During the media briefing on battery EV strategies, Akio Toyoda shocked the automotive world by unveiling 15 fully electric concepts previewing future models of Toyota and Lexus. What must be the largest rollout of concept cars in history includes everything you can imagine, from city cars, sedans, SUVs of all shapes and sizes to pickups and sportscars. Some of them are based on existing models, but there are also several all-new vehicles based on the EV-dedicated e-TNGA architecture.
Akio Toyoda categorized the vehicles into
two types – carbon-reducing vehicles (HEVs, PHEVs, etc) and carbon-neutral
vehicles (BEVs, FCEVs, etc), saying that Toyota will do its utmost to realize
the latter. The presentation started with the Toyota bZ range (beyond Zero) of
“reasonably priced mass production models” which includes the bZ4X and four new
concepts, all based on the e-TNGA architecture. Among those, there is a sporty
compact crossover with a coupe-style roofline (bZ compact SUV), a B-SUV (bZ
small Crossover) design for Europe and Japan with the goal of a 125 Wh/km power
consumption, a high-riding mid-size sedan (bZ sdn) looking like a Tesla Model 3
rival, and a large family-focused three-row SUV (bZ Large SUV).
The “showroom of the future” as Akio
Toyoda called it, had a bunch of other EVs hiding behind the curtain. The
lineup for the Lexus brand includes its first dedicated EV called the RZ which
is the production version of the LF-Z Electrified concept. Then there is a
sports battery EV that looks like the spiritual successor of the LF-A with an
expected cruising range of over 700 km thanks to solid-state
batteries, and an expected 0-100 km/h acceleration in the low
2-second range. Additionally, we saw full-size prototypes of a large SUV (Lexus
Electrified SUV) and an unnamed Lexus-branded sporty sedan. The latter also
appeared in hatchback form in the official renderings, alongside a 2+2
cabriolet featuring similar styling.
Last but not least, Akio Toyoda showed us
another series of models calling them “the diverse Toyota EVs”. These include
commercial vehicles like an autonomous shuttle bus, a compact van designed for
both business and leisure, and a versatile urban EV. The Compact Cruiser EV
incorporates styling features from the FJ Cruiser in what could become an
off-road-focused five-door EV. Next to it, there is Toyota’s first electric
dual-cab pickup which appears to be similar to the Hilux or the Tacoma in terms
of dimensions but gets modern design features inspired by the larger Tundra.
The Small SU EV looks like an electric
CH-R with a dynamic styling approach, while the Crossover EV is slightly larger
and more subtle in terms of exterior design, likely previewing Toyota’s entry
into the C-SUV segment. Finally, there is an EV sportscar with mid-engined
proportions and a two-seater cabin which could become the future MR2 serving as
Toyota’s treat for petrolheads.
All of the aforementioned vehicles are
part of Toyota’s and Lexus’ goal to introduce a total of 30 BEVs in the market
by 2030, with the goal of 3.5 million global sales. By 2030, Lexus will have a
full lineup of EVs covering all segments, and will become an electric brand in
Europe, North America, and China targeting annual sales of 1 million EVs.
Global sales of Lexus models will be 100% EVs by 2035.
To achieve those goals, the Japanese company
pledged to invest a massive 2 trillion yen (US$ 17.6 billion) for battery
production by 2030, which is 500 billion yen (US$ 4.4 billion) more than earlier
announcements. Toyota will also invest in different options for
“carbon-neutral” models including FCEVs and other types of vehicles running on
clean energy. By 2035, both Toyota and Lexus want to be carbon neutral.
