Toyota Pushes Back bZ5X Large SUV Project
Originally, Toyota had plans to produce an electric three-row SUV for the American market starting in 2025.
Nikkei reports Toyota is pushing back plans for its bZ5X large electric SUV. This comes after Toyota’s billion-dollar investment in its Georgetown, Kentucky facility to prepare for the production of this new three-row EV model.
Somewhat predictably, hesitancy from consumers towards electric vehicles, as well as a swelling demand for hybrids, has pushed Toyota to elongate its timeline on the project, deciding to shove production back by several months. While the project is far from dead, the delay isn’t a good sign of Toyota’s faith in the vehicle's ability to succeed amid the current market climate.
The decision has a knock-on effect at Lexus, which will have its equivalent of this new three-row EV. Same goes for Subaru. Plans for Lexus’ North American EV production will be kept at home in Japan, removing them from eligibility for the Federal EV Tax Credit in the US (note current models are unaffected by this decision).
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Chase is an automotive journalist with years of experience in the industry. He writes for outlets like Edmunds and AutoGuide, among many others. When not writing, Chase is in front of the camera over at The Overrun, his YouTube channel run alongside his friend and co-host Jobe Teehan. If he's not writing reviews of the latest in cars or producing industry coverage, Chase is at home in the driver's seat of his own (usually German) sports cars.
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