The Toyota bZ4X Just Got Way, Way Better. Here's What's New

Toyota's EV levels up with two battery options, more range, more power and faster charging. The car's chief engineer breaks it down.

While Toyota says it's committed to a future with many different efficient powertrains, the world's largest automaker has long been accused of Not treating the electric vehicle revolution with enough seriousness The definitive evidence might very well be the Toyota bZ4X. Despite many competitors advancing rapidly with increased ranges, superior technology, specialized electric vehicle software, and quicker charging times, Toyota’s initial contemporary electric vehicle model has become progressively less competitive over time.

However, an unforeseen development occurred in recent years: Despite everything, the bZ4X became popular. It seems sales have taken off unexpectedly. rose sharply in the United States in 2024 amid aggressive incentive programs, and it's picking up steam in Europe too. In mostly-electric Norway, for example, it's now the top-selling model in the country Clearly, individuals desire excellent fully electric choices from the brand that introduced electrified vehicles.

With numerous enhancements to the bZ4X this year, including increased range, faster charging, greater power, and better route planning, Toyota is sending a clear message to these individuals: We understand your concerns perfectly well.

By listening to feedback from our customers, retailers, and testers, we have incorporated their insights into these improvements," stated Simon Humphries, Toyota’s Operating Officer and Chief Branding Officer, during the company's Kenshiki Forum held in Brussels recently. "These enhancements include an increase of up to 50% in power output, charging speeds that can be twice as quick, along with a doubling of the vehicle's towing capability.

The bZ4X's chief engineer, Masaya Uchiyama, told InsideEVs that the new car was benchmarked against the Tesla Model Y, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Cadillac Lyriq. That's strong company to be in, EV-wise, and all are competitors that have previously been ahead of Toyota's offering in most areas.

Given these improvements—which should make their way to the U.S. market shortly—will the bZ4X finally fulfill its potential as an EV?

Advancing with Increased Range and Power

We'll begin with the key features. The bZ4X now offers two entirely new battery choices. Previously, the bZ4X provided a 71.4 kWh battery for its front-wheel-drive versions and a 72.8 kWh option for its all-wheel-drive configurations.

Now, it adheres more closely to the "large and small" approach we observe. including electric vehicles from Hyundai and other brands The base model of the bZ4X comes with a 57.7 kWh battery, whereas the upgraded version features a larger 73.1 kWh battery. (These figures represent the total capacity.)

Toyota states this change allows customers to choose a configuration that perfectly matches their specific driving needs and financial constraints. The compact battery will only be offered for the front-wheel-drive variant, whereas the bigger battery option will be accessible for both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.

The precise ranges for these models have not been revealed yet; however, Toyota has stated that the bZ4X will provide up to 356 miles (573 km) of range based on the European WLTP cycle. This represents an improvement over the previous maximum range of 320 miles (516 km) in Europe, marking a significant enhancement.

The United States hasn’t released the specific range details for this vehicle yet. In the domestic market, the variant with the longest reach—a front-wheel-drive XLE model—is stated to provide up to 252 miles of travel distance. Based on some preliminary calculations, the bZ4X might potentially achieve around 280 miles per charge according to American specifications; however, an official confirmation is still pending. Additionally, it remains unclear if the model equipped with a smaller battery will even come stateside since local buyers appear particularly concerned about driving range.

Uchiyama added that it's not just the battery sizes that are different, either. "We improved the energy density and increased the amount of cells in each," he said. "Before on the bZ4X, one battery had 96 cells. The new generation has 104."

The bZ4X's "eAxles," Toyota's name for its electric motors, have also been improved and now include silicon carbide semiconductors for more power output. T hat's the same tech that made the Lexus RZ300e the most efficient electric SUV on the U.S. market The bZ4X currently offers a starting output of 165 horsepower with the basic front-wheel-drive model, whereas it can reach an impressive 343 horsepower with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant. According to the company, this makes it "one of the most potent Toyota models offered in Europe beyond their GR performance series."

Considering the last bZ4X I drove had 214 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, the new one should have a hell of a lot more grunt.

