Toyota has unveiled a battery-electric version of its C-HR crossover at the Beijing Motor Show. The model will launch in China in 2020, but there are currently no plans to bring it to Europe.
The CH-R EV forms part of Toyota’s pledge to launch 10 electric cars in China by the end of 2020. The firm will also launch plug-in versions of the (not-for-UK) Corolla and Levin saloon models before the end of the decade.
• Best electric cars to buy now
All three of these new models will be supported by localised production of the electric motors, batteries and invertors, as well as “other core technologies” for vehicle electrification. In 2020, Toyota will open a new battery testing facility in China, while also strengthening its other R&D and production bases in the region.
Toyota has revealed no further information about the electric C-HR, with no details on power, range or performance. However, we do know it’ll be the first full-EV on the firm’s TNGA platform, which also underpins the Prius hybrid and forthcoming RAV4. The architecture will form the basis of future Lexus models like the next-generation CT, too.
It comes as no surprise to see Toyota investing heavily in the Chinese market, as the country’s demand for electric cars continues to soar. In 2017, Toyota sold 140,000 electrified vehicles in China alone.
Toyota’s China boss Kazuhiro Kobayashi said: “We are steadily and confidently advancing all aspects of our environmental strategy in China, the world’s most advanced country in electrification.”
Would you buy an electric Toyota C-HR? Let us know in the comments below…
from Featured Articles http://bit.ly/2r1gL2h
Comments
Post a Comment