The Toyota Group hesitated for a long time when it came to electromobility. Now the Japanese are pushing hard into the Stromer market: by 2030, the group brands will offer 30 e-car models, and the premium subsidiary Lexus will become a pure electric provider. And there is also a presumed successor to the MR2.
Initially 15 of the new Stromer, Group boss Akio Toyoda has now surprisingly presented to the public in the form of studies. In addition to the compact SUV bZ4X, which is about to be launched on the market, there will be a whole range of other “Toyota bZ” models, including at least three other crossovers and a mid-range sedan. The portfolios of both brands also include small commercial vehicles, large pick-ups and off-roaders, as well as two sports cars. One of the two is a purely electrically powered roadster, which could be a potential successor to the MR2 sports car that was discontinued in Europe in 2005. However, a model name for the e-sports car on display was not mentioned during the presentation. However, Toyota has revived several historic names in the recent past such as the Supra. In this respect, a return of the MR2 seems quite conceivable, especially since the recently unveiled electric concept has similarly compact dimensions and a mid-engine layout as the MR2 Crossovers RZ, which is based on the sister brand’s bZ4X. This is likely to be followed by other SUVs, a mid-range model and a super sports car. The brand is expected to offer an electric car in all segments by 2030. In Europe, North America and China, combustion engines will no longer be sold at this point, in the rest of the world this will end in 2035. Toyota was skeptical of the all-battery electric car for a long time and intensively advertised its hybrid or fuel cell technology as an alternative. Most recently, the Japanese had shown a slight shift in strategy with the Lexus UXe and the announced bZ4X, but the emphasis on the new e-offensive was surprising. From 2030, the group intends to sell at least 3.5 million e-mobiles worldwide with the expanded portfolio. This corresponds to around a third of the current total sales. (SPX)
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