24/10/2023
First Electric Toyota Land Cruiser -
While just a concept with few details, the three row Land Cruiser Se shows Toyota’s flagship off-road nameplate has a path to the future. The Toyota Land Cruiser has undergone a metamorphosis in the last few years. Gone is the large, lumbering luxury truck that became synonymous with the name, and in its place will be a smaller truck with four-cylinder power and retro style. Of course, that’s only in America, as globally the Land Cruiser comes in many different shapes and sizes.
The latest addition to the lineup is this, the Land Cruiser Se, the first all-electric model to carry the LC badge. At least, I think it’s the first all-electric model. Toyota dropped the Se with very few details on a Friday night in the US, which, as we all know, is exactly when you put out extremely important news you want the world to see.
What Toyota did say is that this model, which appears to be a concept right now, will offer a high-torque battery electric driving experience and it has three rows. The company also touts how quiet this Land Cruiser is in urban environments and "on-road situations," showing that the focus of this electric offering is definitely the pavement and not getting far off the beaten path.
Interestingly, this is also a monocoque design that Toyota claims makes it responsive and capable in rougher terrain. From looking at this truck’s design, seemingly low clearances and low profile tires, though, that rougher terrain is probably a poorly paved mall parking lot. Dimensionally, this LC is about 202.0 inches long, 78.0 inches wide, and 67.0 inches tall, which makes it nearly identical to the Grand Highlander, a fine vehicle but not one we’d consider the king of off-roading. Toyota hasn’t given any other details, nothing about number of motors, power, or even battery size. But, to be competitive with something like a Rivian R1S, this LC will need some pretty robust features but will also demand a premium price. All that said, it looks muscular and handsome, and will surely be a popular vehicle. You’ll just see more of them at Moab Elementary than on the trails.
