Toyota has announced a delay in the start of production for its first US-made electric vehicle (EV), pushing the launch from late 2025 to early 2026. This will affect the manufacturing of a three-row, battery-powered SUV at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant. However, the Japanese automaker remains committed to its EV strategy, planning to introduce up to seven fully electric models in the US within the next two years.
Despite the delay, Toyota is on track to begin production of another all-electric SUV at its Princeton, Indiana factory later in 2026. These efforts are part of Toyota’s broader goal to sell 1.5 million EVs worldwide by 2026. To support this, the company is also constructing a lithium-ion battery plant in North Carolina, expected to begin operations in 2025.
While Toyota currently offers two fully electric models in the US—the Toyota bZ4X and the Lexus RZ 450e, both made in Japan—the company is actively investing in US production. In 2024, Toyota announced plans to spend US$1.3 billion on EV production at its Kentucky plant, followed by an additional US$1.4 billion for its Indiana facility.
This production delay comes at a time when demand for EVs in the US is slowing, yet Toyota remains focused on its EV expansion, despite cancelling earlier plans to produce a Lexus-branded SUV in North America by 2030.
