Toyota readies an electric Corolla, reworking its best-seller for the EV era

Toyota is developing a fully electric version of the Corolla, the best-selling car ever made, with more than 57 million units sold since 1966. Previewed as a concept at last year’s Japan Mobility Show, the next generation abandons the model’s conservative image for a sleeker design, a high-tech cabin, and a modified TNGA-C platform engineered to accommodate every powertrain — gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric — from a single architecture. Concept footage has hinted at sedan, hatchback, crossover, and sporty GR variants.

The move reflects mounting pressure on Toyota to modernize. Chairman Akio Toyoda recently warned that the company must adapt to survive amid fast-moving competition and technology from China. On the mechanical side, the new hybrid pairs a fresh 1.5-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor for roughly 134 combined horsepower and 10–20% better efficiency than the current system, with an all-wheel-drive option on the table. The EV is expected to offer single- and dual-motor setups and at least 250 miles of range, while the PHEV gets a larger battery for extended electric driving.

The redesigned Corolla is slated to debut around 2027 as a 2028 model. Pricing is unconfirmed, but early estimates put the gas version near $25,000, the hybrid around $27,000, and the EV and PHEV in the low $30,000s. Whether the electric Corolla reaches the US market remains undecided.