With 57,000,000 units sold worldwide, Toyota is preparing to launch the electric version of its most famous car

24/09/2026 15:00

Updated to

24/09/2026 15:00

There are cars that are just a model within a catalog, and then there’s the Corolla. With over 57 million units sold worldwide since it went on sale in 1966, it is widely regarded as the best-selling vehicle in history. Now Toyota is preparing to take the step many have been waiting for: bringing this new generation of Corolla into the 100% electric category as well.

The Corolla has gone through 12 generation changes over its six decades of existence, but the next version promises to differ significantly from its predecessors, both in appearance and interior design. Toyota already unveiled a concept version of this new Corolla almost a year ago at the Japan Mobility Expo.

"How should the Corolla evolve?"

That was the question Toyota’s CEO, Koji Sato, posed to the audience during the concept car’s presentation at the Japan Mobility Show. The Japanese manufacturer is proposing a dramatic overhaul of the model, featuring a much more stylish exterior design, a high-tech interior, and an updated platform. Sato summarized it this way: “Whether it’s a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid, a hybrid, or a gasoline-powered car, regardless of the power source, let’s create cars that look great and that everyone wants to drive.”

The new Corolla is expected to use the same TNGA-C architecture as the current model, although Toyota plans to introduce a heavily modified version of that platform capable of supporting all types of powertrains, including pure electric ones. This approach allows the brand to share much of the engineering across different versions rather than developing completely separate platforms for each type of propulsion.

Development shaped by pressure from Chinese competitors

Akio Toyoda, the current president of Toyota Corporation, warned in an exclusive interview a few months ago that the company is forced to adapt, or else it “will not be able to survive,” due to new competition and technology coming from China. That report featured images of the “highly secret” development center where this new generation of Corolla is being created, and even showed several different body styles of the concept car, including a sedan, hatchback, crossover, and a GR model.

A hybrid with a new 1.5-liter engine and up to 134 horsepower

Toyota engineers have confirmed that the hybrid version will use a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor, delivering a combined power output of around 134 horsepower. This hybrid system will be 10% to 20% more efficient than the current one, and a four-wheel-drive version as well as other higher-powered versions are being considered to create a lineup similar to that of the current model.

Toyota will also introduce the first plug-in hybrid and all-electric versions of the Corolla. The PHEV variant will use a larger battery to provide greater range in electric mode, though Toyota has not yet revealed specific figures. The all-electric version of the Corolla is expected to come in one- or two-motor configurations, with a range of at least 402 kilometers. There will also be versions with longer ranges to offer greater versatility.

Release date and approximate prices

This new generation of the Corolla is expected to debut at some point in 2027 as a 2028 model. Prices will be known closer to the launch, but according to various sources, the hybrid version will cost around 27,000 euros, while the electric and plug-in hybrid versions will be in the vicinity of 30,000 euros. Toyota could thus counter those who have criticized it over the past years for not taking electrification seriously enough, although it should be noted that the Japanese company laid the foundation for the electric era with the introduction of the world’s first hybrid, the Toyota Prius, at the end of the last century.