Toyota's Next EV? New Concepts Include Compact Pickup With 400-Mile Range

pcmag.com:

Toyota shared its latest EV prototypes ahead of this week's 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and it's quite the spread.

The list includes an e-bike, motorized scooter, rugged 4-wheeler for driving on the moon, and a sporty, U-shaped steering wheel. But most importantly, it features two electric cars: a pickup truck and an electric version of the Land Cruiser.

Toyota has not announced any new EVs since reorganizing its business around them in February, though it did sign a manufacturing deal for mass production of solid-state batteries with over 900-mile range.

These concept cars could hint at what vehicles those batteries might power, though Toyota only provided specs for the vehicles' size. We expect more details to come this week at the show, as well as updates from Toyota's competitors such as Honda, Mazda, and Subaru. Nissan unveiled a futuristic concept car of its own last week.

The Japan Mobility Show is an opportunity for these brands to prove their EV chops. None currently offer more than one electric car in their lineups, including Toyota and Lexus, each of which have negligible sales volume in the US, CleanTechnica reports. It could be a byproduct of sluggish EV adoption in Japan overall, where electrics make up just 2% of new car sales compared to 20% in China and Europe, Nikkei Asia reports. The US is currently at 7%.

This 3-row electric SUV concept seats seven passengers. It's roughly the same size as the 2024 Land Cruiser hybrid, though a few inches longer and thinner. Toyota mentions its performance-focused features, such as "high-torque driving," "responsive handling," and "confidence in tackling rough terrain." It could eventually compete with other 3-row electric SUVs set to launch in the US, such as the 2024