The all-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 250 and updated Land Cruiser 70 Series may have dominated headlines yesterday, but hiding behind in (nearly) plain sight were something equally – if not more – interesting. That’s because hidden in the backdrop of the launch were two shadowy silhouettes, believed to be fully electric concept cars that could one day arrive in showrooms with the Land Cruiser badge.
Speaking at the launch yesterday, Toyota design chief Simon Humphries does indeed hint at the possibility of the Land Cruiser expanding beyond petrol, diesel, and hybrid power in the future.
“Our customers trust in us to keep Land Cruiser relevant and thriving torward the future,” Humprhies said. “This could mean anything from carbon-neutral approaches, to ensuring that the Land Cruiser brand is more affordable and within reach of even more people around the world.”
“It may even mean exploring new approaches to mobility that enhance not only the Land Cruiser experience, but also further people’s freedom in motion. Suffice to say, there are lots of exciting paths to changing the future of cars.”
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This isn’t the first time Toyota has toyed with the idea of an electric off-roader. In fact, the teaser car on the left also bears a passing resemblance to the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV concept, which the company first shown off in December 2021. The model on the right, meanwhile, looks to be an all-new design that appears to be roughly the size of the larger Land Cruiser 300.
While we still do not know what sort of electrification plans Toyota have for these models, the Japanese carmaker has already committed to launching 30 new battery EVs by the end of 2030, with a sales target of 3.5 million units a year by then, too.
Recently, the company also unveiled its latest EV plans, including its battery technology roadmap, promising fully-electric range of up to 1,000 km in the future.
