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Table of Contents
⚡ This Week’s Big Charge
💡 Can The Rivian R2 And Toyota Highlander Win On Merit?
I have to hand it to Toyota. We all knew that its all-new three-row electric SUV had been gestating for a while, but I guessed the Japanese automaker might also throw in a hybrid option, too, right at the goal line.
Could you blame Toyota if it did? 2026 is shaping up to be a tough year for EV sales in America. With tax credits gone, fuel-economy rules weakening, tariffs rising and affordability concerns mounting, automakers have plenty of reasons to scale back their electric ambitions. Public sentiment has soured, too, thanks to a steady drumbeat of doom-and-gloom headlines. And that’s before the EPA’s latest reversal on greenhouse gas rules, a move that could reshape everything from cars to power plants.
Realistically, however, lots of EV plans are too far along to abandon now. That includes the 2027 Toyota Highlander, now all-electric for the first time and made in the U.S., and the 2026 Rivian R2, which is that company’s most important vehicle ever.
Neither of these cars will be “cheap,” in the traditional sense. But they do seem quite impressive. And this has me wondering: are they good enough to succeed on their own merits?
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⚡ The Toyota Highlander Is Toyota’s Best EV Yet (Probably?)
Fun fact: Most Americans still rank Toyota and Honda highest for EVs—even though their current offerings largely trail the competition.
That may change with the new Toyota Highlander. It’s all-American, made in Kentucky with North Carolina-built batteries.
The Highlander comes in front- or all-wheel-drive forms, with up to 320 miles of range. It has seven seats for families and a more sophisticated software system than past Toyota EVs.
Most importantly, it’s the first Toyota EV with vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities, meaning it can power your devices and appliances—maybe even your house in a power outage with that big 96-kWh battery pack.
Also a plus: it’s roomy, thanks to the better packaging EVs offer.
And Toyota apparently doesn’t mean for this to be some niche vehicle: “There will be volume,” Toyota brand chief Dave Christ told Automotive News. “We felt one of our portfolio holes was not having EV options in the showroom.”
The verdict: With V2L, some great style and lots of room, this feels like a better car than gas-powered Toyota SUVs would be. And a great option for families. But will people bite? It should all come down to price.
And the same will be said of Rivian’s R2 as well. I was one of the first people outside of Rivian to drive it; here’s what I think.