An electric Toyota Yaris will come eventually – but now isn’t the right time, according to a senior Toyota executive.

Speaking to the UK’s Autocar magazine, Toyota Europe product and marketing boss Andrea Carlucci confirmed the company had plans for an electric Yaris successor – but was quick to temper expectations.

“This is the idea, but now it is not something we talk about,” Carlucci said.

"We have deliberately decided to start [our electric model range] in the fastest-growing segments. The right moment will arrive [for the electric city hatch], but this is not quite now.”

Toyota recently announced it will introduce six new electric cars by 2026, with three already known: the small Urban Cruiser, the C-HR+, and the updated bZ4X.

Two more battery-powered SUVs have been teased, alongside a dual-cab ute.

“There will come a time and a place,” Carlucci told Autocar.

“For us, it is all about the right car, the right place at the right time, it really is. And at the moment, the expansion you're seeing are the right segments for Europe for us right now.”

While the publication suggests the electric city car is likely to arrive before the end of the decade, Carlucci admitted buyers will be familiar with the names of the new electric models.

Like the electric C-HR+ – which is actually larger than the petrol-powered C-HR – the Toyota executive said the carmaker would adopt the badges from “current cars”.