Toyota’s best-selling Corolla is switching to electric, and it will be built in China

Toyota will build the Corolla EV in China from 2028, alongside hybrid and gasoline versions.

The next-generation Toyota Corolla will come as an EV, an HEV, and a gasoline model

Since its debut in 1966, Toyota has sold more than 57 million Corollas globally, making it the brand’s top-selling vehicle ever.

Much like the Prius, Toyota’s compact car won buyers over with its low price and its reputation as a dependable everyday car.

After 12 model generations, the next-generation Toyota Corolla is about to undergo its biggest change yet.

Toyota unveiled the next-generation Corolla Concept for the first time at the Japan Mobility Show nearly a year ago. Besides a fully electric version, former president and current CEO Koji Sato said the compact car would stay “a car for everyone,” offering several powertrain choices, including hybrid and gasoline.

“Whether it’s a battery EV, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, or internal combustion engine vehicle―whatever the power source―let’s make good-looking cars that everyone will want to drive!” Toyota’s CEO said at the time.

Citing Nikkei, Toyota plans to start producing the next-generation Corolla in 2028 through its joint venture with the Chinese state-owned FAW Group, FAW Toyota Motor.

The new Corolla will be the first to use Toyota’s “multipathway” platform, which is designed to support electric, hybrid, gasoline, and other powertrain options.

Adapt or fall behind

Toyota already uses this platform for several models, including some under its luxury Lexus brand. Building the new Corolla in China should lower Toyota’s costs while speeding up development and output.

Alongside new longer-range electric vehicles, Toyota plans to produce extended-range EVs under Lexus in China beginning next year.

Toyota has not yet disclosed any battery or powertrain specifications or other details. The next-generation Corolla is expected to stay close to the concept, with a sleek, almost sports-car-like look. Apart from the large COROLLA badge on the rear, you would hardly know it’s a Corolla.

In an exclusive interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK in July, Toyota’s current chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, warned that the company must adapt or “it cannot survive,” given new competition and technology coming from China.

The special broadcast took viewers behind the scenes at the “top secret” development site for the next-generation Corolla.

Throughout the broadcast, several body styles of the Corolla Concept, among them a sedan, hatchback, crossover and GR model, appeared blurred in the background.

The Corolla EV is reportedly set to come in single-motor and dual-motor configurations, with a range of at least 250 miles.

The hybrid will reportedly use a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. Toyota’s engineers told Car and Driver the system would produce around 134 horsepower. It is also estimated to be 10% to 20% more efficient than the current Corolla.

It remains unclear whether Toyota will bring the Corolla EV to the US. The next-generation Corolla is expected to debut sometime in 2027 as a 2028 model.

Citing Car and Driver, the gasoline version will probably start at around $25,000, the hybrid at about $27,000, and the EV and PHEVs are likely to fall in the $30,000 bracket.

Electrek’s Take

Although the Corolla is still a top seller, it has lost some of its appeal as newer vehicles arrive that are more advanced, more efficient, and better looking.

It’s high time for an overhaul. In China, Toyota’s sales fell 23%, marking the seventh consecutive month of declining sales, due to weak demand for gasoline and hybrid models amid soaring fuel prices.

Toyota is restructuring its two joint ventures, FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota, to streamline operations and bring more advanced technology to China.