Toyota is taking the Corolla electric

Ugh. I saw the headline and I was hoping it would be an entry-level, low cost, highly analogue, "looks just like a normal car but electric" car.

I was surprised to read the headline because this is going in a different direction than most car companies. For example, VW, Ford, GM, and others have been axing electric vehicles that they started selling a few years ago. They discovered that most people who wanted EVs had already purchased them, and the rest of the market wasn't interested enough to pay the price premium.

Then I read the key quote and realized that Toyota isn't transforming the Corolla into an electric vehicle. They're simply going to offer an electric option. That's much less of an interesting headline, which explains why it wasn't chosen.

> “Whether it’s a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle―whatever the power source―let’s make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive!” Toyota’s CEO said at the Japan Mobility Show.

and all it took was two decades and millions of spend in anti-EV lobbying before they finally gave in, huh

(also kind of wild to me that an EV focused blog wouldn't mention this a single time since Toyota is (was?) arguably one of the staunchest and most stubborn anti-EV manufacturers out there)

> With over 57 million sold worldwide since it went on sale in 1966, the Toyota Corolla is widely considered the best-selling vehicle to date.

Is it or is it not the best-selling vehicle to date? Should be pretty simple to determine.

Toyota wants to show nobody wants EVs by making EVs nobody wants.

The hybrid already gets 55mpg and the batteries are dirt cheap.

I picked up a '25 Subaru Solterra (rebadged Toyota bz4X) for a decent lease deal and while I'm surprised how little I think about the EV parts the "car parts" are dreadful.

I really need to do a write-up on the dichotomy of EV things being good (charger works, no real battery QC issues, it's a RAV4-but-EV) while all of the shared ICE parts (anything in the software stack) are riddled with bugs or head-scratching defaults.

Overall, a fine car for me, but (as much as I do not like El*n) Telsa is so significantly beyond their offerings it's hard to overstate.

EDIT:

I forgot to add but I think the cost savings for EVs can be a wash, make sure you check the following:

1.) can't charge at home / live in an apartment.

1a.) If you do install a L2 charger at home, you will significantly reduce your cost savings.

2.) you rely on fast-chargers in any significant capacity.

3.) Double check the math on any lease, loan, etc. on new EVs vs. a beater gas car. Especially if you pay an EV tax in your state or country. (Post-COVID the $2K beater car seems to have gone extinct here...)

Judging from the prototype Toyota is clearly not serious about actually producing this ev version.

Why does every car manufacturer peddle these overly complex designs with massive displays, a futuristic aesthetic, etc?

People drive Corollas because they're cheap and reliable. Give me that with an electric motor.

I'm holding on to my gas vehicle as long as I can because I really don't like the hybrid sad spaceship noise. I guess I could get it and disable the speaker but then that might void the warranty. The mechanic I go to tells me I can absolutely disable it and they will do it for me but they caution that it will void a warranty. I will continue to drive my old car until it falls apart.

Why couldn't it just look like a Corolla

The car is too low to the ground.

One of the things that really frustrated me about my Tesla Model 3 was how low it was. I would "look up" at Ford Fusions and other sedans on the road.

In contrast, my Model Y isn't an SUV. It's the height (and ground clearance) of what we used to call sedans, and really feels like a sedan instead of an SUV.

why don't Japanese auto-makers embrace the super+ hybrid that was embraced by Chinese auto makers. having electric motors and a small engine to constantly charge / drive the motors.

Japanese auto makers are already good at hybrid power trains, small engines.

surely extended range vehicles - 1000km+/700mi+ shouldn't be limited to Chinese brands only.

> The Japanese automaker is planning a drastic overhaul, including a sleek new design, high-tech interior, and updated platform.

Oh please no! I loved the old boring interiors with analog components

Been waiting for this and a plug-in hybrid Corolla with at least 50 mile electric range. Would be a game changer.

Is it that hard? Take a normal car, take engine out, put electric motor in. Don't fuck around with the inside.

If they would bring a barebones electric station wagon to the US that would be heavenly.

Just another ugly car. These days they all look like angry vacuum cleaners.

I want an electric Supra.

Nobody's making good lightweight superfast electric sportscars except for Kia (EV6 GT, 600hp). That car is amazing but the interior is super-cheap and Kia failed to "do the Acura thing" that made the NSX respectable (it isn't a "Honda NSX").

The Porsche Taycan is an absolute boat, an old man's car, the thing weighs a ton. Handling is terrible, center of mass is way above the axles. BMW electrics are the same. Mercedes doesn't even have an electric performance car. The German car companies are really just "mailing it in" when it comes to electic sportscars; they refuse to actually try to build a good one.

Tesla Model S isn't much better and is discontinued.

Other than the $250k+ upcoming roadster and the $60k EV6 GT (cheap cloth seats, no leather option, Kia badge) there's really nothing out there that handles well. Pretty huge gap in the market there.

Maybe, some day, many years into the future. /shrug.

can we get a car that doesn't self-drive or phone-home?

just replace all the gas burning, oil dripping parts

electric cars also produce way less brake dust particulates, so it's a win all around

just stop trying to make a car a smartphone

Any design of a future car with manual controls is already obsolete or admitting they have no autonomy stack.