Toyota Teases New Lexus As It Promises To Launch 10 BEVs By 2026
Toyota has outlined bold electrification plans for the immediate future, and is also teasing the development of a new luxury sedan under its Lexus brand. During Toyota's press conference earlier today, the Japanese carmaker gave a brief glimpse of an upcoming Lexus sedan in a shape similar to the delayed Tesla Cybertruck.
The upcoming Lexus car's aesthetic looks similar to that of the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime, albeit with an extra dash of edgy profile at the front and rear. Not much is known about the car, but rumors suggest it will hit dealerships as an all-electric Lexus LS sedan.
Earlier this year, Toyota's new CEO Koji Sato announced that the company "will develop next-generation BEVs for Lexus brand by 2026, with everything from the battery and platform to how a car is built optimized for BEVs." Sato further added that Lexus is, in fact, leading the BEV tech development at the company, carrying forward the torch toward Toyota's electrification and portfolio diversification goals.
At the press conference earlier today, the company divulged that experiments for charging network expansion and boosting energy efficiency are also underway at Lexus.
Higher range, improved efficiency, and increased affordability
While plans for a new Lexus sedan sound interesting, the more ambitious announcement was Toyota's aim to launch nearly a dozen battery-electric vehicles within the next three years. "We will expand our current line up by releasing ten new models by 2026," says Toyota Executive Vice President Hiroki Nakajima.
The company notes that its expanded BEV portfolio will allow it to achieve the target of 1.5 million cars sold annually. In December 2021, Toyota gave a glimpse of 15 upcoming electric cars, with models spanning across sedans, SUVs, modest city rides, and even sleek sports coupe categories.
Toyota claims it is also developing second-generation BEVs that will achieve a 2x boost in range, thanks to batteries with higher energy efficiency. These vehicles will arrive starting in 2026 carrying different labels, "while also offering designs and driving performance to set hearts racing."
The company also has some impressive plans for the plug-in hybrid class. Toyota says it enhanced the battery efficiency figures of its next-gen PHEV platform, resulting in an electric-only driving range that crosses the 200 kilometers mark. The carmaker is approaching its hybrid EVs as "another BEV option." In the next half-decade, Toyota will focus on offering hybrid EVs that target affordability and improved quality.