At last week’s Toyota Motor Europe (TME) 2023 Kenshiki event, a team of global and European executives presented the company’s latest electrified products and technologies. Today, we’re paying attention to two new BEV concepts arriving in Europe reasonably soon.
Toyota provided a preview of its future battery electric vehicle (BEV) strategy for Europe by unveiling the new Urban SUV Concept. The concept car hints at a production version of a new dedicated battery-electric vehicle planned for market launch in 2024. In 2025, the Sport Crossover is scheduled to follow suit.
Urban SUV
According to Toyota, the Urban SUV concept will be the most compact and accessible in a planned six-model dedicated BEV line-up. It will compete in the B-SUV segment, which the manufacturer predicts will be one of Europe’s largest markets for BEVs.
Toyota already enjoys prominence in the B-SUV segment with the hybrid electric Yaris Cross, the best-selling model in its class. “It has drawn on this experience in developing an authentic battery-electric SUV that has versatility designed in and meets the priorities of European customers. It will also deliver the quality, durability, and reliability that are hallmarks of the Toyota brand,” says the press release.
“The Toyota Urban SUV Concept has an authentic SUV presence, with a compact body set on strong shoulders and a high driving position. Space is maximized in a flexible interior that can easily be adapted to prioritize passenger or load space as required,” the official press release continues.
The small SUV measures 4,30 m in length, 1,82 m in width, and 1,62 m in height, making it already one of the more extensive offers in the claimed B-segment.
Both front and all-wheel drive powertrains will be available, with AWD being a crucial part of Toyota’s product DNA. Similarly, the production model will offer a dual battery strategy: customers can choose between two battery options with different capacities.
More info isn’t available yet. “Further details and the production model will be announced during 2024,” adds the manufacturer.
Sport Crossover
Toyota also presented its Sport Crossover Concept for the first time in Europe, previewing a new battery-electric model that will join its electrified range by 2025. “The concept displays a sleek aero silhouette and distinctive fastback lines that will make it a design icon for the company’s dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) line-up,” boasts the press release.
According to Toyota, it’s “an attractive proposition for first-time electric car customers and a stylish alternative to SUVs. It offers maximum comfort combined with the practicality of five doors, a large boot, and generous rear leg room.
The Sport Crossover Concept was first presented at Auto Shanghai in April this year, then with the bZ prefix. It has been developed for both the Chinese and European markets by BYD Toyota EV Technology Co. Ltd. (BTET) – a joint venture established in China by Toyota and BYD.
“Toyota plans to introduce six dedicated BEV models in Europe by 2026. A diverse portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota Motor Europe toward its goal of exclusively offering ZEVs by 2035 and reaching complete carbon neutrality by 2040,” concludes the press release.
Trying to catch up
In Shanghai in April of this year, Toyota CEO Sato acknowledged that Toyota was producing a small volume of battery-powered vehicles compared to other automakers, adding the company was taking a phased approach to accelerate the battery EV rollout.
The plan’s first phase is marked by improving battery EVs following the launch of the company’s first models. After that, Toyota aims to sell an annual 1,5 million battery EVs in 2026.
Last year, Toyota sold just 24 466 battery EVs worldwide, including those of its luxury Lexus brand, accounting for 0,25% of its global sales of 9,5 million vehicles. A far cry from market leaders like Tesla or BYD, but also far behind a global competitor like the VW Group.
Admittedly, of those 9,5 million, 2,7 million were partly electrified, being ‘normal’ hybrids (HEVs), and there was also a batch of fuel-cell vehicles.
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