Toyota's Most Promising Affordable EV Arrives This Year

The 2026 Toyota C-HR could be one of the most promising EVs to debut this year.

Toyota C-HR Top

Photo by: Toyota

Patrick George

By: Patrick George

Jan 4, at 1:26pm ET

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Amid what's expected to be a slower year for electric vehicles in America, Toyota will debut two new battery-powered models.
Perhaps the most promising is the 2026 Toyota C-HR, a kind of shrunken-down Toyota bZ—complete with a smaller price tag.
In Europe, at least, the C-HR could use more affordable LFP batteries, too.

With electric-vehicle tax credits gone, fuel economy regulations relaxed and car companies feeling the tariff heat, 2026 is expected to be a slower year for EV adoption. But there are still some bright spots ahead, especially as the EV field moves in a more affordable direction. And one of the more promising entries will come from a company that's historically been more reluctant to lean into EVs than others.

Slated for debut this year is the 2026 Toyota C-HR: a new, smaller and more affordable member of the Toyota EV family that kicked off with the original bZ4X.

That car has been renamed the Toyota bZ for 2026, and it benefits from a wide range of improvements to range, charging, performance and software. But the bigger news is that it's bringing this new friend to play as well.

Gallery: 2026 Toyota C-HR

2026 Toyota C-HR rear three quarter

2026 Toyota C-HR front three quarter 2026 Toyota C-HR front head on 2026 Toyota C-HR interior side view 2026 Toyota C-HR rear still 2026 Toyota C-HR tire

Source: Toyota

The C-HR—called the C-HR+ in other markets, to differentiate its all-electric version from other ones—on the same e-TNGA platform as the bZ. But in some ways, it's actually better, in terms of specs. It comes standard with dual-motor all-wheel-drive, eschewing the bZ's front-drive version. That means it packs the same 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack in a smaller overall package; it's four inches shorter in wheelbase, two inches shorter and about six inches shorter in total length.

That smaller size means it should deliver an estimated 290 miles of range, Toyota has said. (Official EPA-rated estimates are forthcoming.) That's right around the current table-stakes standard of 300 miles for modern EVs, and in ideal conditions, the C-HR could potentially deliver even more than that. And with 338 horsepower delivering an estimated five-second 0-60 mph time, it should be a decent performer as well.

Like the bZ and the other members of the updated Toyota EV family, the C-HR will also use a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. While Toyota's EVs can already use more than 20,000 Tesla Superchargers with an adapter, the NACS port will make that more seamless than ever.

On the downside, the C-HR will sacrifice interior room to the bZ. It delivers about three cubic feet less storage space behind the second row of seats and dimensions are tighter overall.

Gallery: 2026 Toyota C-HR Studio Images

2026 Toyota C-HR1

2026 Toyota C-HR2 2026 Toyota C-HR3 2026 Toyota C-HR4 2026 Toyota C-HR5 2026 Toyota C-HR6 2026 Toyota C-HR7

Source: Suvrat Kothari

While America's C-HR will be fairly well-appointed, the EV comes in more budget-minded trims in other markets. Our colleagues at InsideEVs Germany report that the European C-HR+ will include two front-wheel drive options, and more importantly, what appear to be lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. Those should be a 57.7-kWh LFP battery and a larger 77.0-kWh unit. Toyota has already stated it's working on longer-range LFP batteries for 2026 and beyond, but these seem to be different units.

Regardless, America's C-HR could be a great addition to the field in America for buyers who have been waiting for Toyota to get serious about EVs. Pricing is expected to start well below $40,000—possibly even below $35,000, considering that's now the starting MSRP for the larger bZ.

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Toyota has confirmed that the C-HR will arrive later this year at American dealerships, along with the larger bZ Woodland and several Subaru-badged counterparts. We at InsideEVs expect to get behind the wheel for a first-drive test very soon.

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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