Toyota to use ‘familiar’ names for EVs, hints at electric RAV4 and Hilux

Toyota will revive well-known names from its past as it expands its all electric model line-up, the firm’s European product boss has confirmed.

Andrea Carlucci, Toyota’s European head of product development told journalists that the brand would abandon its BZ naming convention in favour of ‘existing and familiar’ names from the brand’s past.

It has already begun the process with the Urban Cruiser. The B-segment SUV that shares a platform with the Suzuki E-Vitara has resurrected a name last used in the early 2000s. It has also chosen to name its new coupe-crossover C-HR+, rather than using the widely expected BZ3X badge.

Carlucci’s comments suggest that future Toyota EVs will share the same name as petrol- or hydrogen-powered cars and we could see an electric RAV4, Land Cruiser and even Hilux.

That is backed up by new details shared at Toyota’s annual Kenshiki forum, where the brand not only showed off the Land Cruiser SE concept EV, but confirmed it would have six EVs on sale in Europe by 2026. These models will focus on ‘enhancing customer lifestyles’ and teaser images hinted at a pick-up truck and smaller SUV alongside a silhouette that looked suspiciously like the Land Cruiser SE.

However, anyone holding out for a Yaris or Aygo EV will have to wait a while longer. Toyota’s most recent announcements focus on larger SUV and utility vehicles and Carlucci said that smaller EVs remained further down the line. This is presumably due to the bigger profits offered by larger SUVs and the costs of developing smaller, more efficient electric models.

And while Toyota bosses said the company was committed to its European EV programme, they stood by a cautious multi-powertrain approach to meet customer and market demands around the world.

Chief corporate officer for Europe, Matt Harrison said that globally, there was a ‘widening gap between customer demand and regulation’ which created ‘challenging but interesting’ times for the auto industry.

He said that alongside its electric models, Toyota would continue to explore hydrogen fuel cell and combustion technology as well as launching an all-new four-cylinder petrol engine to ensure it could meet regional needs as and when they evolve.

Carlucci added that Toyota’s work on solid state batteries was progressing as intended, with the first production models using the technology expected by 2028.