In December, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda introduced 16 new electric vehicle concepts. It should be a response to criticism that the Japanese manufacturer has a tepid attitude towards electric cars. At the same time, Toyoda stated that Toyota will sell 3.5 million electric vehicles annually by 2030.
The Compact Cruiser EV was partially concealed. It has a design reminiscent of the first generations of Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser. The latter has been a hit in the United States, but is not sold here at home.
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In two years?
Recently, the Compact Cruiser was awarded the 2022 Automotive Design Award during the prestigious Furniture Fair in Milan. It should be a great encouragement for Toyota to bring this vehicle into series production as soon as possible.
In 2024?: Toyota hasn’t set a date yet for when the car will hit the road, but we’ll probably have to be patient for a few years. Image: product
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How quickly the Toyota boss didn’t say anything during the December launch, but we’ll likely have to wait a few years. Typically 24 months is the time it takes to design until a vehicle is ready for production. First in the electric car queue after the big sports car BZ4X, launched these days, is a small crossover that will compete, among other things, with the Peugeot e-2008.
16 new electric cars from Toyota
Rough four-wheel drive
The Compact Cruiser EV is about the size of the current Toyota C-HR. The drive can be obtained directly from the bZ4X’s big brother. That is, a 71.4 kW battery, it has a range of about 50 miles and a performance of 204 horsepower. Although initially intended to be a solid all-wheel drive, it will naturally also come with two-wheel drive eventually.
We don’t yet know anything about the price. In any case, it should be cheaper than today’s bZ4X, which costs just under 450,000 kr with two-wheel drive.
Young Buyers: With this vehicle, Toyota wants to attract younger buyers who want to show that they have an active lifestyle. Image: product
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Many electric cars before 2025
The Norwegian Toyota importer is of course pleased with the plant’s new electric car strategy:
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– This went to us. There’s a lot of excitement among dealers and customers after what’s been shown — not least because many of the cars look almost production ready, says CIO Espen Olsen at Toyota Norway.
He doesn’t know much about the Compact Cruiser’s release date, only that many of the models offered as concept cars will be on the road before 2025-26.
Tradition: Toyota has a long tradition of cars like this one. The Compact Cruiser brings to mind the first generations of Land Cruisers. Not least this forty series that came out in the 1960s. Image: product
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active lifestyle
The Compact Cruiser was developed at Toyota’s Design Center in Nice, France and has younger customers with an active lifestyle as its target group, according to Toyota.
We believe that car buyers of the future will have zero-emission cars that express their lifestyle. The Compact Cruiser is a great example of this, says Toyota Chief Designer Simon Humphries.
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