mass volume hybrid vehicles sales, has finally announced it will introduce its first battery electric SUV.

The new all-electric mid-sized SUV announced on Monday will use an electric version of the company’s Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, and Toyota says it is already preparing for its manufacture.

However, although the Japanese car maker is a fair way along the path to series production, it is yet to give the new EV a name.

What it does describe is the modular structure of the e-TNGA platform, which will use a fixed layout for key components, enabling different combinations depending on drivetrain and vehicle design including front or rear wheel drive, or the vehicle width, height and wheelbase length.

“Toyota will shortly take the next step in the rollout of its forthcoming battery-electric portfolio by first previewing an all-new mid-sized SUV in the coming months,” Koji Toyoshima, deputy chief officer of Toyota’s ZEV factory in a statement.

“The versatility and flexibility of e-TNGA technology allows us to design and create vehicles that are not just battery-electric, but also exciting to drive and beautiful to look at.”

The electric SUV will be the first in a series of battery electric vehicles planned by the company, it says.

These will form part of Toyota’s goal to sell 5.5 million electrified cars per year, adding 60 new electric and hybrid choices to its stable. Its statement noted its cornerstone role in reducing petrol emissions by selling 16 million hybrid vehicles, but also clearly recognises that there is now a need to pivot to all-electric.

As part of this plan to finally embrace all-electric zero emissions technology (previously Toyota has focussed mainly on development of its hydrogen fuel cell Mirai), Toyoshima noted that a new business model will be embraced by the car maker in order to ensure its profitability.

This will include a whole-of-life approach to its all-electric products, from new vehicles to leasing, secondhand vehicles, as well as reusing and recycling batteries.

Toyoshima also noted that the car maker is working towards fast-charging solid state battery technology which it expects to have in vehicles in the mid-2020s.