Toyota maintains slow pace for its EV plans in EU and US

Toyota’s production plans for next-generation electric cars appear to be further delayed in the EU and the US. The new Lexus brand battery-electric model, for example, scheduled for 2026, will not go into production until mid-2027.

As the Japanese broadcaster NHK writes, Toyota seeks a longer development period to “incorporate the latest technologies” in the upcoming vehicles. In the autumn of 2023, Toyota presented a study of the electric Lexus saloon called LF-ZC at the Japan Mobility Show.

It was said to be the first representative of the new generation of electric cars and was supposed to roll off the production line in 2026. Now, the start of production has been pushed back.

That fits into the overall picture, as Toyota is also postponing the start of production of its first electric model manufactured in the US from the end of 2025 to 2026 and has reduced its interim production target for all-electric cars in 2026 from 1.5 million to 1 million units.

China first?

This is in stark contrast with Toyota’s moves in the Chinese market. It just released the brand-new bZ7 concept there and is already offering the bZ3. The series model of the bZ7 is expected to debut in mid-2025.

Under the hood, the BZ7 is expected to leverage BYD’s blade battery technology and electric motors, much like the bZ3 sedan. Toyota’s strategic partnership with BYD, one of China’s leading battery manufacturers, includes integrating BYD’s powertrain solutions into its lineup in China. Rumors suggest that the bZ7 will also come to Europe.

The new generation comes later

The next generation of Toyota’s electric cars will feature a new electric drive, a new software platform, and innovative production techniques, among other things. Toyota aims for a modular vehicle structure to launch electric cars quickly and update them more easily.

In this context, the Japanese see great potential in the so-called giga-casting process, similar to Tesla. The vehicle body is divided into three parts: Front, center, and rear, with the battery housed in the center section. That means the front and rear sections can remain structurally unchanged even if the battery is adapted.

Toyota sees this as “the necessary flexibility to integrate future advances in battery technology more easily into the vehicle,” as the manufacturer explained in an earlier press release. Regarding performance, the new generation EVs are set to push into new areas.

The Japanese have promised a range of 1,000 kilometers and a full battery charge in 20 minutes for the Lexus LF-ZC. The battery, which is not described in detail, is said to work with prismatic cells.

Farewell to the assembly line

The Lexus LF-ZC concept shown last year was a very flat saloon with a “target drag coefficient (cX) of less than 0.2”. The dimensions are 4.75 x 1.88 x 1.39 meters with a wheelbase of 2.89 meters.

In addition to the giga-casting construction method, the Japanese car manufacturer wants to make another change in production for its upcoming electric models: the classic assembly line is to be abolished.

Production will occur on a ‘self-propelled assembly line’, i.e., a self-propelled load carrier. It should enable more flexible factory planning, shorten the lead time for mass production, and save investment costs.