Toyota plans to open a factory in Shanghai around 2027 to produce next-generation electric Lexus models.
The new production facility is expected to play an important role in Toyota’s planned Chinese expansion, as it aims to double local production by the end of the decade.
The Japanese automaker is going solo in building this new Chinese plant, rather than through joint ventures such as the existing FAW Toyota or GAC Toyota.
While details on the factory are scarce, Nikkei Asia notes that Lexus wants 100% of its global sales to come from EVs by 2035 and aims to sell one million EVs by 2030. The brand sold roughly 180,000 vehicles in China last year. year and while most other Western automakers struggled through 2024, Lexus sales grew by 3%.
By building a factory in China, Toyota will benefit from the cheap, skilled and efficient local workforce needed to produce electric vehicles.
Nikkei Asia did not specify which Lexus EV will be produced at the Shanghai plant, but it could be the production versions of the LF-ZC and LF-ZL concepts. The launch of these new models has been moved from 2026 to 2027, which coincides with the planned opening of the Chinese location.
Prepared by: Ivan Mitić – Autoblog.rs
Source: autoblog.rs
