Toyota confirms the all-electric compact C-HR is coming to the US

Toyota confirmed today that the all-electric C-HR, previously only available in Europe, will arrive in the US next year.

You might recall the C-HR as the gas-powered compact crossover sold in the US from 2018-2022. But now it has been resurrected as a battery electric vehicle with an estimated driving range of up to 290 miles. No pricing information has been released, but I expect we’ll get more clarity closer to the release date.

In the US, the C-HR will only have one battery option with 77 kWh of capacity. Interestingly, that pack only offers 290 miles, while the European version with the same battery purports gets up to 373 miles of range. This is due to Toyota relying on the more generous EU-based WLTP standard. The European spec, which goes by the moniker C-HR Plus, offers an additional choice of a 57.7 kWh battery with around 283 miles of range.

Toyota says it also plans on releasing a variety of powertrain options for the C-HR, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell (only available in California and Hawaii).

The C-HR isn’t a hot hatch by any stretch of the imagination, but it has enough mustard under its hood to put a smile on your face. The compact EV will put out 338 horsepower and an estimated 0-60 mph time of five seconds.

Much like the recently refreshed bZ SUV, the Toyota C-HR will come with a factory-installed North American Charging Standard port, so it can access thousands of Tesla Supercharger stations without needing an adapter. When plugged in at a DC fast-charging station, the EV’s battery will gain 10-80 percent in “around 30 minutes under ideal conditions,” Toyota says. It also has Plug and Charge capability, meaning drivers can plug into a third-party charging station without needing to download an app or enter payment information.

There’s lots more to like, including ample cargo space (25.4 cubic feet), four levels of regenerative braking including paddle shifters, 18- and 20-inch wheel options, and a 14-inch center touchscreen that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The only remaining question is the price. The original gas-engine version started at $22,000, while the hybrid model sells for around $41,000. So I would expect the BEV version to kick things off somewhere north of $45,000, given the current state of battery costs.