Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Toyota surprised us all a couple of weeks ago when it unveiled the electric Land Cruiser Se at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. There’s been little to no talk about the zero-emission SUV since then, but this unofficial rendering is an attempt to fill in the gaps. The speculative digital design exercise looks into the probable future of an LC without a combustion engine.
Typical for a concept, the Land Cruiser Se had side cameras, which have now made way for traditional mirrors. In an attempt to tone down the show car from Tokyo, the artist also drew regular door handles that you would expect from a subsequent production vehicle. They also added red reflectors at the back along with a few design tweaks that make it seem more believable as a production truck.
The big question: When will there be an electric Land Cruiser? Toyota didn’t actually provide a timeframe. In fact, it shared few details about the Se, mentioning it has a monocoque and an interior that can accommodate up to seven passengers. The three-row EV concept was imposingly large, at 5150 millimeters (202.7 inches) long, 1990 mm (78.3 in) wide, and 1705 mm (67.1 in) tall, with a stately wheelbase of 3050 mm (120 in).
That made the boxy SUV longer than the LC300 while having the same width. The big Land Cruiser – which Toyota isn’t selling in the United States – is a lot taller, at 1945 mm (76.6 in). The U.S. does get the LC250 Land Cruiser (aka Prado in other markets), a slightly smaller variant.
The Land Cruiser Se’s unibody construction means it’s not related to the two fossil fuel-burning SUVs. Although the electric drivetrain wasn’t detailed, Toyota did vaguely say it delivers “high-torque driving performance.” Given the “highly responsive handling and confidence in tackling rough terrain” mentioned in the press release, one can safely presume that it had all-wheel drive. That would imply one electric motor at the front and another one at the back.
Logic tells us a production version is not happening anytime soon. After all, at the same Japan Mobility Show, Toyota introduced the FT-Se, an electric sports car that’s not due until 2027 at the earliest.
