Release dates are still unknown
The Toyota Celica will return as an electric vehicle based on the same innovative platform that Lexus unveiled with the LF-ZC concept at the recent Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo.
The platform used in Lexus' LF-ZC concept is extremely flexible and was also used in the Toyota FT-Se and FT-3e concepts. This architecture involves the use of gigacasting, which significantly reduces the number of required parts. The front and rear modules can be enlarged or reduced depending on the size of the car, and the central part houses the battery.
Toyota's new and improved prismatic battery should also prove an important element in the revived Celica. The battery will be produced in two sizes, with one of the batteries having a height of only 100 mm and built into the floor. This will allow Toyota to produce low-slung electric sports cars, Toyota R&D head Hiroki Nakajima told Autocar.
“Battery height is key for the low Lexus sedan and Toyota GR sports car. Then how can we reduce the size of each component as much as possible? Development of batteries allows us to produce more types of cars, reduce their height, change their shape and size. Shrink technology allows you to create shapes you've never seen before.”
When asked directly about the potential of the new Celica, Nakajima smiled but did not comment.
Last month, Chairman Akio Toyoda confirmed that he had proposed reviving the Toyota Celica, but the idea would still have to be voted on by the board of directors.