Toyota reveals the bZ4x
Toyota has officially joined the electric vehicle (EV) club with their newly revealed bZ4x. It was rather unexpected to see Toyota take so long since they were at the front of the hybrid pack. Regardless of whatever took them as long as they did, this new model looks fantastic.
A new year a new Toyota bZ4x.
The bZ of the model’s name is the companies new sub-brand which it will be producing its future EVs under. Speaking of production, we can expect to see the Toyota bZ4x enter that stage in the middle of 2022.
It will feature an optional panoramic roof, but that is not what we would want to pick. Instead, the bZ4x is one of the few EVs that come with an optional solar roof. Toyota says that this roof will be capable of generating 1800 km of driving distance worth of electricity per year. Perfect for charging when you are on the go or parked in the sun.
Inside the car is a lot of new features. Let’s start with the infotainment system and digital dashboard. The system will come with a more advanced voice-recognition function that can also be instructed to operate the wipers and air-conditioning.
Furthermore, there is a new digital key option that will turn your phone into your key. It requires an app that will lock, unlock and start the system all without screen operation. You will be able to easily load your groceries into the 452 litres of boot space.
Finally, there is an optional yoke-style steering wheel. This is very similar to what we saw on the Tesla Model S and X but it suits this car better. This is largely due to the steering wheel being a lot more sensitive so you don’t have to put your hands over each other in tight turns.
The e-TNGA platform under the Toyota.
This is the first car that Toyota will make use of the e-TNGA platform which they made with Subaru. It is this platform that houses the 71.4 kWh battery that gets two different motor setups.
There’s a front-wheel-drive model that produces 150 kW and 265 Nm which gets the Toyota bZ4x from zero to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds.
The other option powers all four wheels with 160 kW and 336 Nm which changes that sprint time to 7.7 seconds. Both options have an estimated driving range of 450 km according to Toyota.
When hooked up to a 150 kW fast charger, the battery will gain 80% charge within 30 minutes. Toyota also claims that the battery will hold 90% of its charge for the first 10 years.
Source: Cars | CARmag | Car and Driver | Toyota
