Toyota says it’s going all-in on battery electric cars with four new models, but is it too late?

Four new models are due by 2027

16 Feb 2026, 20:00 · TechRadar

News By Leon Poultney published 16 February 2026

(Image credit: Toyota)

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Toyota will have four new EV models on sale in the US by 2027
The company has previously been outspoken on the topic of pure EVs
Toyota's North American VP wants "fair share" of US electric vehicle market

Toyota has just revealed plans for four new pure electric cars – and they're part of a US push that's something of a gear-shift from the car giant's previous comments about EVs.

Toyota’s chairman, Akio Toyoda, has been vocal in the past about battery electric vehicles. He claimed back in 2024 that the electric car segment will only ever account for a maximum of 30% of the market, adding that he thought "customers, not regulations or politics" should make the decision on what path to rely on, according to a report by Forbes at the time.

As a result, the company continued to offer a multi-pronged strategy to reduce its overall emissions that included a heavy focus on plug-in hybrid, self-charging hybrid and even hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Up until this point, it has been relatively slow to offer a line-up that includes multiple pure battery electric options, with the bZ4x and a handful of battery-powered commercial vehicles flying the flag for battery packs and electric motors.

However, the Japanese company has just unveiled plans for several new pure electric models that it hopes will help it gain a competitive advantage in the US, where the current government is creating an increasingly uncertain market by removing tax credits and even reversing landmark decisions around greenhouse gases.

The upcoming Highlander will offer seven seats and premium surroundings at a time where Tesla announced it was discontinuing its large Model X. Similarly, Toyota has already started taking deposits for the smaller bZ SUV, the all-electric mid-sized CH-R and a more rugged, estate-like bZ Woodland model.

These four dedicated battery electric vehicles will join a deeper line-up of hybrid EV and plug-in hybrid options that span everything from minivans and trucks to popular crossovers and SUVs.

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