Toyota Australia plans three electric vehicles by 2026

The Toyota bZ4x is set to launch in Australia in fourth quarter of this yearand will be the first of at least the first three electric vehicle launches.

Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia’s vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations said: “​​​Starting with bZ4x, we will be launching at least three electric vehicles within three years, and many more. more is in the process of being implemented.

“Toyota is committed to bringing electric vehicles to Australia, in the thousands within a few short years, and eventually in the tens of thousands.”

In addition to these three versions, Mr. Hanley said the company is “thoroughly testing” the production version of last year’s model. bZ . small SUV concept.

Toyota has revealed only one other production bZ EV to date, the car bZ3but this is understood to be for the Chinese market only.

While it has yet to announce local pricing and specifications, Toyota has warned the bZ4x won’t come cheap, citing lithium prices as eight times higher than just two years ago.

“Battery electric vehicles are very expensive. Don’t joke yourself. “They’re expensive to build,” said Mr Hanley.

“So I’ve always said this car won’t be a cheap car. But as we move forward, as hybrids have done for more than 22 years as we scale, electric vehicles will drop in price.

“But in the short term, and this is exactly why I use the quote, hybrid suits the majority.”

Toyota’s European operations confirmed six bZ-branded vehicles to launch in 2026and at the end of 2021, Toyota unveiled a many concepts ranging from city cars to a full-size SUV and a ute. It plans to launch 30 electric vehicles by 2030, by which time it wants to sell at least 3.5 million electric vehicles globally each year.

Originally slated for a late 2022 launch, Toyota said it delayed the shipment of its first EV, the bZ4x, to ensure sufficient supply.

“The real reason we delayed, despite some of the popular opinions and comments, was because we wanted to be able to secure the latest supply and specifications,” said Mr.

“So they are the two fundamental reasons why it was delayed. I don’t have the exact number yet. It’s still a bit early, but we expect a fair number of launches for this data based on our market size.”

Toyota says there are still many obstacles to EV adoption in Australia, even as it expects the EV market to accelerate over the next seven years.

Mr Hanley cited Australia’s limited infrastructure, specifically referring to holiday reports late last year about queues at charging stations.

He also pointed out that many buyers will not be served by electric vehicles, especially those in regional areas that haul heavy loads.

“It is a stark reminder to me of what truly purpose-fit cars and vehicles mean to people living in remote areas of Australia. And that reminds me that we can’t leave them behind on the journey towards carbon neutrality,” said Mr Hanley.

He expects both charging infrastructure and battery technology to improve, but says it’s “too early and too risky to put all our eggs in an electric cart.”

He added: “The most responsible thing you can do right now is to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible and as soon as possible.

“That means providing low-emission solutions that meet the diverse needs and circumstances of all of our customers.”