According to Nikkei, Toyota will delay production of electric vehicles in the US until 2026 due to declining sales

The Japanese automaker recently told suppliers that the start date for production of its first battery EV model at its plant in the US state of Kentucky – a three-row SUV – would be delayed by several months, according to Nikkei.

Production is now expected to begin in early 2026 rather than the end of next year, said Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin.

“We always said it would be the end of 2025 and that it could last until 2026, and it looks like it will last until 2026,” Vazin said.

He said Toyota plans to introduce five to seven battery-electric vehicle models in the U.S. in the next two years.

The automaker wanted to produce electric SUVs under its luxury Lexus brand in North America by 2030, but scrapped that plan and instead shipped finished vehicles from Japan to the U.S., the Nikkei also reported Thursday.

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