Toyota has reportedly delayed production of a three-row electric SUV in the US amid cooling demand for battery-powered vehicles and surging hybrid sales. Earlier this year, Toyota’s US division announced it would invest US$1.3 billion (A$2 billion) towards preparing its Kentucky factory to produce a three-row electric SUV.
Nikkei Asia reports Toyota initially planned to start production of the three-row SUV in Kentucky from 2025, however suppliers have now been told the electric vehicle (EV) won’t launch until the first half of 2026. A report in April by US publication CarBuzz claimed the Toyota Highlander – as the Kluger is known overseas – would lend its name to the electric model, which has been expected to be sold alongside a new generation of the petrol/hybrid SUV. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now.
Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . Toyota’s Kentucky factory currently produces the Toyota RAV4 and Camry – plus the closely related Lexus ES – for the North American market, while the Highlander/Kluger is produced in Indiana for all markets bar China, where it’s assembled locally.
We may have already seen what could become the electric Kluger in the form of the bZ Large SUV concept, revealed in December 2021 among 15 other Toyota and Lexus prototypes. CarBuzz reported there would be a Lexus based on the electric Kluger, reportedly named TZ, however Nikkei Asia now says the luxury division won’t pr.