Toyota Will Build Two New EVs In Indiana
Today Toyota announced that its Princeton, Indiana plant will build two new eight-passenger EV crossovers. One will wear a Lexus badge, the other will be a Toyota. This new car will be the first Lexus vehicle produced at the plant.
The plant currently builds the Sienna Hybrid, Highlander/Highlander Hybrid, and Sequoia. To build the new EVs, $803 million will be been invested to retool the plant. Toyota says the change will bring 1,400 jobs to the city.
Toyota is targeting young families with the crossovers. No details have been released about range or price, but the company did say that both vehicles will be loaded with tech features. Semi-autonomous driving tech and a sharable digital key are two of the highlights. Drivers will also be able to park the vehicles remotely using a smartphone.
Toyota has been on the fence about getting fully on board with EVs. CEO Akio Toyoda made comments in December suggesting that governments shouldn't be too hasty in banning ICE vehicles for fear of economic collapse. The company has also doubled down on hydrogen with a new Mirai. It will be interesting to see what form their EV strategy takes.