Toyota Pushes Forward With New EVs in 2026, Even As Rivals Retreat

• A Toyota spokesperson confirmed that its modern EVs, including the bZ Woodland and C-HR, are still on track to go on sale in the U.S. in 2026.
• Many rivals are pulling back on new EV models, as tariff costs rise and sales potentially shrink with the tax credits gone.
• The move will give Toyota’s U.S. customers a lineup of three new or updated EVs.

Lately, it’s felt like open season on a lot of new electric vehicles that American consumers were excited about.

With the EV tax credits gone and carmakers both foreign and domestic stinging from tariff bills, many new all-electric models have been postponed, pushed back indefinitely, had their U.S. visas revoked or canceled outright. Yet Toyota—one carmaker that’s fairly late to the game with modern EVs—says it’s full speed ahead, in spite of those conditions.

A Toyota spokesperson confirmed to InsideEVs that its duo of all-new electric models, the bZ Woodland off-road-y wagon and the compact and sporty C-HR, are still happening. “Both products are on track to launch in early 2026,” the spokesperson said. 

This is not to say that this is a pleasant surprise, but given the current conditions around EVs in America, some good news for the space is welcome. 

Gallery: 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland

That’s especially considering that these two EVs, plus the heavily updated Toyota bZ that’s currently on sale, are all made in Japan. That leaves them exposed to import tariffs and without the benefit of an EV tax credit when leased. (Potentially two other new Toyota EVs are tipped to be made in Kentucky, but they won’t be these models.) Official details haven’t been released, but the bZ Woodland is expected to start between $45,000 and $50,000, while the C-HR is expected to start under $35,000.

That’s a boon for the many buyers who have enjoyed Toyota’s hybrid lineup over the last few decades, but are ready to move on from gasoline entirely now. The new bZ boasts an array of improvements, including better overall fast-charging performance, more horsepower, a Tesla-style NACS plug, and up to 314 miles of range. The bZ Woodland is a bigger variant with more space and ground clearance, and up to 260 miles of range. And the C-HR (known as the C-HR+ in Europe) gets up to 290 miles of Toyota-estimated range, as well as a 0-60 mph time under five seconds. 

In recent weeks and months, several other automakers have slowed down on new EV models, and even canceled existing ones entirely, as the U.S. market failed to go all-electric at the astronomical rates the industry once predicted.

Kia recently announced the affordable (but Korean-made) EV4 will be “delayed until further notice”, Ford’s next-generation full-size electric pickup has been delayed until 2028, the Nissan Ariya and Mercedes’ first-generation EQ models are on hold, and Volkswagen’s U.S.-market EVs remain on sale but have a deeply uncertain future.  

So if nothing else, EV buyers in America next year will have some good choices at their local Toyota dealership. 

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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