Toyota reveals more than a dozen new concept cars as it goes all in on EVs

Toyota's new concept EVs
The Japanese manufacturer now plans to have 30 EVs on the market by 2030. Photo credit: Toyota/Noriaki Mitshuhashi/N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY

Toyota has upgraded its electric vehicle (EV) vision, saying it plans to have 30 EVs in place by 2030 instead of the previously promised 15 by 2025.

In a video briefing the Japanese motor company showed off more than a dozen new concept vehicles including electrified sports cars as well as utes and sedans.

It also said it planned to make its premium Lexus brand all electric by 2035.

President Akio Toyoda said achieving carbon neutrality meant "realising a world in which all people living on this planet continue to live happily".

"We want to help realise such a world. For that challenge, we need to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible, as soon as possible," he said.

"It is difficult to make everyone happy with a one-size-fits-all option. That is why Toyota wants to prepare as many options as possible for our customers around the world."

The company also said it would be focusing on vehicles that run on clean energy and achieve zero emissions rather than vehicles which don't emit CO2 but use energy that's not clean.

Toyota EV concept car
Photo credit: Toyota/Noriaki Mitshuhashi/N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY

It's also putting more money into battery production. 

The company said it has produced 19 million batteries in the last 26 years, investing over 1 trillion yen (NZ$13 billion) into that side of the business.

"Going forward, we will increase our new investment in batteries from the 1.5 trillion yen ($19.5 billion) announced in September to two trillion yen ($26 billion), aiming to realise even more-advanced, high-quality, and affordable batteries."

Toyota EV concept car
Photo credit: Toyota/Noriaki Mitshuhashi/N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY

Details on the concept vehicles were sparse; but Koji Sato, president of Lexus International said the Lexus sports car would have a range of 700km and would accelerate from 0 - 100km/h in just over two seconds.

Toyoda said most of the vehicles shown would be coming out in the "next few years" as the company targets the sales of 3.5 million battery EVs per year by 2030.

It also says it's aiming to achieve carbon neutrality at its manufacturing plants by 2035.

Toyota EV concept car
Photo credit: Toyota/Noriaki Mitshuhashi/N-RAK PHOTO AGENCY

Last month Toyota New Zealand revealed the company's first full EV was going to arrive in Aotearoa at the end of 2022.

The bZ4X was developed with Subaru and has a low centre of gravity, with the battery part of the chassis underneath the SUV's floor.

It has an expected range of more than 450km on a fully charged battery, which the company says will operate at 90 percent of its original performance after 10 years of driving or 240,000km, whichever is shorter.

The FWD version will produce 201bhp from its electric motor, with a top speed of around 160km/h and will accelerate to 100km/h in 8.4 seconds.