- Toyota will build two new electric crossovers in the United States.
- Both will have three rows of seats and will be assembled in Kentucky.
- According to an unnamed source, the two EVs will be based on the RAV4 and the Land Cruiser.
Toyota’s first American-made battery electric vehicles will be built in Kentucky, the Japanese automaker told Reuters. Both will be three-row SUVs–one based on the Land Cruiser and another based on the RAV4, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke with Reuters.
That’s exciting news for Toyota fans, but it’s worth noting that while the report claims the two new EVs will be based on some of the most recognizable nameplates in the auto industry, they will likely be underpinned by the automaker’s EV-specific e-TNGA platform, and not a gas-powered architecture.
Production of the two EVs is expected to begin next year at the same Kentucky plant where the current generation Lexus ES sedan is being built. However, American production of the combustion-powered Lexus will end soon, with assembly of the next generation being moved to Japan.
This way, Toyota makes room for the two upcoming three-row SUVs that were teased earlier this year. The Land Cruiser Se concept was revealed in 2023, and despite it wearing a name that’s associated with overlanding and off-roading, the show car is very much an asphalt-oriented machine, with a size that’s nearly identical to the Toyota Grand Highlander.
Toyota Land Cruiser Se concept
Photo by: Toyota
That’s not to say it doesn’t look good. It’s quite sleek and boxy–just don’t expect to explore Moab with it.
As for the RAV4 EV, we don’t really know anything about it yet. That said, it’s expected to be similar in size to the upcoming hybrid-only RAV4, so a notch below the battery-powered Land Cruiser.
Toyota has been slow to ramp up its EV game, but it’s finally catching up with the competition. The automaker has been described as a laggard in the EV adoption race, with just a single Toyota-branded EV on sale now in the United States, the bZ4X. That will change soon, as the updated 2026 bZ will be joined by the smaller C-HR and larger bZ Woodland by the end of the year. Then, the two new three-row crossovers will follow.
The carmaker has long argued that a diversified powertrain portfolio, which includes hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric models, is a better way to reduce emissions than to dive straight into an all-EV lineup.
