Toyota expects to strengthen its electric strategy in Europe in the coming years. The Japanese want to catch up and plan to launch five additional electric models before the end of 2026.
Europe has become the main playing field for the launch of electric cars in the world. The regulations relating to the sale and circulation of combustion vehicles mean that all brands are drawing up strategic plans for the coming years. Although some firms like Mercedes or Hyundai have established agendas, others, such as Toyota, have to make up a lot of lost ground. For this reason, the Japanese have announced the launch of five new 100% electric models that will be added to the European offer before the end of 2026. Together with the bZ4X, these will be the six electric cars in the bZ family.
Those from Aichi are the talk of the motor world for their, who knows if the successful, electric strategy. The Japanese have a very different way of thinking and seeing the world, but they may have been slower than they should have been on this occasion. The Toyota corporation is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, and at the moment it only offers a single 100% electric model: the Toyota bZ4X, which day in, day out, occupies covers and headlines with some problems. The bZ family will gradually cannibalize the rest of the range, but for now, it has a long way to go.
It has been the director of Toyota in Europe, Matt Harrison, who has confirmed the strategy. The landing will start next year with a model smaller than the bZ4X. All eyes are on the electric successor to the Toyota C-HR. Just yesterday a prototype was presented that advances the lines of that model, the Toyota C-HR Prologue. The Japanese are preparing a wide range of mobility solutions for the next generation, something completely logical considering that we are talking about one of the most successful models of the company in recent years.
The bZ4X and the expected bZ3X will be the backbone of the electric strategy. Sales will be based on them and should grow over the years. The other three missing models will sit above these units. There will be three SUVs/Crossover that at the moment have no name or face, although a few weeks ago Toyota advanced the line of one of them. Based on the exclusive bZ3 for China, the unit will offer a crossover touch for the European market, reaching an approximate height of 4.7 meters and a marked coupé line.
The remaining two are the most unknown. While many are betting on a sedan similar to the Camry, others support the theory of an electric Corolla based on the Toyota Crossover EV prototype that was presented earlier this year. Be that as it may, only time will allow us to meet the new members of the bZ family. The plans are on the table, now all that remains is to execute them without major setbacks, or at least not as many as the bZ4X is suffering. Toyota aspires that by 2030 50% of its sales in Europe correspond to 100% electric models.
Much earlier, in 2025, the goal is to conquer 10% of its share, while hybrids and plug-in hybrids will continue to be its majority bet with 80% of total sales. Toyota has also dropped that none of those 100% electric units that are scheduled until 2026 will be manufactured in Europe, which is a complete setback for the policies of the European Union.
