Toyota will be showcasing a brand new electric SUV in concept from at the Shanghai motor show next month. This new electric SUV will be the first of six new electric models being readied by Toyota, kick-starting a fast-expanding range of electric vehicles. Toyota is yet to reveal the official name of this upcoming model, but it will be similar in size to the Toyota RAV4 that's available in some markets abroad. It will be a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) that will be built on a dedicated architecture.
Toyota says that the SUV has been tailormade specifically for the European market and it will be produced at Toyota's dedicated zero-emissions factory in Japan. The upcoming SUV will be the first of six BEVs that is set to be built on the new e-TNGA platform that the Japanese carmaker has co-developed with Subaru. This platform has been designed to be extremely adaptable and can be used for a variety of vehicles of different lengths and wheelbases.
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In fact, there are several other models that are already planned on the e-TNGA platform. These will include a compact SUV (that's being co-developed with Suzuki), a crossover, a large SUV, a sedan and an MPV. The architecture is also adaptable to allow for front, rear and four-wheel-drive powertrains by placing the electric motors across both axles, and with a wide range of battery capacities as well. Toyota also claims that learnings from their hybrid vehicles will allow them to maximize range and battery lifespan on their BEVs.
The Japanese carmaker is also investing in solid-state battery research. Toyota even plans to launch a mass produced BEV using this innovative technology in the first-half of the 2020s. Apart from the upcoming all-electric SUV, Toyota will also be launching BEV versions of its globally popular Proace and Proace City vans in 2021. While the e-TNGA platform will be quick to flesh out Toyota's BEV offerings, the carmaker has said they will continue to remain focused on a range of electrified vehicles. which include hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell models as well.
Back here in India, Toyota is expected to launch the RAV4 SUV in India sometime this year. The RAV4 is one of Toyota's more popular models in the global market, and is currently in its fifth-generation. It's a hybrid and its underpinned by Toyota's TNGA-K platform, the same that underpins the current-gen Toyota Camry. It will, however, come to our country via the CBU route and on account of being a full import, prices could be in the region of INR 60 lakh (ex-showroom).
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