- The world’s best selling car of all time is set to go fully-electric for the first time, with Toyota revealing a new Toyota Corolla Concept at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.
- Toyota is set to launch this vehicle with a variety of powertrain types, including a fully-electric variant.
- The design of previous EV concepts from Toyota have remained pretty similar to their production realities. Could this new concept be the same?
Toyota Corolla to go fully-electric for the first time
The first generation of Toyota’s Corolla was originally launched in 1966, and its reputation for affordability and reliability has made it a sales hit ever since. Since 1997, it’s been the best-selling car model in history, with over 50 million units sold worldwide to date.
The new Toyota Corolla concept’s design is certainly striking, and if it can maintain the affordability proposition of its predecessors, then it’s destined to be a sales hit – particularly the EV variant, with much of Europe working towards looming EV mandates. The concept’s design may not be too far from production reality too, if previous concepts from the manufacturer are anything to go by. The minor differences between its 2023 Urban SUV Concept and the final production Urban Cruiser EV is a perfect case in point.
There’s no word on potential specifications for the future Corolla EV, but the streamlined body shape is likely to give it a remarkably low drag coefficient, allowing it to offer a battery range that can compete with long-distance compact EVs like the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV.
It remains to be seen whether EV variants of this future Corolla model could roll out of Toyota’s own UK factory, which has already been producing Corolla models since 1998. Recently, Toyota announced a feasibility study on producing a small quadricycle EV at its Derbyshire facility.
With the Corolla’s position as the best-selling production car, this EV variant could be just what is needed to give the EV transition a significant step forward, on a global level.
Koji Sato, President and CEO of Toyota, commented on the Corolla’s transformation:
“The Corolla is symbolic of our “to you”―in other words, car-making for a specific someone. In line with the times and people’s lives, the Corolla has always transformed for the “you” right in front of it. Regardless of its look or body type, it has always been the Corolla. That’s why the Corolla has always been “a car for everyone.” To stay like that, how should the Corolla evolve?
The Earth is vast, and the world is diverse. Roads differ, and so do energy realities. That said, there’s one thing that we all share: a sense of caring for the Earth. And there’s one more thing… Wanting to drive a car that looks cool… I think that many of us share such a desire.”
