Image: Toyota
According to Automotive News, the all-electric 2022 Toyota bZ4X crossover will launch in the U.S. sometime in the spring, with an estimated range of up to 250 miles (~402 km).
2022 Toyota bZ4X to arrive to U.S. in spring with range of up to 250 miles https://t.co/IcpkAJI1Si pic.twitter.com/f1FX8MyLQD
— Automotive News (@Automotive_News) November 17, 2021
Toyota showcased a concept bZ4X electric vehicle (EV) back in April with a slightly yoke-shaped steering wheel, not unlike the yoke-style steering wheels on Tesla’s 2021 Model S/X units. The Japanese automaker unveiled the production bZ4X last month, with the yoke steering wheel making it into the final design.
The ‘bZ’ in bZ4X refers to Toyota’s ‘Beyond Zero’ electric strategy, which will see the veteran carmaker launch 15 all-electric vehicles by 2025. Seven of Toyota’s upcoming EVs will be part of the ‘bZ’ line. The car’s ‘4X’ suffix refers to the fact that it comes with a four-wheel-drive powertrain.
The Toyota bZ4X is comparable in size to the company’s RAV-4, with a spacious interior, a sunroof, a 12-inch center stack screen, and an upgraded, sleek exterior design language which is likely to influence the rest of Toyota’s bZ models as well.
The two-row five-seater will be powered by a 150 kW front motor and a temperature-controlled 71 kWh battery pack. Toyota estimates the bZ4X will be able to squeeze up to 250 miles of range out of its 71 kWh battery.
The bZ4X will also be available in an optional all-wheel-drive version, with an additional rear-mounted 80 kW motor and a 73 kWh battery pack. Toyota did not disclose an estimated range for the all-wheel-drive variant.
According to the veteran carmaker, a lot of time and resources went into making sure the bZ4X’s thermally controlled battery retains its capacity over the long term. Toyota claims the bZ4X will still have 90% of its total capacity after 10 years of ownership.
The bZ4X is set to be the first Toyota equipped with Version 3.0 of the Japanese automaker’s Safety Sense suite of driver-assistance and safety features. Safety Sense 3.0 brings improved lane-keeping, guardrail detection, low-light cyclist detection, and daytime motorcyclist detection, among other things.
Toyota is yet to announce pricing for the 2022 bZ4X, and EPA range estimates haven’t been released either.
Toyota is quickly ramping up efforts in the EV space to achieve its target of selling two million EVs per year by the end of the decade. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to invest $9 billion USD in EV battery factories across the globe, including $3.4 billion USD in localized automotive battery production in the U.S., by 2030.
