The Toyota Highlander Just Went Electric

• Toyota has confirmed the Highlander name for its upcoming three-row electric SUV.
• The Highlander EV, which will be fully unveiled tomorrow, looks a lot like the bZ Large SUV concept from 2021.
• The latest Highlander teaser confirms that the model is pure-electric and has all-wheel drive.

Calling its first dedicated EV the bZ4X may not have been the best decision for an automaker whose buyers like things simple, reliable, and easy to understand. That’s why Toyota is moving away from weird and contrived names with its new line of EVs (it will launch an electric sedan called the Corolla) and it just confirmed that its new three-row battery-powered SUV will wear a familiar nameplate: Highlander.

There are still many unknowns surrounding the model, but Toyota has given us a peek inside the Highlander EV and now also a look at its tailgate, where the model name is displayed. We also know it has a double wrap-around rear light bar and it will look completely different from the combustion-powered Highlander that we’re familiar with.

Photo by: Toyota

The design will likely be very similar to the bZ Large SUV concept shown in 2021 along with over a dozen other EV concepts, which looks far more rakish and futuristic than today’s Highlander, with a much sportier-looking, almost coupe-like greenhouse. All the teasers released by Toyota so far suggest it won’t change that design too much for production and its design straddles the line between its more conventional-looking gas-powered models and its bolder EVs.

We don’t know the specifics of the powertrain, but it will surely have a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup (hence the ‘AWD’ badge in the teaser), likely drawing from a larger battery than the 74.7-kilowatt-hour pack that powers the bZ. An EPA-estimated range of around 300 miles sounds about right for a big electric SUV these days, but it could feature new batteries with higher power density and faster charging. Toyota says it has been improving its battery tech and claims future EVs will be able to go 620 miles (1,000 km) on one charge, although we doubt the Highlander EV will come anywhere near that figure.

The model is supposed to be fully unveiled tomorrow, on February 10, when we hope to learn more about specs and new features. Launching a model in this segment shows Toyota may finally be getting serious about electric vehicles and it could be a hit (if priced right) since it’s exactly the kind of electric vehicle the market is hungry for now.

Lexus is also working on its own version of the model, which will be more expensive and luxurious and is expected to be called the TZ, although we don’t know when that will be unveiled. Both models will directly rival the Hyundai Ioniq 9 or the Cadillac Vistiq.

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