It was in December that Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda presented 16 new electric car concepts. They should be a response to the criticism that the Japanese manufacturer has had a lukewarm attitude towards electric cars. At the same time, Toyoda stated that Toyota will sell 3.5 million electric cars a year by 2030.
Partially hidden was the Compact Cruiser EV. It has a design reminiscent of early generations Land Cruiser and FJ Cruiser. The latter has been a success in the US, but has not been sold here at home.
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In two years?
Recently, the Compact Cruiser was awarded the 2022 Car Design Award during the prestigious furniture fair in Milan. It should be a great encouragement for Toyota to get this car into series production as soon as possible.
In 2024 ?: Toyota has not yet given a date for when the car will be on the road, but we will probably have to be patient for a couple of years. Photo: The producer
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How quickly the Toyota boss did not say anything during the launch in December, but we will probably have to wait a couple of years. 24 months is usually the time it takes from the design is nailed to a car is ready for production. First in the electric car queue after the big SUV bZ4X, which is launched these days, is a small crossover that will be a competitor to, among others, Peugeot e-2008.
16 new electric cars from Toyota
Rough four-wheel drive
The Compact Cruiser EV is about the size of today’s Toyota C-HR. The drive can be obtained directly from big brother bZ4X. That is, a battery of 71.4 kWt, a range of around 50 miles and a performance of 204 horsepower. Although it is initially intended as a rugged four-wheel drive, it will be natural that it also comes with two-wheel drive eventually.
We do not yet know anything about the price. In any case, it must be cheaper than today’s bZ4X, which costs from just under 450,000 kroner with two-wheel drive.
YOUNGER BUYERS: With this car, Toyota wants to attract younger buyers who want to show that they have an active lifestyle. Photo: The producer
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Many electric cars before 2025
The Norwegian Toyota importer is of course very pleased with the new electric car strategy for the factory:
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– This is gold for us. There is great enthusiasm among both dealers and customers after what was shown – not least since several of the cars seem to be almost ready for production, says information manager Espen Olsen in Toyota Norway.
He does not know much more about the launch date of the Compact Cruiser, only that many of the models shown as concept cars will be on the road before 2025-26.
TRADITIONS: Toyota has a long tradition of cars like this. The Compact Cruiser brings to mind the first generations of the LandCruiser. Not least this 40 series that came out in the 1960s. Photo: The producer
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Active lifestyle
Compact Cruiser was developed at Toyota’s design center in Nice, France and has younger customers with an active lifestyle as a target group, according to Toyota.
– We believe that car buyers in the future will have zero-emission cars that express the lifestyle they have. The Compact Cruiser is a perfect example of just that, says Toyota chief designer Simon Humphries.
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