Toyota is preparing the biggest change in the history of its best-selling model, which will be manufactured in China
20/10/2026 17:00
Updated to
20/10/2026 17:00
Toyota is preparing a major transformation for the Corolla. According to latest reports from Asia, the next generation will begin production in China in 2028 through the FAW-Toyota strategic partnership, and it will be designed to offer gasoline, hybrid, and 100% electric versions. This change is particularly significant for a model that has been associated with internal combustion and hybrid engines for six decades, with tens of millions of units already sold. However, the company has not yet confirmed the final specifications regarding battery capacity, range, or price for that future Toyota Corolla electric version.
Toyota does not intend to simply replace the hybrid Corolla with an electric version. The strategy is quite different: using one of its most iconic names in history to offer multiple propulsion technologies under the same family.
This aligns perfectly with the ‘Multi-Pathway’ philosophy that the company has been advocating for years.
The Toyota Corolla electric is set to arrive in 2028
Toyota plans to start manufacturing the new generation in China in 2028 through FAW-Toyota, its joint venture with the state-owned FAW group.
The new architecture would allow adaptation to different propulsion systems depending on the country and demand: internal combustion engines, hybrids (HEV and PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), among other possible variants.
In China, where electric vehicles are advancing much faster than in many Western markets, having a fully electric Corolla would enable Toyota to compete with a local market increasingly dominated by BYD, Geely, and other domestic manufacturers.
Producing it there can also help reduce costs and accelerate development, two areas where Chinese manufacturers are exerting particular pressure on Japanese companies.
Toyota Has Already Shown What It Could Be
The transformation isn’t entirely surprising. At the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, Toyota unveiled the Corolla Concept, a prototype with a much lower, sharper, and more futuristic design than the current model.
The company itself mentioned at the time a lineup capable of adapting to roads and the needs of different markets through flexible engineering.
Toyota didn’t present that car merely as an electric vehicle. The message was that the next Toyota Corolla should be able to exist with various technologies.
Its CEO, Koji Sato, argued at the time that regardless of whether it used batteries, a hybrid system, a plug-in hybrid, or an internal combustion engine, the priority should be to create an attractive car.
Over half a century and tens of millions of units
The industrial significance is hard to overstate. The Toyota Corolla first appeared in 1966, and by the end of 2024, Toyota had produced 55.46 million units in total. Current figures show this number exceeding 57 million.
Transforming a product of such volume into a family that includes a pure electric model for the first time would therefore be much more significant than launching another standalone electric vehicle (BEV).
Spain also holds special interest for this model. The Corolla has become one of Toyota’s most recognizable hybrid models, and the introduction of an electric alternative would allow the brand to maintain that technology while expanding its zero-emission lineup.
For now, this does not mean it is confirmed which versions will reach the Spanish market. The Chinese production plan for 2028 comes from the Nikkei newspaper, and Toyota has not yet detailed the commercial aspects of the future Toyota Corolla electric model for Europe.
But the direction is becoming increasingly clear: Toyota is not abandoning the hybrid system that has defined the Corolla for years, though it is preparing the model for a market where it will also need to compete without a combustion engine.