The bZ4X sport utility vehicle, the first model to come out under the new electrics strategy outlined by the automaker in December, will be offered to consumers through the Kinto subscription service from May or June at the earliest.

Toyota will also make the vehicle available to corporate customers through channels including Rent-a-Lease dealers.

Toyota’s decision not to sell the vehicle through domestic dealers reflects the reality that Japanese drivers have been slow to embrace electric cars due to high prices and a lack of charging stations.

Under a plan provided to suppliers in late January, Toyota plans to begin production in April, targeting just under 60,000 units worldwide in fiscal 2022 — more than the 14,000 electric vehicles it sold in 2021. It aims to make about 50,000 units in fiscal 2023.

Less than 10% of total production is expected to go to the Japanese market.

Most will go to North America and Europe, where strengthening environmental regulations have given rise to intensely competitive electric-vehicle markets. Toyota has said the bZ4X will start at £41,950 pounds (US$56,900) in the UK.

Electric vehicles rarely appear on the used-car market in Japan, since battery deterioration weighs on their resale value. The subscription service will enable drivers to try the bZ4X on a month-to-month basis without needing to worry about whether it will hold its trade-in value.