HOW DO THEY DO IT? Toyota is making a fast and fun electric car, like the old MR2. This will give the still-new GR sub brand a boost. WHY AND WHATMATES Toyota’s electric vehicle (EV) plan needs to catch on faster. It slowly got into the market with the ordinary bZ4X crossover after arguing for years that electrifying millions of cars instead of just a few would be a better way to reduce pollution and use limited battery resources. For now, the price and package of the RAV4-like bZ4X are acceptable, but it’s pretty dull and has a terrible driving range and charging speed. A more interesting Toyota EV is in the works, which is good news. There are quite a few. Toyota showed off several possible EVs in 2021. Instead of the expected range of bZ products, these were all over the place. One was a truck resembling the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, two reached sports SUVs, and the Sports EV prototype was a brightly coloured sports car. Toyota executives have been teasing “fun” EVs that will appeal to enthusiasts like the company’s president, Akio Toyoda, who has been a big supporter of the GR series, which includes the Supra, GR86, and GR Corolla. PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN Due to its small size and form that looks much like a mid-engine, the Sports EV could get by with a small battery or benefit from new solid-state technologies that can pack more helpful capacity into less space. A Lexus racing car with the same technology is rumoured to be in the works, but it’s important to note that solid-state batteries aren’t widely available in the market right now. Suppose Toyota can fix the problem with the battery and ensure that this sports car has an excellent driving range and an acceptable curb weight. In that case, it will be an exciting addition to the company’s growing number of sporty cars. Also, Toyota last sold an MR2 racing car nearly ten years ago. Why not turn that sign back into an EV? COST ON AVERAGE: The new Toyota GR EV will start between $65,000 and $75,000, so this fun and sportiness will be costly.
