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Toyota Highlander BEV For North America

Toyota has finally plugged one of its most important nameplates into the wall. The Japanese automaker announced that a battery-electric version of the Highlander will join its North American lineup in late 2026, marking a major step in its famously cautious but increasingly serious push toward electrification. And in a move that should resonate just as loudly in Frankfort as it does in Fremont, the electric Highlander will be built in Kentucky, not shipped across the Pacific.

For a company that made hybrids mainstream long before EVs became fashionable, Toyota’s “multi-pathway” strategy has often looked like a polite way of hedging its bets. But adding a fully electric, three-row SUV to the heart of its family-hauler portfolio sends a clear signal: Toyota is done tiptoeing.

An EV for America’s favorite Toyota SUV

Since arriving in the U.S. in 2001, the Highlander has become one of Toyota’s most dependable breadwinners, racking up more than 3.6 million sales thanks to its mix of space, comfort, and just-enough ruggedness. Turning it into an EV isn’t about chasing tech-bro cool points—it’s about keeping suburban driveways Toyota-shaped in an era when electrons are replacing gasoline.

Toyota debuted the electric Highlander in Ojai, California, but its future is firmly rooted in the Bluegrass State. Production will happen at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, making it the fourth EV in Toyota’s U.S. lineup after the bZ, C-HR, and bZ Woodland. Translation: this isn’t a compliance car—it’s a volume play.

Big battery, big SUV, real range

Toyota isn’t messing around with half-hearted electrification here. The Highlander BEV will offer two lithium-ion battery sizes:

  • 76.96 kWh, aimed at everyday urban driving
  • 95.82 kWh, designed for long-distance cruising and outdoor escapes

Buyers will be able to pair either battery with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, giving the electric Highlander a surprisingly broad menu of configurations.

The headline figure is the 95.82-kWh AWD model, which Toyota says is targeting up to 320 miles of range. That’s firmly in Tesla Model Y Long Range territory, and it puts the Highlander BEV in striking distance of America’s best-selling EVs—only this one has three rows and room for a soccer team’s worth of gear.

Smaller-battery versions still look competitive, with development targets of 287 miles (FWD) and 270 miles (AWD).

Cold-weather charging, finally taken seriously

Toyota is also addressing one of EV ownership’s biggest real-world pain points: winter charging. The Highlander BEV will include battery preconditioning, keeping the pack at an optimal temperature so fast-charging doesn’t crawl when it’s freezing outside.

The target? Roughly 30 minutes to a rapid charge even in cold conditions. For families road-tripping through snowy states, that’s the difference between a coffee break and a multi-hour ordeal.

Same Highlander, new powertrain

Dimensionally, the electric Highlander sticks close to the gas-powered formula that made it a hit:

  • Length: 198.8 inches
  • Width: 78.3 inches
  • Height: 67.3 inches
  • Wheelbase: 120.1 inches

In other words, this is still very much a full-size, three-row family machine—just without tailpipe emissions and with a lot more torque lurking under the floor.

Toyota finally leans in

Toyota will continue to sell hybrids, plug-ins, and even hydrogen vehicles, but the electric Highlander feels like a turning point. It’s not a niche crossover or a futuristic experiment—it’s one of Toyota’s core products, electrified.

For families who want to go green without downsizing, and for Toyota loyalists who’ve been waiting for a serious EV from the brand they trust, the Highlander BEV might be the most important Toyota launch of the decade.

Late 2026 can’t come soon enough.

Source: Toyota

News

Tesla Model 3 Survives Arctic Chill in Real-World Cabin Heat Test

Winter can be brutal, but for Canadian YouTuber FrozenTesla, it became the perfect laboratory. On one of the coldest nights of the season—temperatures plunging to a bone-chilling −37 °C—he decided to see just how resilient a 2024 Tesla Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive could be when it came to keeping passengers warm while stranded.

The experiment was straightforward but telling. FrozenTesla parked his Model 3 outside around 11 p.m. with an 80 percent battery charge, activated Camping Mode, and set the cabin HVAC system to a modest 60 °F. While not exactly tropical, the temperature would be sufficient to stave off frostbite over an extended night outdoors.

Over the next 12 hours, the Model 3 quietly battled the Arctic chill. After nine hours, the battery had dropped 30 percent. By the end of the test, the state of charge read 40 percent—meaning the car used roughly 40 percent of its battery simply to keep the interior habitable. Remarkably, the vehicle’s systems continued to function normally: the trunk opened, the windows operated without issue, and even the charging port cover didn’t seize in the extreme cold.

When the test concluded, FrozenTesla brought the car inside to recharge. Restoring the battery to 80 percent required 36 kWh of energy—roughly 3 kWh per hour—translating to a cost of $6.80 at the average U.S. electricity rate of $0.189/kWh. In practical terms, the Model 3 consumed about 3.33 percent of its battery per hour to maintain warmth. That means a driver with just 30 percent of charge could expect up to nine hours of cabin heat before running out of power—but six to seven hours would be a safer window to preserve enough energy to reach a charger or home.

FrozenTesla’s experiment is more than a YouTube stunt; it’s a revealing look at what electric vehicles can offer in extreme conditions. While most EV owners might not face sub-zero temperatures this severe, the test underscores that modern Teslas can handle both climate control and functionality even in a harsh winter freeze—making them surprisingly practical for cold-weather adventures.

Source: Frozen Tesla via YouTube

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Five New Ferraris on the Horizon

Maranello is buzzing with anticipation. After a record-breaking 2025, Ferrari isn’t hitting the brakes. In fact, the Italian marque has just confirmed plans to unveil five new models before the year’s end—starting with its first fully electric creation, the Luce.

The Luce, often dubbed the “praying horse” among insiders, is slated for a late-May debut and marks a significant milestone: Ferrari’s first all-electric entry into a market increasingly dominated by battery-powered supercars. Early glimpses of the cabin suggest that, true to Ferrari form, the EV won’t just be a technical exercise—it’s shaping up to be a design masterpiece. Unlike some of the other upcoming models, the Luce will be produced in series, signaling Ferrari’s intent to blend performance and sustainability without compromising accessibility for collectors and enthusiasts.

But the electric revolution is just the beginning. According to Maranello, four additional models are expected to surface before the calendar flips. Details remain scarce, but the company’s long-standing philosophy suggests these could include ultra-limited, one-off creations destined for private collectors’ garages. Ferrari has long favored exclusivity over volume, and this strategy appears set to continue.

This aggressive launch schedule aligns with Ferrari’s ambitious roadmap: the company aims to roll out 20 new models by 2030, with powertrains divided strategically among internal combustion engines, hybrids, and full-electric options. By then, roughly 20 percent of production will be electric, 40 percent hybrid, and 40 percent conventional gasoline—demonstrating Ferrari’s commitment to innovation while preserving its traditional performance DNA.

Since its founding in 1947, Ferrari has produced just 330,000 cars, a figure that underscores the brand’s exclusivity. With orders reportedly filled through 2027, enthusiasts are hopeful that these new releases might help trim delivery times without sacrificing the aura of rarity that has always defined the Prancing Horse.

If Maranello’s current pace is any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be one for the record books—a year where Ferrari proves that even a brand synonymous with heritage and tradition can embrace the future without losing its soul.

Source: Ferrari