Japanese automaker Toyota will preview one of the company’s first fully electric vehicles at the upcoming 2021 Shanghai Motor Show, promising to preview its mid-sized battery-electric SUV that is based on Toyota’s new e-TNGA platform.
Toyota first teased a preview of their mid-sized battery-electric SUV back in December at its Kenshiki event in Europe. A stylised silhouette was the only hint of information the company provided, explaining only that the model would be based on the company’s new e-TNGA platform.
The new e-TNGA platform is the result of collaboration between Toyota and Japanese rival Subaru, who partnered to develop a BEV-dedicated platform that both companies would be able to use for C- and D-segment passenger vehicles.
Able to be used with front-, rear-, or four-wheel drives and a wide array of battery and electric motor capacities, the e-TNGA platform is expected to help the two companies reduce development time for product variants.
“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,” said Koji Toyoshima, Deputy Chief Officer, ZEV Factory, Toyota Motor Corporation, speaking in December.
“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.”
Toyota’s promise to preview its first e-TNGA-based car was teased again, this week, with Toyota announcing that it would preview its mid-sized battery-electric SUV at the upcoming 2021 Shanghai Motor Show in April.
A similarly vague image was included to continue building the suspense.
The announcement came only days before Toyota will reportedly unveil its first fully electric passenger vehicle outside of China. Specifically, last week Toyota teased yet another vague image of it’s promised X Prologue.
Exactly what relationship the X Prologue has to the e-TNGA-based mid-sized SUV Toyota is promising to preview at the Shanghai Motor Show, if any, is uncertain, and the EV blogosphere is rife with stories seeming to combine Toyota’s December promise of an electric SUV with the X Prologue.
This connection seems unlikely, however, considering Toyota’s announcement on Monday linking the SUV to be unveiled at Shanghai with the December preview preview.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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