Toyota has massive plans for its future electrical automobile lineup, and has made positive the world is conscious of that by making a number of bulletins in current months.
The Japanese automaker stated earlier this yr that it aimed to launch 10 new battery-electric autos by 2026, when its annual manufacturing of BEVs ought to hit 1.5 million.
The corporate previewed greater than a dozen Toyota and Lexus EVs in December 2021, however it stays to be seen what number of of these ideas will attain manufacturing.
In accordance with Japan’s Finest Automotive and a current submitting with the USPTO, Toyota could also be engaged on a small electrical automobile – the smallest but in its bZ sequence of EVs. Within the report from Finest Automotive, it is claimed that Toyota is growing the small EV with Suzuki, a small automobile specialist that badly wants EVs in its lineup.
The report doesn’t cite a supply however notes that Toyota and Suzuki are working exhausting growing the small electrical automobile with the aim of releasing it in 2025. Finest Automotive estimates the small EV could have an analogous dimension to the 145-inch lengthy Toyota Aygo X that is at present on sale in Europe.
Chances are you’ll recall that among the many 15 EV ideas Toyota previewed in late 2021, there was one labeled “small bZ electrical crossover,” which truly seemed lots just like the Aygo X. There’s an opportunity this idea previews the long run small EV that Toyota and Suzuki are reportedly collaborating on.
Toyota small bZ electrical crossover (first row, middle) among the many 15 EV ideas previewed in December 2021
Why Suzuki, although? For starters, Toyota and Suzuki have an present partnership to develop compact EVs, and final yr they introduced they’d solidify it. The 2 corporations are additionally concerned in a joint undertaking to develop a brand new EV platform for a sequence of mini electrical vans, introduced in Might 2023.
Suzuki at present lacks EVs in its lineup however previewed its first EV in January 2023 with the eVX crossover idea. The Japanese automaker is the worldwide chief in small vehicles, with 1.31 million items bought in 2022, in response to JATO Dynamics.
Again to the small EV undertaking, it is value noting that Toyota registered the “FT-3e” identify with the USPTO final week, in response to a brand new put up on the bZ Boards. The model has used the “FT” prefix – which is an acronym for Future Toyota – for idea autos previously, which doubtless means FT-3e is the identify of an idea.
You in all probability recall that in 2017, Toyota unveiled the FT-4X idea, which was stated to preview a future compact off-road SUV that Japanese media experiences declare will probably be arriving subsequent yr as a mini Land Cruiser.
It is tough to say what future automobile the FT-3e idea will preview, however the final letter within the identify may trace at it being all-electric. As for the “3” within the identify, it might counsel its dimension, i.e. the actual fact it is smaller than the Toyota bZ4X.
We’ll hopefully be taught extra about Toyota’s FT-3e idea on the Japan Mobility Present that kicks off October 26.