Toyota is taking the Corolla electric

Toyota is preparing to introduce the electric version of its best-selling car of all time, the Corolla. More than 57 million of them have been sold worldwide since the model went on sale in 1966, and the upcoming generation will look and feel very different from its predecessors.

From best-seller to battery electric

Toyota gave a first sneak peek of the new Corolla in concept form at the Japan Mobility Show, almost a year before the production car is expected. “How should the Corolla evolve?” Toyota CEO Koji Sato asked the audience, describing a drastic overhaul that includes a sleek new design, a high-tech interior and an updated platform.

The next-generation car is expected to keep the TNGA-C architecture of today’s Corolla, but in a heavily modified version that can accommodate every powertrain — from a pure battery-electric system to plug-in hybrid, hybrid and combustion engines.

What the next Corolla will offer

Engineers who spoke with Car and Driver said the hybrid version will use a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, delivering around 134 horsepower combined. The system is expected to be 10% to 20% more efficient than the current one, and an all-wheel-drive variant is possible.

For the first time, Toyota will also add a plug-in hybrid and a fully electric Corolla. The PHEV will carry a larger battery for a longer electric range, while the EV is expected in single- and dual-motor configurations with at least 250 miles (about 400 km) of range. Further specifications have not been revealed.

A question of survival

In a July interview with NHK, Toyota chairman and former CEO Akio Toyoda warned that the company is being forced to adapt, or “it cannot survive”, amid new competition and technology coming from China. The broadcast was recorded at what the outlet called the “top secret” development site for the next-generation Corolla.

Whether Toyota will bring the Corolla EV to the United States is still unclear. The new model is expected to debut in 2027 as a 2028 model year vehicle. Prices have not been announced, but Car and Driver expects the gasoline version to start near $25,000, the hybrid near $27,000, and the electric and plug-in hybrid variants in the $30,000 range.