Kentucky now hosts a peculiar contradiction. Toyota‘s first battery-electric vehicle manufactured on American soil, the Highlander BEV, a three-row SUV whose production timeline slipped from 2025 to 2026. One might call it fashionably late, except there’s nothing fashionable about missing deadlines.
Since the Highlander’s debut in 2001, Toyota has sold over 3.6 million units in the United States. The company now believes this electric iteration will somehow “further evolve” the nameplate in pursuit of a zero-carbon society, as if evolution and postponement were synonymous terms.
The BEV lineup offers three configurations. There’s a 77 kWh battery “designed specifically for urban traffic, such as grocery shopping” (Toyota’s words, not ours) available in front-wheel or all-wheel drive, delivering EPA-estimated ranges of 287 and 270 miles respectively. The larger 95.8 kWh battery comes exclusively with all-wheel drive and stretches range to 320 miles.
Both batteries feature preconditioning to achieve “approximately 30 minutes” of charging time even in freezing temperatures. The fine print reveals this means 10% to 80% using a 150 kW DC fast charger at -10°C. That’s right: a maximum charging capacity of 150 kW for a battery approaching 96 kWh. Toyota isn’t participating in the industry’s power arms race.
Power outputs follow the same philosophy of restraint. The front-drive variant produces 220 HP and 270 Nm of torque; all-wheel drive bumps that to 335 HP and 438 Nm. Chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane stated their goal was developing “a BEV that fits into customers’ lives and makes them smile with crisp acceleration and quiet driving”. The vocabulary of moderation.
The Highlander BEV seats seven passengers and offers 45 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row folded. Standard features include a 14-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital display, heated front seats, and charging outlets for every row. The top Limited trim is available only with the larger battery and all-wheel drive, bundling Multi-Terrain Select and Crawl Control.
Assembly happens in Georgetown, Kentucky. Batteries arrive from Toyota’s new $13.9 billion facility in Liberty, North Carolina, and an unnamed external supplier. Pricing remains undisclosed, to be announced “closer to the on-sale date” in late 2026.
