Toyota is gearing up to release a new electric van in Europe, but its brand name is only skin-deep. Toyota Motor Europe will leverage its partnership with Stellantis to release a new light commercial vehicle (LCV) on the continent by 2024. The partnership will yield an electric van and traditional gas-power variants.
Neither Stellantis nor Toyota have elaborated on specs for the vans. The electric version will compete against the Ford E-Transit, and will eventually compete against an electric Sprinter when it arrives, so specs should be similar. The E-Transit offers 266 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The Ford's 68-kWh battery delivers a range of up to 126 miles per charge. Shorter range estimates are perfectly acceptable for commercial delivery vehicles, as their urban routes typically cover short distances over extended periods.
Stellantis will build the van at its Gliwice, Poland, and Atessa, Italy locations. The Poland factory is already immersed in van production, as the location handles the Ram ProMaster-based Fiat Ducato, Opel/Vauxhall Movano, Citreon Jumper, and Peugeot Boxer. Production just kicked off at the site, and by 2023, the factory should be able to turn out more than 100,000 vans per year.
This new van helps Toyota in a couple of ways. First, the Japanese auto giant has been far slower than its counterparts in developing and releasing new EV models. The Stellantis partnership helps it send a new electric van to market without the years of testing and development costs it would take otherwise. The van will also give Toyota a vehicle in every LCV segment in Europe, a vitally important competitive class.
Stellantis is investing heavily in its electrified future, and its brands will deliver several new all-electric models to market in the next few years. The automaker plans to roll out electric commercial vans in the US by 2023 and will start with light-duty pickup trucks in 2024. Jeep will release an electric off-road SUV in 2024, and Dodge plans to sell an electric muscle car beginning the same year.
The Toyota-Stellantis pairing dates back to 2012 when the two first cooperated on a medium-sized light commercial vehicle. They combined again in 2019 on a vehicle in the compact LCV segment. This new collaboration expands Toyota's offering in LCV segments.