Toyota has announced plans to launch five new all-electric models in Europe under the bZ sub-brand by 2026, in addition to the existing bZ4X midsize SUV.
The first EV model to arrive will be a small car, expected to debut in 2023, Toyota Motor Europe head Matt Harrison told Automotive News Europe at Toyota's Kenshiki forum in Brussels. He said the confirmation that Toyota will expand its full-electric passenger-car lineup "indicates our clear commitment to battery-electric vehicles."
A separate source within the company said this particular EV will be an SUV, likely be the production version of the Toyota bZ Small Crossover Concept previewed in Tokyo alongside more than a dozen other EV studies a year ago. Besides the small crossover, the upcoming Toyota bZ lineup will include compact SUVs and crossovers as well as three larger models. The bZ models will be sold internationally, not just in Europe.
At the event in Brussels, Toyota displayed the bZ Compact SUV Concept that had its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Toyota revealed that the vehicle is 4,538 millimeters (178.6 inches) long, 1,888 mm (74.3 in) wide (without mirrors) and 1,560 mm (61.4 in) high. This makes it slightly shorter than the bZ4X, which measures 4,690 millimeters (184.6 inches) bumper to bumper.
Gallery: Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept
The design study previews a production EV in the compact SUV segment expected in 2025, a person with knowledge of Toyota's product plan told Automotive News Europe; the production model is likely to be badged bZ3X.
As for the three remaining bZ vehicles due by 2026, the only clue Toyota gave was to show an unlabeled chart indicating their approximate sizes and launch timing. After the small crossover due in 2023, Toyota will launch a larger vehicle sitting above the midsize bZ4X. The model could be a production version of the biggest SUV concept that Toyota previewed a year ago in Tokyo, the bZ Large SUV.
The chart also included a third model set for Europe roughly the same length as the bZ4X SUV; this one could be the bZ SDN electric sedan concept shown in December 2021, which in the meantime reached production in China as the Toyota bZ3.
Finally, the fourth model has the largest size and could be the electric pickup previewed last year. None of the five upcoming Toyota bZ EVs are expected to be made in Europe.
Toyota's goal for its European region—which includes Turkey, Israel, Russia and several Eurasian countries—is to have 50 percent of sales from all-electric vehicles by 2030. By 2025, Toyota estimates that 10 percent of its European region sales will be full-electric, with 80 percent coming from hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.
Gallery: Toyota and Lexus preview 15 EVs
