- The first EV that Toyota will build at its Kentucky plant will be a three-row SUV.
- Toyota has told suppliers it is tweaking the design of the new model, currently known as the bZ5x.
- Subaru and Lexus-branded versions of Toyota’s new electric SUV are reportedly in development.
Plans for Toyota’s North American EV producing have reportedly hit a delay, with the automaker now aiming for mid-2026 instead of 2025. The reason? Slowing growth in EV sales across the region, prompting the Japanese automaker to take an even more cautious approach. Originally, the company intended to debut a three-row electric SUV from its Kentucky plant, but the timeline has shifted by several months.
Toyota has already invested $1.3 billion into the Kentucky facility for EV production. However, it’s not just the SUV that’s facing changes—reports suggest the automaker has also scrapped plans to build electric Lexus SUVs in North America by 2030. Instead, these models will likely be imported from Japan.
Read: Toyota’s Kentucky Plant Gets $1.3 Billion Investment For EV Production, Including 3-Row SUV
Nikkei Asia reports that Toyota recently informed its suppliers about the delay. The company cited the need for design adjustments to the three-row SUV as part of the reason for the postponement. A firm new date has yet to be confirmed. Additionally, suppliers were informed that Toyota now expects to produce roughly 1 million EVs globally in 2026, down from the previously promised 1.5 million units.
Toyota’s three-row electric SUV is tentatively known as the bZ5x and will take design inspiration from the bZ Large SUV concept introduced in December 2021. This new model, which will rival the likes of the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, could be underpinned by an elongated version of the existing e-TNGA architecture. It should have a larger battery pack than the 71.4 kWh unit found in the smaller bZ4x and may come with two electric motors and all-wheel drive as standard.
Interestingly, the new model is expected to also spawn a Subaru-branded version, which will reportedly be built at the same Kentucky plant.
The significant investments being made by Toyota in Kentucky won’t just support the assembly of BEVs at the site but will also fund a new battery pack assembly line. This facility will use batteries supplied by Toyota Battery Manufacturing in North Carolina. Existing models built in Kentucky include the Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, and Lexus ES. It also produces several four- and six-cylinder engines.
