Next-Gen 2030 Toyota Camry EV Takes the Fight to Tesla, Check Out Our Exclusive Design

To me, the Camry is more of a Toyota staple than any other Japanese model as far as the U.S. is concerned. It’s one of their best-sellers, and it belongs to a segment that can be all things to all people. Me and the Camry go back a ways. I still remember back when I was a kid and visiting with my aunt and uncle in Maryland, they owned “his and hers” Camrys, a blue one and a white one, but otherwise identical.

That was the second-generation V20 variant, probably a late 80s model year, can’t exactly recall. Those were the days where it said ‘Toyota’ on the grille (instead of a badge), and ‘Camry’ on the steering wheel. Funny how the first four-door sedan I’d come to admire as a kid was a run-of-the-mill, budget-friendly family car.

Nowadays, I’m a lot less of a Camry fan. After nearly 20 years in this industry, I’ve come to appreciate cars that offer a tiny bit extra than just maintaining the status quo. So, the Camrys, the Accords, the Maximas, y’all can have them if that’s your thing, but driving enthusiasts in general require something more – not necessarily sporty, but just less mainstream or less vanilla.

Having said that, in the next decade or so, I have a feeling that “mainstream” will look a lot different than it does now. All family cars, even budget-friendly ones, will be fully electric, and they’ll offer impressive range and straight-line performance. I mean, a 2034 Corolla will probably be quicker off the line than a 2024 BMW M340i.

We can thank Tesla for making EVs so darn cool and brutal once you floor the throttle, and despite Toyota doing their best to resist change, the days of hybrid power (even plug-in hybrids) are numbered. The only reason why they unveiled this all-new Camry last month (with hybrid power as standard), is because it will likely hold down the fort in terms of sales.

This is still an extremely popular nameplate and U.S. buyers are going to flock to it no matter what, at least for the next few years or so, possibly until the end of this decade – although I’d be surprised if sales figures wouldn’t go down considerably once we hit 2027.

What if I already own an XV70 Camry?

If you’re already driving the XV70 generation, the last thing you need is an XV80. I mean, for what? The larger infotainment screen? Slightly improved suspension? A few more active safety gizmos? The XV80 is more or less a facelift, which is why my eyebrow nearly flew off my head when I heard Toyota calling it the “ninth generation” Camry.

Of course, if you’re set on buying the “all-new” 2025 XV80-gen Camry, who am I to stop you? Just known that while official pricing has yet to be announced, the entry-level MSRP is likely to spike all the way to roughly $30,000. Meanwhile, the current 2024 Camry can still be had for as little as $26,420.

Where’s Toyota’s Tesla Model 3 rival?

Nowhere to be found, actually. To some extent, it’s the Prius, sure, but let’s not be delusional – the Tesla is the far superior product.

Thankfully, the Japanese carmaker has already announced a future $7.5 billion investment into the development of new battery-electric models, some of which should hit dealerships by the end of 2030. We’re talking a brand-new architecture, with brand-new software.

With that in mind, is there really a better candidate for a Model 3 rival than a fully electric all-new Camry? I think the Toyota would have the upper hand straight away, seeing as how it would likely offer more room inside, superior comfort and possibly better looks too, especially if we go by some of their recent concept vehicles.

Having trouble picturing such a car? That’s why we brought you this – our exclusive rendering of a hypothetical 2030 Camry EV. Pretty darn cool, right?

We based the design language on what we saw from the Sport Crossover Concept and the bZ concept. It’s got everything from ultra-angular styling to flush door handles, a dual-tone aesthetic and an overall imposing and very modern fastback look. It sort of reminds me of the upcoming Polestar 5, but that’s not something we were trying to achieve on purpose.

You can’t tell me you’d still rather have whatever the 2030 equivalent of a Model 3 will be over something like this, can you?

Picture this: A starting MSRP of around $38,000, upwards of 400 miles of range on a single charge (maybe more, depending on how far battery technology comes in the next few years), about 300 or so horsepower (for the entry-level spec), and of course, self-driving tech.

This is how you make the mainstream cool again - Tesla did their part, and now it’s time for Toyota to do theirs. Let’s hope they don’t mess it up.