Toyota’s electrical automobile gross sales plunged because it prepares for a brand new wave of fashions. The brand new EVs are bringing much-needed upgrades, together with extra vary, quicker charging, revamped designs, and extra.
Toyota’s EV gross sales crashed in Q3 as new fashions roll out
Regardless of most automakers reporting report EV gross sales as patrons rushed to assert the $7,500 federal tax credit score, Toyota was an outlier, promoting simply 61 BZ fashions in September.
Together with the Lexus RZ, which managed 86 gross sales, Toyota bought simply 147 all-electric autos within the US final month, over 90% lower than the 1,847 it bought in September 2024.
Toyota’s whole gross sales had been up 14% with over 185,700 autos bought, which means EVs accounted for lower than 0.1%. By the primary 9 months of the yr, gross sales of the BZ and Lexus RZ are down 9% and 36% in comparison with the yr prior.
So, why is Toyota struggling to promote EVs when the market is booming? For one, it’s mainly bought out of its present EV fashions, the bZ4X and Lexus RZ.
The 2026 Toyota BZ (previously the bZ4X) is arriving at US dealerships, promising to repair among the largest complaints with the outgoing electrical SUV.
Powered by a bigger 74.7 kWh battery, the 2026 Toyota BZ provides as much as 314 miles of driving vary, a 25% enchancment from the 2025 bZ4X.
The electrical SUV options Toyota’s new “hammerhead entrance finish” design, much like that of the brand new Crown and Camry, with a slim LED mild bar and revamped entrance fascia.
Toyota’s new electrical SUV additionally includes a built-in NACS cost port, permitting for recharging at Tesla Superchargers. It additionally includes a new thermal administration system and battery preconditioning, which improves cost instances from 10% to 80% in about half-hour.
The bottom 2026 BZ XLE FWD begins at simply $34,900, however makes use of a smaller 57.7 kWh battery, good for 236 miles vary.
The 2026 Lexus RZ acquired comparable updates. Subsequent yr, Toyota is launching two extra totally electrical SUVs, the 2026 C-HR and BZ Woodland.
| 2026 Toyota bZ trim | Battery | Vary | Beginning Worth* |
| XLE FWD | 57.7 kWh | 236 miles | $34,900 |
| XLE FWD Plus | 74.7 kWh | 314 miles | $37,900 |
| XLE AWD | 74.7 kWh | 288 miles | $39,900 |
| Restricted FWD | 74.7 kWh | 299 miles | $43,300 |
| Restricted AWD | 74.7 kWh | 278 miles | $45,300 |
It’s not simply the US that Toyota’s EV gross sales crashed final month, both. In its house market of Japan, Toyota (together with Lexus) bought simply 18 EVs in September.
The Japanese auto large is betting on new fashions to drive progress. Nevertheless, it stays dedicated to providing all powertrain choices, together with battery electrical autos (BEVs), hybrids, plug-in hybrid electrical autos (PHEVs), and gasoline cell electrical autos (FCEVs).
Can Toyota’s new era of electrical autos spark a comeback? Tell us your ideas within the feedback.
