Toyota Motor Corp. is expanding its North American fully electric lineup with the unveiling of the new version of its Highlander model on Wednesday.
The brand debuted earlier this week in California its first battery electric (BEV) three-row SUV in the US, which is also available in internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid variants.
David Christ, the Group’s Vice President and General Manager in North America, stated that the model was designed to be a “high-tech leader in the midsize SUV segment.”
The new fully electric version will be assembled at the group’s factory in Kentucky, becoming its first electric vehicle to be assembled in the United States.
Its batteries will be sourced locally from Toyota‘s newly opened $13.9-billion-dollar battery assembly plant in North Carolina, and the supplier partner, LG Energy Solution.
Sales in the US are expected to begin in “late 2026.”
The new model will become the fourth one in the country’s BEV lineup, which includes the bZ — named bZ4X in other markets — and its Woodland (Touring) version, and the C-HR — called C-HR+ in Europe.
Toyota also extended its portfolio in Norway this Monday with seven new EV models.
New Highlander Specs
The fully electric Toyota Highlander measures 198.8 inches in length, 78.3 inches in width, and 67.3 inches in height, with a wheelbase of 120.1 inches.
The seven-seat SUV offers two grades — XLE and Limited — with Front-Wheel (FWD) or All-Wheel Drive (AWD) options.
Depending on the configurations, the model features lithium-ion battery packs of either 76.96kWh or 95.8kWh, enabling an estimated maximum EPA range of 320 miles.
It delivers up to 338 combined horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque.
The new Highlander is equipped with the North American Charging System (NACS) port, giving owners access to Direct Current (DC) fast-charging stations across the US, namely Tesla’s Supercharging network.
The SUV can charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes.
It offers Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) capabilities, which allow drivers to use the battery in the BEV to charge or power an electrical appliance, becoming the first Toyota model in the country with the technology.
US Sales
According to the latest data from GlobalData, Toyota Motor Corp. — which includes the main brand and Lexus — delivered 176,853 vehicles last month in the US, representing a 8.1% year-on-year rise.
Of those, 150,886 units were from the Toyota brand, whose sales increased 7.0% compared to January 2025.
Last January marked the eleventh consecutive month of growth for the marque.
Although deliveries of its RAV4 SUV fell by around 39%, the Highlander and the Grand Highlander models achieved high figures, jumping approximately 68% and 72%, respectively.
Last year, the Japanese group recorded 2,518,071 registrations across all powertrains in the US — a 8.0% increase compared to 2024.
The Toyota brand saw annual sales grow 8.1% year-over-year to a total of 2,147,811 vehicles in the country.
Global Sales
In the full 2025 year, Toyota Motor Corp. sold a record-breaking total of 11.3 million vehicles worldwide across all its marques.
The figures increased 4.6% compared to 2024, when the company recorded 10.8 million global deliveries.
Specifically, sales of the Toyota and Lexus brands reached 10.5 million units, rising year-on-year by 3.7%.
Last December, the group announced that it plans to produce more than 10 million vehicles globally this year, despite the estimated impact of the US tariffs.
It aims to reach 2023 levels, when Toyota manufactured 10.03 million vehicles, its highest annual output so far.
