Toyota may be producing its own EV truck to rival Rivian.

[trmckin1]

(Comparing to my Max Pack reservation here)

If the electric Tacoma:
- Goes 400mi unladen
- Has quad motors, ~200hp each.
- Has an amazing cross linked air suspension
- Has a great frunk
- Can tow 10,000+lbs

... All while costing $50k-60k, compared to my $90k config...

Then I would jump ship to it immediately, slightly saddened by the loss of gear tunnel.

But I don't think anything remotely close to all of that will happen.

Toyota's manufacturing experience and scale doesn't mean batteries and rare Earth magnets will magically cost significantly less for them.

They'll either make it noticeably cheaper and also noticeably worse, or they'll make an equivalent truck that's just as expensive.

all we can do is wait for details to emerge. If it's in normal Toyota fashion, it'll take a while. Sort of how they did with the last Tundra release. Details were scant and then bam you could order one and already have it on the way. They will measure the big 3 and go from there.

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[RideAlong]

Toyota is no slouch - when they enter this segment , they will be major player. Do not underestimate their ability and scale.

 

[R1T7777]

They've already said that their strategy is the former, similar to their existing ICE strategy. If they were to make it today/near future, I'd expect it to be:

250+/- mi range - they have less space to work with due to size and would probably try to leverage the existing platform further limiting, so battery would be limited to perhaps 100kwh

dual motors and about 300-350hp
similar/same interior as existing models
7k lbs towing
$55k

But it will have CP/AA, so they have that going for them. However, if all of that were correct, it would be a fantastic alternative to an ICE Tacoma TRD.

I think you’re spot on. I also think it would sell quite well. If they could hit 300 miles and have a good charging curve they could really make a splash.

 

[LeoH]

How many EV start ups tried and did not make it? Even some mainstream manufacturer's as a bit on the struggling side. Toyota isn't going to muddy their reputation and risk a semi-new platform. If it's practical, they do not use it. That is why they are usually behind in implementations, but when they go, they work; at least from a personal observation.

In electrification, they do have a stellar experience, so I am not that worried about their future product. If now they released a 7 seater SUV, i will buy it without wondering much as I am doing with Rivian or did with Tesla.

From a pure EV perspective, they have been experimenting the Mirai ( amazing ride ) but of course it is a hydrogen car, so that is a different battle.

They also have the BEV lexus UX300e, a BEV sold in world markets, which has been used as a test bed more or less in the past couple of years.

So are they new to the EV segment, not entirely, but I think they are taking their sweet ass time doing it. Remember they also must keep their employment up, they want to find a way to re-fit their current manpower.

 

[E.S.]

Dunno about you all, but I'm still sketchy regarding any company that says "Fuck that! We're not doing EVs ... btw, here's our EVs". You may call me skeptical, but it was a cheap ploy from Toyota's behalf.

 

[emoore]

Dunno about you all, but I'm still sketchy regarding any company that says "Fuck that! We're not doing EVs ... btw, here's our EVs". You may call me skeptical, but it was a cheap ploy from Toyota's behalf.

Haha. Exactly! I had a bunch of toyota's but I probably won't get another one because of Toyota's reluctance to go EVs.

 

[Coast2Coast]

70% of Toyotas are produced outside Japan, so Toyota's ability to scale is not limited by Japan-based suppliers. With the exception of the Prius which surprised Toyota as much as everyone else with how well it sold, Toyota is typically a fast-follower rather than a first-mover. And it's a smart strategy as long as Toyota can be one of earlier rather than later fast-followers.

Unlike GM, Ford and Stellantis, Toyota's ICE, hybrid and plug-in hybrid sedans, CUVs and SUVs sell well, so they don't have to make the leap to EV trucks RIGHT NOW to stay profitable. Toyota dethroned GM as the best selling auto maker in the US last year. Nonetheless, Toyota does need to make credible moves in the next year or two to stay among the early fast-followers in the EV game.

Toyota tried to stay the rush to EVs by emphasizing hybrid, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles, but the market is clearly moving toward EVs, and Toyota is not going to miss the bus. But it may be one of the last buses to leave EV Central Station. Expect affordable and capable Toyota EV trucks by mid-decade. That's soon enough to be a main player during the last half decade.

 

[cmiller]

Won't be anytime soon

 

[crashmtb]

Toyota is no slouch - when they enter this segment , they will be major player. Do not underestimate their ability and scale.

Nah. Toyota moves slow in general, and there has been a lack of will there to move to BEV. they will be quite behind for some time.

 

[LeoH]

Nah. Toyota moves slow in general, and there has been a lack of will there to move to BEV. they will be quite behind for some time.

They have been selling BEV's in Europe since September 2020 though.

 

[crashmtb]

They have been selling BEV's in Europe since September 2020 though.

Yeah, one model, a van that seems to be a compliance vehicle

 

[E.S.]

70% of Toyotas are produced outside Japan, so Toyota's ability to scale is not limited by Japan-based suppliers. With the exception of the Prius which surprised Toyota as much as everyone else with how well it sold, Toyota is typically a fast-follower rather than a first-mover. And it's a smart strategy as long as Toyota can be one of earlier rather than later fast-followers.

Unlike GM, Ford and Stellantis, Toyota's ICE, hybrid and plug-in hybrid sedans, CUVs and SUVs sell well, so they don't have to make the leap to EV trucks RIGHT NOW to stay profitable. Toyota dethroned GM as the best selling auto maker in the US last year. Nonetheless, Toyota does need to make credible moves in the next year or two to stay among the early fast-followers in the EV game.

Toyota tried to stay the rush to EVs by emphasizing hybrid, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles, but the market is clearly moving toward EVs, and Toyota is not going to miss the bus. But it may be one of the last buses to leave EV Central Station. Expect affordable and capable Toyota EV trucks by mid-decade. That's soon enough to be a main player during the last half decade.

To me, this isn't Toyota's problem. There is a reason their stock is high. Toyota does tend to make good products to the point that several people sycophantly follow them. It's their adamant stance of not wanting to go fully electric, then almost immediately announce, not 1, but 7+ BEV models in their lineup. Dodgy AF in my book.

 

[LeoH]

Yeah, one model, a van that seems to be a compliance vehicle

Actually no, they do sell a BEV Lexus, UX300e. The Mirai also has a fully electric powertrain ( different fuel though, I do not get their fascination with Hydrogen fuel cells )

 

[crashmtb]

Actually no, they do sell a BEV Lexus, UX300e. The Mirai also has a fully electric powertrain ( different fuel though, I do not get their fascination with Hydrogen fuel cells )

Forgot about the Lexus(which seems to have sold ~2000/year). And was only thinking about BEV. If charging an electric car is hard enough, imagine finding a hydrogen station.

Toyota’s sold what, 10k Mirai total worldwide?


Anyway they’ve been doing hybrids for 20 years now, you’d think it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to push out a bunch of fully electric vehicles.

instead they’ve been lobbying against laws to force EV adoption, presumably since they’ve been caught empty handed

 

[CommodoreAmiga]

Dunno about you all, but I'm still sketchy regarding any company that says "Fuck that! We're not doing EVs ... btw, here's our EVs". You may call me skeptical, but it was a cheap ploy from Toyota's behalf.

Yep. Not to mention they took their commanding lead in hybrid tech and squandered it for nearly two decades. Oh, hey, it's 2022 so finally here's a hybrid Tundra (still no hybrid Tacoma). Oh, but it still uses Ni-Mh batteries and gets worse fuel economy than our competitors non-hybrid vehicles. UGH.

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