ELECTRIVE — 2025-07-30
Automotive Industry
According to Japanese news outlet Nikkei, Toyota plans to manufacture around 100,000 units annually at its Czech subsidiary, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic (TMMCZ). This will mark the automaker’s first electric vehicle production on the continent and signals a strategic shift toward localised EV manufacturing ahead of the European Union’s 2035 ban on new combustion-powered passenger cars.
The Czech plant in Kolín is expected to produce a new electric SUV. The model will form part of Toyota’s expanding BEV portfolio, which is set to include 14 models in Europe by 2026. These will encompass new entries such as the C-HR+ SUV and a revised version of the bZ4X, Toyota’s first mass-produced electric vehicle.
“Toyota aims to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2035,” the Nikkei article notes, underlining the company’s intent to align with regional climate policies. “EVs currently account for less than 2% of its overall sales,” the report continues, highlighting the significance of the upcoming shift to European-based electric vehicle production.
As previously reported, Toyota plans to triple its global range of EV models by 2027 and increase its electric car production to around one million vehicles – seven times the 2024 level. However, due to demand, Toyota has already reconsidered its long-term plans and, for example, slightly postponed the production of the three-row electric SUV in Kentucky, USA. The carmaker still expects a production volume of 800,000 units worldwide in 2026 – 50 per cent below the previous forecast. In September 2024, the company was still expecting a million units in 2026.
Nevertheless, as per the current report, Toyota “apparently sees local production as the best way to prepare for its long-term environmental policy.” By establishing EV manufacturing capacity within the European Union, Toyota intends to streamline supply chains, reduce logistics-related emissions, and improve cost competitiveness. The move is also designed to support compliance with EU fleet-wide CO₂ targets and upcoming emissions regulations, including Euro 7.
TMMCZ was founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Toyota and PSA Group. Originally named Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech (TPCA), it became fully owned by Toyota and was renamed TMMCZ on January 1, 2021. It currently manufactures the Toyota Aygo X and Toyota Yaris.