Skip advert
Advertisement

Toyota and Lexus to launch three electric cars by 2021

Toyota and Lexus plan on launching three new all-electric cars with plug-in hybrid powertrains also in the pipeline

Toyota LQ concept - badge

Toyota and Lexus are to bring three pure-electric cars to the market by 2021, insiders at the brand have confirmed.

The firm wouldn’t expand on which models would be offered with EV powertrains, though the autonomous Toyota LQ and Lexus EV concepts will be unveiled at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Best electric cars to buy 2019

Lexus, meanwhile is ready and able to offer plug-in hybrid powertrains with its model range, but won’t do so until market conditions are right. Toyota recently revealed a plug-in version of its popular RAV4 SUV, however, suggesting a similar system could be fitted to models like the Lexus NX in time.

Car makers operating in Europe have to meet fleet average CO2 emissions of 95g/km by 2021. A Lexus insider confirmed parent company Toyota is in “pretty good shape...up to 2021 based on current projections” with regard to meeting these targets, but research by Jato indicates the firm’s average emissions were sitting at 99.9g/km in 2018 – meaning the company needs to lower them further within the next two years.

Hybrid models like the Prius and Corolla have enabled Toyota to stay ahead of all car makers apart from Tesla and Smart in the CO2 game, but adding pure-electric and plug-in hybrid variants to their respective line-ups will set the firm well on track to hit its target of less than 95g/km. 

“The core [plug-in] technology exists, we’re ready with it,” said Naohisa Hatta, Lexus’s deputy chief engineer for the RX, adding that: “when the time comes and the business case makes sense” the firm would introduce these options.

Lexus bosses also cited evidence that buyers of plug-in hybrids recharge their cars’ batteries frequently in the early stages of ownership, but that company car owners would rather fill up using their employers’ fuel cards, rather than their own electricity at home.

What do you think of Toyota and Lexus' plans for fully-electric cars? Let us know in the comments below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best new cars coming in 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2024

There are some big new models from the likes of BMW, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, MINI, Skoda and more on the way in 2024
12 Mar 2024
Sharp looking Toyota Sport Crossover Concept to be with us in 2025
Toyota Sport Crossover Concept - front
News

Sharp looking Toyota Sport Crossover Concept to be with us in 2025

Toyota’s EV push gains further traction with new four-door fastback
4 Dec 2023
New Toyota Small Urban SUV Concept previews future Volvo EX30 rival
Toyota Small Urban SUV concept - front
News

New Toyota Small Urban SUV Concept previews future Volvo EX30 rival

Toyota’s new Small Urban SUV Concept is likely to morph into the bZ2X, with Lexus and Suzuki versions to follow
3 Dec 2023
New Toyota Proace Max arrives to complete an updated van lineup
Toyota Proace Max
News

New Toyota Proace Max arrives to complete an updated van lineup

Toyota has completed its van range with the launch of the Proace Max large panel van and it’s updated all the other LCV models so they don’t feel left…
15 Nov 2023

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month
Audi A4 Avant driving on UK roads
News

Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month

Our Deal of the Day for 27 March is for those who want a big trunk for all their junk
27 Mar 2024