Toyota Europe boss says the automaker will be ready for 100% EVs from 2035
The question on everyone’s mind is – when exactly is Toyota going all electric? Toyota Motor Europe’s chief operating officer recently gave some insights into when the automaker could be planning to sell 100% EVs.
After establishing itself as a pioneer in hybrid technology with the introduction of the Prius in 1997, Toyota has fallen behind in fully electric vehicle tech.
With newly elected CEO Koji Sato at the helm, Toyota has accelerated its EV strategy with a series of announcements over the past few weeks.
Although Toyota is sticking with a hybrid strategy, including PHEVs and fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs), the Japanese automaker has recognized the urgency of having fully electric models in its lineup.
Toyota revealed it would develop its own dedicated EV platform to power its next-gen electric vehicles. The platform, set to be launched in 2026, corresponds with its newly announced EV battery tech plans.
By 2027, Toyota aims to have two next-gen EV batteries – a performance and popularized version. Compared to the battery used for the bZ4X, Toyota says its next-gen batteries will increase driving range by 20%, with a 20% to 40% cost reduction.
The news came shortly after several Toyota shareholders said they planned to vote to oust chairman Akio Toyoda over the automaker’s failure to set a date to go all-electric.
Is Toyota going 100% EV in Europe by 2035?
During an interview at Automotive News Europe Congress, Toyota Europe COO Matt Harrison explained the automaker does not support the Euro 7 standard proposed by the EU to slash harmful emissions.
The Euro 7, part of the European Green Deal, is the EU’s latest vehicle exhaust emissions standard designed to support ultralow emissions with stricter regulations.
Harrison said he expects the new regulations to be “something more realistic” or toned down. The current standards require automakers to reduce CO2 emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 2001 as a base level.
Toyota Europe’s leader forecasts Toyota’s EV share in Europe to rise from 0% in 2022 to 15% in 2025 and 55% in 2030. Harrison added:
We will be ready to sell 100 percent BEVs from 2035.
As far as localizing production in Europe, Harrison claimed, “There’s no point in localizing until we’re at the right scale, and at 15 percent in 2025, we wouldn’t be there yet far.” He added the Japanese automaker has no plans to produce EV batteries in Europe in the near term. However, in the future, it could be a possibility.
Electrek’s Take
Don’t get too excited. Toyota’s Europe leader is essentially claiming if they are forced to go 100% electric by EU regulations, it will be ready.
From Harrison’s comments, it still doesn’t sound like Toyota is thrilled about the idea of going all-electric, but it is acknowledging it as a possibility. Either way, 100% electric by 2035 is still late to the game, and if Toyota doesn’t begin moving production capabilities to support EVs, it could risk falling further behind.
Toyota is targeting 1.5 million in EV sales by 2026 with 10 new models, which would amount to roughly 14% of sales (based on 10.5M in 2022).
While many automakers are already achieving double-digit or 100% EV sales, Toyota continues investing in inferior hybrid and fuel cell technology, which will likely delay its transition further.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
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