Toyota shocks with sweeping electric car strategy

Japanese giant unveils broad assault on the car industry, investing heavily in new vehicles while keeping open to a radical future fuel.

Toyota plans to introduce a broad range of electric vehicles.

Toyota has revealed sweeping plans for a range of electric vehicles covering almost every type of car on sale.

The Japanese giant showed off more than a dozen battery-powered concept cars overnight as part of a $100 billion green motoring investment.

It plans to introduce 30 new electric cars around the world by 2030.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda unveiled more than a dozen concept vehicles as part of the brand's electric plans.

The vehicles include everything from affordable hatchbacks to off-road four-wheel-drives, a luxury sedan to take on Tesla’s Model S and a Ferrari-fighting Lexus supercar.

There’s even an electric ute aimed at Ford’s F-150 Lightning and the new Rivian pickup.

Toyota’s first electric car will go on sale in 2022. Named the bZ4X, the compact SUV was developed as part of a joint venture with Subaru.

Toyota Australia plans to offer the bZ4X locally, but cannot say when it will arrive. Photo: Aly Song/Reuters

Toyota has been reluctant to commit to electric cars with the same determination as global rivals such as Volkswagen, preferring to sell hybrid machines while investing in future tech such as hydrogen fuel cells.

Looming deadlines for the end of combustion-powered vehicle sales in key markets such as Europe and California may have pushed Toyota to commit harder to electric cars.

Lexus’ Electrified Sport concept is inspired by the LFA supercar.

But the company is adamant hydrogen and hybrid powered machines still have an important role to play.

Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, said individual markets will choose which vehicles and technologies to offer to consumers, as “the energy situation varies greatly from region to region”.

The Toyota Compact Cruiser EV looks like an electric mash-up of the Suzuki Jimny and Toyota FJ Cruiser.

“That is exactly why Toyota is committed to providing a diversified range of carbon-neutral options to meet whatever might be the needs and situations in every country and regions,” he said.

“It is not us but local markets and our customers who decide which options to choose.”

Toyota’s bZ small crossover could tackle the likes of Mazda’s CX-3.

Toyota Australia president Matthew Callachor said the company is “absolutely committed to providing our customers with a range of technologies that will help them on their journey to zero emissions”, and that no-one will be left behind.

“Importantly, Toyota is not limited to a single technical solution because Australians have vastly different motoring needs, with locations from inner cities to suburbs, regional and rural areas and outback Australia,” he said.

An electric ute is central to Toyota’s battery-powered plans.

“Australians are already buying Toyota hybrid electric vehicles in record numbers, which is significantly reducing the amount of carbon emissions. “This demonstrates their support for a cleaner, more sustainable future and affordable, practical options.”