Toyota's new electric car can provide about 250 miles of cruising range on a single charge and should provide good overall performance.
This is not Toyota's first fully electric car, but it is the brand's first truly mainstream electric car.
Toyota almost invented the modern hybrid powertrain, but this huge Japanese automaker has been behind the curve in terms of pure electric vehicles. However, when the BZ4X all-electric crossover goes on sale next year in 2023, the situation will change.
At the Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, this peculiarly-named vehicle (in spirit, we can't help but call it "buzz fork") was unveiled to the public in the US production model. We first regarded the five-seater BZ4X as a concept in June. For better or worse, the model that will enter the dealership next year looks almost identical.
BZ4X is a carnival of creases and cladding, just like the vision of 21st century car appearance in the 1980s. There are many things to do with this design, you may like it or hate it, but you will not be able to ignore it. In terms of size, the BZ4X is 184.6 inches longer, which is a bit longer than the RAV4, and has a wheelbase of 112.2 inches, which is similar to Highlander’s.
The BZ4X has a spacious interior and is made of attractive materials. The 12.3-inch touch screen is standard.
Inside, the cabin is far from expressive, although it is spacious enough. The back seat has plenty of legroom and an almost flat floor, which is good news for passengers. The interior of the BZ4X is also equipped with a standard 12.3-inch touch screen, which is home to the super responsive infotainment system. However, what is missing is the yoke steering wheel that we see conceptually. We won't get that in America.
This is the first in a global series of cars that Toyota will sell under the BZ umbrella. This is shorthand for "beyond zero". Globally, the automaker’s goal is to provide 70 different electric models by 2025-including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, pure electric vehicles, and even hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles . Of these 70 vehicles, 15 will be pure electric vehicles, and 7 of them will carry some kind of BZ name.
BZ4X is built on a new dedicated electric vehicle architecture. The e-TNGA platform was developed in cooperation with Subaru and is partly made of high-strength steel to increase strength. Based on the familiar proportions and overall design, you may know that this structure is also the foundation of the Solterra SUV. As expected, the battery packs of these vehicles are installed under the floor to lower the center of gravity.
The front-wheel drive model is equipped with a 150-kilowatt electric motor. An example with all-wheel drive is a pair of 80-kilowatt generators.
2023 BZ4X will provide front-wheel drive, but, not surprisingly, four-wheel drive models will also be available. The former configuration has a 150 kilowatt electric motor (201 horsepower), but the latter has a pair of 80 kilowatt generators, providing a total of 160 kilowatts (215 horsepower). The front-wheel drive BZ4X is equipped with a 71.4 kWh battery pack, but the strange thing is that the battery pack in the all-wheel drive example is slightly larger, with a power of 72.8 kWh. The reason for this difference is that the batteries are assembled by two different companies; one is made by Panasonic, and the other is from the Ningde era. In addition, they are all adjusted for use with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive power systems.
As for the cruising range, the XLE interior and front-wheel drive BZ4X are expected to provide about 250 miles of cruising range on a single charge. The range of the all-wheel-drive version has not been shared, but Subaru has released estimates for its Solterra and performed some rough mathematical calculations, and we can make wild guesses about what Toyota might offer. During the test cycle in Japan, Subaru is expected to provide 330 miles of front-wheel drive and 285 miles of all-wheel drive. According to the numbers, the all-wheel-drive BZ4X may provide about 216 miles of cruising range, but again, this is just an educated guess.
Look for the 2023 Toyota BZ4X at dealers next spring.
The liquid-cooled battery of this SUV should maintain a capacity of up to 90% after 10 years of ownership, giving owners more peace of mind. The specific details have not been shared yet, but when connected to a high-output charger, the BZ4X can charge up to 80% in one hour.
The vehicle's HVAC system works through a heat pump, for example, it is more efficient than a resistance heater (like a hair dryer). Toyota also provides heated front seats and a heated steering wheel in this SUV, as well as radiant foot and leg heating for people in front. These small additions help reduce energy consumption in cold weather without affecting passenger comfort.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is a major feature of this electric car. It includes a millimeter wave radar sensor and a monocular camera. Thanks to this advanced hardware, the BZ4X can detect cyclists in low light conditions, as well as motorcyclists during the day. It also has enhanced lane recognition and guardrail detection functions. BZ4X's cloud-connected navigation system can track the availability of parking spaces in real time. The vehicle also supports wireless software updates and a digital key that you can access through your smartphone.
The 2023 Toyota BZ4X is scheduled to arrive at dealers in all 50 states sometime next spring. Pricing has not yet been announced, but it should be able to compete with other rival electric vehicles such as Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y.
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