Toyota teases electric SUV

Toyota says it will preview a new model for its European battery electric vehicle (BEV) line-up – a mid-sized SUV based on the forthcoming electric Toyota New Global Architecture (e-TNGA) platform.

Only a stylised silhouette and details of the platform architecture have been released with Toyota promising further details in coming months.

The first e-TNGA based model has already been developed and is being readied for production at Toyota’s ZEV Factory in Japan.

The un-named preview model’s e-TNGA platform is highly versatile and adaptable for a range of product types.

Some key elements remain fixed while others change – allowing variance in vehicle width, length, wheelbase and height.

The electric platform allows front, rear, or four-wheel drive with a wide-range of battery and electric motor capacities to suit various vehicle types and uses.

As a result the development time of different product variants can be reduced and individual models can be developed in parallel, Toyota says.

“The versatility and flexibility of e-TNGA technology allows us to design and create vehicles that are not just battery-electric, but also exciting to drive and beautiful to look at,” Toyota ZEV Factory deputy chief officer Koji Toyoshima says.

It’s reported the new BEV SUV has been developed in conjunction with Subaru, prompting speculation it’s likely to be a twin of the Subaru Evoltis due to have its world premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2021.

About six models are expected to be based on the e-TNGA platform, with Toyota also working on new battery technology such as solid-state EV batteries which could be available in the mid-2020s.