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Toyota’s Next Big EV Might Be a Land Cruiser Made in America

A Concept With Production Potential

Toyota gave enthusiasts a glimpse of an electric future when it unveiled the Land Cruiser Se Concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. The sleek, battery-powered SUV hinted that Toyota was willing to electrify one of its most storied nameplates, but the company stopped short of promising production.

Nearly two years later, that idea looks less speculative. A new report suggests the concept may have been more than a design exercise, laying the groundwork for an electric Land Cruiser aimed squarely at the US market.

Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

It Comes With an Electric RAV4, Too

Reuters, citing an unnamed source, reports that Toyota will assemble two three-row battery electric SUVs at its Kentucky plant. One will be based on the Land Cruiser and the other on the RAV4, a nameplate that could be stretched to accommodate a third row. Toyota confirmed plans for two three-row EVs but did not specify the models.

The Kentucky announcement replaces earlier indications that the vehicles might be built in Indiana. At the same time, production of the Lexus ES sedan will leave Kentucky and return to Japan, while Toyota Indiana expands output of the Grand Highlander to meet demand. The shift is part of what Toyota calls a "strategic transition" aimed at balancing capacity and improving manufacturing efficiency as it targets seven US EV launches by mid-2027.

Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article

Hooray! – If You Live in America

Building an electric Land Cruiser in Kentucky carries clear benefits for American buyers. Domestic assembly would allow Toyota to avoid the import duties and tariffs that can drive up prices on foreign-built electric vehicles.

Toyota's use of its GA-F body-on-frame platform suggests that the electric version will retain the off-road capability that defines the nameplate, while also taking advantage of the cost savings that come from US manufacturing. For shoppers, that combination of familiar ruggedness and a potentially more attainable price could make an electric Land Cruiser one of the more appealing large EVs on the horizon.

View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article


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