Toyota has long led the world in hybrid sales but has only dabbled in selling all-electric vehicles in the U.S., most notably with limited-release EV versions of the RAV4 SUV. That’s about to change. The Japanese automaker will release its first global electric vehicle (EV) at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show next month.
The so-far-unnamed vehicle will be a compact crossover, similar in size to the aforementioned RAV4. It will ride on the brand’s e-TNGA platform – a modular EV architecture that puts the batteries, motors, and suspension parts in a relatively flat structure beneath the load floor of the vehicle.
Engineers can customize the length, width, and height of the platform, and build motors onto either or both axles, allowing front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive configurations.
Toyota’s electric SUV
The RAV4 is Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. (and the fourth best-selling vehicle in the country last year), so a similar EV seems likely to be a sales success as long as the price is reasonable. The automaker also makes a plug-in hybrid version of that model called the RAV4 Prime.
Range and power figures aren’t yet known for this as-yet-named model. Toyota has previously said it expects to release an EV battery based on entirely new technology, with a range up to 600 miles, later this year. But we don’t know whether that solid-state battery will make its debut in this vehicle.
The Shanghai Auto Show begins April 19. We expect to have more information then, or shortly beforehand, as manufacturers often leak details ahead of auto shows to build publicity.
