Toyota plans nine EVs for Europe for this year and 2026

By Nick Carey

(Reuters) - Toyota said on Wednesday that it will launch a total of nine fully-electric models in Europe in 2025 and 2026 for its Toyota and premium Lexus brands to compete in a large EV market.

The Japanese automaker said it will launch three Toyota brand electric SUVs this year - new versions of the bZ4X, Urban Cruiser and C-HR+ - followed by three more in 2026.

The company will also launch three Lexus-brand EVs in Europe over the next 12 months, starting with the new RZ SUV.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker by sales, has been more cautious in its approach to EVs than its traditional rivals.

That has helped it over the last year as global demand for electric cars has slowed. The company has benefited from demand for its expanding hybrid line-up, including in its biggest market the United States.

Sales of new fully-electric cars jumped 37.3% in Europe in January and accounted for nearly 17% of the market after declining 1.3% in 2024.

Toyota said in a statement that its "multi-pathway approach" to cutting carbon dioxide emissions is based on providing different options to best suit customers in different regions, including a focus on hybrids in South America where EV sales are still low.

"Providing choice and opportunity is at the heart of ever-better cars and everything we do," Toyota Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries said in a statement.

Toyota's sales across Europe rose 13.1% in 2024 to just over 1 million units, in an overall market that grew by 0.9%.

(Reporting By Nick Carey; editing by Barbara Lewis)