Toyota Motor has decided to delay the production of its electric SUVs in North America, with a new start date set for early 2026. Initially, production was expected to begin by late 2025 at Toyota’s Kentucky facility. New Delhi: Toyota has announced a delay in the production of its first electric SUV in North America.
Initially slated to begin in late 2025, the Japanese automaker has now pushed the start date to early 2026. This delay comes as a result of both design modifications and slower-than-anticipated EV sales, according to the Nikkei Business Daily. The SUV in question, a three-row model that is expected to be produced at Toyota’s factory in Kentucky, will now roll off production lines several months later than planned.
Toyota’s spokesperson, Scott Vazin, confirmed the new timeline, stating, “We’ve always said it would be late 2025, but it now looks like it will creep into 2026.” Despite this setback, Toyota remains committed to its electrification strategy and plans to introduce five to seven battery-electric vehicle models in the U.S.
over the next two years. In addition to the delay, Toyota has made some strategic adjustments to its North American production plans. The company had initially planned to manufacture electric SUVs under its luxury Lexus brand in the U.
S. by 2030. However, this plan has been scrapped in favour of shipping fully assembled vehicles from Japan instead.
This shift is part of Toyota’s efforts to optimise production while naviga.