Toyota is preparing to introduce the electric version of its best-selling car of all time, the Corolla.
When is Toyota launching the electric Corolla?
With over 57 million sold worldwide since it went on sale in 1966, the Toyota Corolla is widely considered the best-selling vehicle to date.
The Corolla has undergone 12 model changes, but the upcoming version will look (and feel) very different from its predecessors.
Toyota offered a sneak peek of the new Corolla in concept form almost a year ago at the Japan Mobility Show.
“How should the Corolla evolve?” Toyota CEO Koji Sato asked those in attendance. The Japanese automaker is planning a drastic overhaul, including a sleek new design, high-tech interior, and updated platform.
Although it’s expected to use the same TNGA-C architecture as the current Corolla, Toyota is expected to introduce a heavily modified version of the platform that supports all powertrains, including pure electric.
“Whether it’s a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle―whatever the power source―let’s make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive!” Toyota’s CEO said at the Japan Mobility Show.
Toyota’s current chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, warned in an exclusive interview with Japanese media NHK in July that the company is being forced to adapt, or “it cannot survive,” amid new competition and technology from China.
The special broadcast went behind the scenes at the “top secret” next-gen Corolla development site.
We even caught a glimpse of several different Corolla Concept body types, including a sedan, hatchback, crossover, and GR model in the background.
While Toyota has kept most details secret so far, the next-gen Corolla is expected to come in several powertrains, including gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric.
Toyota engineers told Car and Driver that the hybrid will use a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, delivering about 134 horsepower combined.
The hybrid system will be roughly 10% to 20% more efficient than the current setup, and an AWD version is possible.
Toyota will also introduce the first plug-in hybrid and pure electric Corolla models. The PHEV will use a larger battery, offering a longer electric driving range, but Toyota has yet to reveal specifics.
The Toyota Corolla EV is expected to be available in single- and dual-motor configurations with a driving range of at least 250 miles.
Whether or not Toyota will bring the Corolla EV to the US is still up in the air. Toyota’s next-gen Corolla is expected to make its debut sometime in 2027 as a 2028 model year.
We will learn prices closer to launch, but according to Car and Driver, the gas version will likely start at around $25,000, the hybrid around $27,000, and the EV and PHEVs will likely be priced in the $30,000 range.
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