Does Toyota Offer an Electric Vehicle (EV)?
Toyota was a significant catalyst for the eco-friendly car movement with the Prius and the lineup of hybrid vehicles. However, while Tesla and other automakers have gone all-in for the EV era by offering electric vehicles, Toyota has been conspicuously absent, focussing instead on hybrids. Other than selling a RAV4 EV in limited numbers until 2014, Toyota hasn’t offered an electric vehicle. However, Toyota changed course and will move toward an electrified future. The first new electric vehicle that Toyota will offer is the 2022 Toyota bZ4X EV.
What is the Toyota bZ4X?
The 2022 Toyota bZ4X is an all-electric crossover SUV. It aims to be a direct competitor of other electric crossover SUVs like the Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Kia Niro EV.
The first-ever Toyota bZ4X offers customers a choice of either a front-wheel drive model with one electric motor or an all-wheel drive model with two electric motors. For the front wheel drive model, the output is 201 hp, while the all-wheel drive model generates 215 hp. Don’t expect Tesla-like acceleration for the bZ4X, for it has a 0-62 mph time of 7.7 seconds for the all-wheel drive model and 8.4 seconds for the front-wheel drive model.
What’s the driving range of the Toyota bZ4X?
The 2022 Toyota bZ4X EV provides a respectable driving range, with 230 miles for the all-wheel drive version and 200 miles for the front-wheel drive version. Also, with its solar roof, the bZ4X provides an additional 1,000 miles of range per year.
Compared to other electric crossover SUVs, the design of the Toyota bZ4X is more traditional. It’s a more angular version of the Toyota Corolla Cross and RAV4. Inside the bZ4X, the cabin is more futuristic compared to other Toyota models. It has a wide center console, a large infotainment system touchscreen, and a digital gauge system. Also, the bZ4X features a yoke-type steering wheel similar to the one in the Tesla Model S.
When can I buy the 2022 Toyota bZ4X, and what is its price?
You’ll be able to buy the 2022 Toyota bZ4X in mid-2022, with it available at Toyota dealerships nationwide. Toyota hasn’t yet released the price information for the bZ4X, but the starting MSRP for the base model will likely be around $37,000.
Does Toyota offer an electric truck?
Electric trucks are the next big thing for the EV area. Many electric trucks will soon be available, including the Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV Pickup, and Tesla Cybertruck. With this in mind, it’s only natural to wonder, “Does Toyota offer an electric truck?”
Possible candidates are electric versions of the Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, and Hilux. However, Toyota hasn’t made any announcements regarding an electric pickup truck. Instead, for now, the automaker appears to focus on providing hybrid versions of the trucks. The all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra offers a new hybrid powertrain, and the next-generation Tacoma will likely follow suit.
However, the 2022 bZ4Z EV will likely be the first of many all-electric Toyota vehicles with the “bZ” moniker. “bZ” means beyond zero and signifies Toyota’s push toward an electrified and zero-emissions future. Recently, Toyota announced that it would offer 15 new electric vehicles over the next 10 years, including seven with the “bZ” moniker. Hopefully, we’ll see another version of the RAV4 EV, as well as a Tundra EV and Tacama EV, sometime in the coming years.
