Toyota Takes the Wraps Off First All-Electric SUV
After years of relying on hybrids and fuel cell vehicles, Toyota is finally and properly entering the all-electric car market. Back in February, the automaker said it would debut three EVs in the United States by the end of the year, and it has taken the wraps off the first one: the bZ4X Concept.
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The new all-electric SUV’s name is a bit of a mouthful, but don’t expect that to change when it evolves into its production-ready form. The company intends to launch many of its upcoming battery-electric vehicles under a new brand umbrella dubbed “Toyota bZ,” which stands for “Beyond Zero.”
Toyota is keen on making its first all-electric SUV not just efficient and better for the environment, but also fun to drive. To that end, it teamed up with Subaru. Based on a dedicated electric platform derived from the Toyota New Global Architecture, the bZ4X Concept aims to combine the quality, durability, and long-term reliability of your typical Toyota with the AWD capability for which Subaru is famous.
Though Toyota is relatively late to the BEV party, the bZ4X Concept is about to trigger an avalanche of electrified vehicles from the manufacturing giant. As part of its goal to become completely carbon neutral by 2050, Toyota is planning to sell about 70 different electrified vehicles around the world by 2025, 15 of which will be new, fully-electric models. At least one of these will be an electric pickup, and seven will be sold under the bZ sub-brand.
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Over the last year, the Toyota rhetoric has been all about diversification. Rather than offer only BEVs, the automaker wants to make sure its portfolio includes every electrified option a customer might want. Statements made by Toyota VP Bob Carter, as part of this new launch, followed that same line of thought.
“At Toyota, we are a human-centered company — the customer is our CEO and will ultimately decide which technologies will carry us toward a carbon neutral future,” Carter said. “With investments and product offerings across the spectrum of electrification, we intend to be there with products and technologies that meet the diverse needs of customers around the world.”
The Toyota bZ4X will be made in China and Japan. The automaker says it hopes to begin selling it worldwide by mid-2022. Details for the U.S.-spec model are pending.
Kurt Verlin was born in France and lives in the United States. Throughout his life he was always told French was the language of romance, but it was English he fell in love with. He likes cats, music, cars, 30 Rock, Formula 1, and pretending to be a race car driver in simulators; but most of all, he just likes to write about it all. See more articles by Kurt.