Overview
- Reports say Toyota will start producing a next‑generation all‑electric Lexus SUV at its wholly owned Shanghai plant in autumn 2027 with initial output near 1,000 vehicles per month and a ramp to tens of thousands annually by 2028.
- The Shanghai facility in Jinshan is Toyota's first wholly owned EV manufacturing site in China and the company has confirmed it will develop and build Lexus battery EVs and batteries there with an investment around 14.6 billion yuan.
- Coverage identifies the vehicle as an unnamed Lexus electric SUV targeted primarily at Chinese buyers while its final name, technical specifications and any export plans remain unconfirmed.
- The model is expected to adopt gigacasting and other rapid manufacturing methods to cut parts and weight, shorten assembly steps and speed up development and production.
- The decision breaks Toyota's long‑standing Japan‑first practice and reflects pressure from fast Chinese competitors and China's 2025 share of roughly 60% of global BEV sales, a shift that could speed Toyota's EV cycle and change where future Lexus technologies are industrialized.