Toyota’s First American-Made Battery Electric Vehicles Will Be Built in Kentucky

Toyota, long known for taking a cautious approach to full electrification, is about to make one of its biggest commitments yet to the U.S. EV market. The Japanese automaker confirmed to Reuters that its first American-made battery electric vehicles will roll off the line in Kentucky next year. Both will be three-row SUVs, with one based on the iconic Land Cruiser and the other tied to the ever-popular RAV4. While details remain limited, the move signals that Toyota is finally ready to compete head-on in one of the fastest-growing segments of the EV market.

The two vehicles are expected to ride on Toyota’s dedicated e-TNGA platform, designed specifically for battery-powered models, rather than retrofitted gas architectures. This is significant, because it means Toyota is investing in clean-sheet engineering for vehicles intended to be electric from the ground up. To make room for them, the company will end production of the combustion-powered Lexus ES sedan at its Georgetown, Kentucky facility, shifting assembly of the next generation ES back to Japan. The Kentucky plant, already one of Toyota’s largest in North America, will thus serve as the launchpad for a new era of electric SUVs aimed squarely at American families.

Of the two new models, the Land Cruiser-based SUV may attract the most attention. The Land Cruiser Se concept, revealed in 2023, gave a preview of what to expect: a sleek, boxy three-row vehicle with proportions similar to the Toyota Grand Highlander. While it borrows a name tied to off-road adventures, this new iteration appears more suburban-oriented, designed for comfort and practicality on highways and in neighborhoods rather than rugged trails. That aligns with broader market demand, as most U.S. buyers in the large-SUV category prioritize passenger space and road manners over extreme off-road capability.

The RAV4-based EV, meanwhile, is expected to be more compact, likely similar in size to the upcoming hybrid-only RAV4 refresh. Positioned just below the Land Cruiser in Toyota’s lineup, this EV could prove a high-volume seller, especially given the RAV4’s status as one of the best-selling vehicles in America. If priced competitively, it has the potential to bring more mainstream buyers into Toyota’s EV fold and directly challenge electric rivals from Hyundai, Kia, Tesla, and Ford.

Car and Driver listed the the current gas-powered RAV4 as the bestselling non-truck through 2024, as the third top seller of the year for all vehicles in the US.

This development comes as Toyota works to shed its reputation as a laggard in the EV race. For years, the automaker has emphasized hybrids and plug-in hybrids as the centerpiece of its carbon reduction strategy, arguing that spreading electrification across a wide range of vehicles would have a greater impact than pushing exclusively into battery EVs. That philosophy gave rise to iconic hybrid models like the Prius and helped Toyota dominate hybrid sales globally. But it also left the company trailing behind competitors in the fully electric space, where brands like Hyundai, Kia, and even legacy rivals such as Ford and GM have surged ahead.

At present, Toyota sells only one fully electric model in the U.S., the bZ4X, but its EV pipeline is about to accelerate. By the end of this year, the updated 2026 bZ will be joined by the smaller C-HR EV and the larger bZ Woodland SUV. The Kentucky-built Land Cruiser EV and RAV4 EV will follow soon after, rounding out a lineup that positions Toyota more competitively across multiple EV segments. For American consumers, this means a broader set of choices from a brand long trusted for reliability and resale value, qualities that will be crucial as families weigh the long-term cost of ownership in an EV.

Ramping up domestic EV manufacturing helps Toyota align with U.S. policy priorities around jobs, supply chains, and energy independence. This benefit adds weight to the significance of Toyota’s Kentucky EV launch.

While Toyota still maintains that hybrids and plug-in hybrids will play an important role in reducing emissions, its decision to build EVs in Kentucky underscores a recognition that the U.S. market is shifting decisively toward all-electric options. By anchoring this transition in its American production footprint, Toyota isn’t just adding new products—it’s sending a signal that it intends to be a long-term competitor in the EV era. For drivers who have been waiting for the brand to step up its EV game, 2026 may finally deliver the Toyota electric SUVs they’ve been hoping for.

EVinfo.net’s Take: Toyota’s Kentucky EV Plant Shows How Electric Vehicles Drive American Jobs and Growth

For decades, Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky facility has been a cornerstone of American auto production, employing thousands and anchoring the local economy. By shifting production capacity from the Lexus ES sedan to new EVs, Toyota is doing more than building cars, it’s securing the plant’s long-term relevance in a rapidly changing industry. This investment keeps high-paying jobs in Kentucky and creates ripple effects across supply chains, from battery components to charging infrastructure.

The EV transition represents one of the biggest industrial shifts in modern history. As automakers retool factories and develop new electric models, billions of dollars are flowing into U.S. communities. The Inflation Reduction Act has only accelerated this momentum by tying federal tax credits to domestic production. That means every new EV built in America not only benefits drivers with lower costs but also keeps economic value within U.S. borders. Toyota’s Kentucky project is a textbook case of how policy, innovation, and consumer demand align to produce tangible benefits.

The broader impact is already visible nationwide. From Michigan to Georgia, from Ohio to Nevada, automakers and battery producers are announcing new factories, expansions, and supplier partnerships at a record pace. Each facility represents not just assembly-line positions but also opportunities for engineers, construction workers, logistics providers, and clean energy developers. These are the kinds of middle-class jobs that sustain communities and make the EV transition something more than an environmental initiative—it becomes a jobs program on a massive scale.

EVinfo.net expects mass EV adoption to kick off in America soon, as it has already globally. As the auto industry pivots, America has the chance to secure its place as a leader in clean transportation while delivering real benefits to local communities. Toyota’s Kentucky EV plant is just one example, but it points to a broader trend: the EV transition is as much about building prosperity as it is about cutting carbon.

Akio Toyoda is Spreading Misinformation

Toyota is indeed making great inroads into EV production globally and in the US. However, a dark cloud hangs over these achievements, and that is shameful EV misinformation spread by Chairman Akio Toyoda.

In an April interview with Automotive News, Toyoda said that nine million electric vehicles have the same emissions impact as 27 million hybrids. This is obviously false.

This misinformation was disproven several times in related reports recently by EVinfo.net. An August 2025 U-M cradle-to-grave analysis shows that BEVs have lowest lifetime emissions. A July 2025 International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) report compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with different passenger car powertrain types in the EU, including gasoline, diesel, natural gas internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). BEVs were the clear winner over all types of hybrids, with much lower emissions.