Toyota will begin producing electric vehicles in Europe from 2028

Toyota is preparing to take a first step into manufacturing electric vehicles in Europe from 2028, as a consequence of the European Union’s strict emissions regulations and with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality on the continent by 2035. The Japanese manufacturer’s first electric model “Made in Europe” will be an SUV, and its production will take place at the Czech plant in Kolín.

According to a recent report, Toyota’s Czech subsidiary, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic (TMMCZ), will produce approximately 100,000 units per year of this new electric SUV. With this initiative, the Japanese manufacturer aims to anticipate the EU’s planned ban, due in 2035, on the sale of vehicles with combustion engines. The Kolín plant in the Czech Republic, where models such as the Toyota Aygo X and the Toyota Yaris are currently assembled, will thus become a key pillar of the company’s electrification strategy on European soil.

Local production in Europe will allow Toyota to optimize its supply chain, reduce emissions associated with transport, and improve its cost competitiveness. This strategy will also make it easier to comply with EU emissions regulations, such as the CO2 targets for fleets and the upcoming Euro 7 regulation. The Kolín plant, established in 2002 as a collaboration between Toyota and the PSA Group, became fully owned by Toyota in 2021, when it was renamed TMMCZ. Since then, it has been a key center for the production of the brand’s compact models.

Toyota steps on the electrification accelerator

Although electric vehicles currently account for less than two percent of Toyota’s total sales, the Japanese manufacturer plans to give a significant boost to sales of this type of vehicle in the short term, and to that end it will offer up to 14 models with this propulsion system in its lineup before the end of next year. These will include new models such as the C-HR+ SUV and an updated version of the bZ4X, the brand’s first mass-produced electric vehicle.

Globally, Toyota also has ambitious plans that will lead it to triple its range of electric models by 2027 and reach production of around one million vehicles with this propulsion system. In any case, like many other manufacturers, the company has recently been forced to readjust its projections due to market demand, reducing its global electric vehicle production target for 2026 to 800,000 units, 50 percent less than initially forecast. In addition, some projects, such as the launch of a three-row electric SUV to be produced in Kentucky (United States), have been delayed.