The AWD version’s towing capacity has been doubled to 3,306 lbs (1,500kg) which is especially aimed at allowing better caravan-hauling options for European buyers.

Improved Charging, Preconditioning, Navigation

But range isn't the biggest issue for the bZ4X. Charging is. With any luck, that could soon be a thing of the past. Toyota has doubled the power of the onboard AC charger on the higher models from 11 kW to 22 kW, exceeding even the Ioniq 5 and its brethren. Provided a driver can find an extremely powerful Level 2 charger, that should cut its charging time in half; the bZ4X typically took around 10 hours From its "dim lighting alert" to full brightness.

However, DC fast-charging capabilities have not changed, with maximum rates staying at 150 kW. This might be disappointing as many new electric vehicle choices can handle up to 200 kW or even greater capacities. Nonetheless, Uchiyama mentioned that this does not affect the bZ4X’s charging curve —its capacity to maintain a high level of power for an extended period, essentially—has also seen enhancements, which should result in a more superior overall experience.

"We had a very peaky charging curve before," Uchiyama admitted, meaning the bZ4X would hit its maximum charging speed early on and then taper off quickly, leaving drivers to wait a while to juice up. "We flattened that curve now. We can now stay at the higher voltage."

Uchiyama said Toyota aims for the bZ4X to go from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. While not as lightning-fast as the Ioniq 5 it's targeting, that could be a significant improvement from before, when some bZ4X models took nearly an hour to pull that off. It also puts the Toyota in the same charging-time ballpark as competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

More importantly, the bZ4X now comes with battery preconditioning as a standard feature, and it's activated both manually and automatically when a charging station is set in the navigation system. By warming the battery before charging, Uchiyama said, this should enable much quicker charging overall. This was added especially for those bZ4X drivers in places like Norway or Canada, he said, who struggled with charging in very cold weather.

Toyota also finally— finally —incorporated a reliable electric vehicle routing feature into the navigation system. That was One of my main issues with the previous bZ4X was : if you wanted to, say, drive from New York to Boston, you had to use Toyota's mobile app to plan a route or find chargers nearby. The car's software didn't do that natively. Now, however, it does. "This will automatically select a route with recommended, convenient charging stations, based on the car’s battery state of charge and remaining driving range," the automaker said. This function should also be coming to existing cars via an over-the-air software update too.

Updates Inside And Out

You'd have to have pretty impressive eyesight to immediately spot the visual differences between the updated bZ4X and the old one, but they do exist. The front end is slightly revised for what Toyota claims will be better aerodynamics for more range, but otherwise, expect no major changes.

What’s happening inside tells a separate tale. The complete dashboard has undergone an overhaul to distance itself from the “cockpit” ambiance of the previous bZ4X model. This includes shifting the driver-oriented display screen. Below this adjustment, you’ll find the gear selector knob positioned lower than before, now situated beneath two wireless phone charging stations. Additionally, the air vents have adopted a new form factor, and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen comes as standard equipment.

Uchiyama mentioned that people desired increased interior space, particularly for battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

Toyota representatives further noted that the updated bZ4X boasts enhanced quietness within the cabin and includes upgrades to its noise, vibration, and harshness reduction systems. In general, Uchiyama stated, it promises to be a more pleasant vehicle for extended use.

Price And Release Date

The pricing details for the refreshed bZ4X have not been disclosed yet; however, with an optional smaller battery, it might begin at a lower price point compared to its predecessor. The vehicle is anticipated to hit showrooms in Europe sometime after the summer season.

Toyota representatives highlighted that these enhancements apply specifically to the European-model vehicle. Nonetheless, it’s quite probable that they will be adopted for the U.S.-bound variant within the next few months or possibly sooner. Upon the bZ4X reaching American shores, given Toyota's past claims It’s probable that it will come with a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug as standard equipment.

This could position the bZ4X as a speedier, stronger, and farther-traveling electric vehicle with superior navigation and swifter recharging capabilities, along with built-in connectivity to the Tesla Supercharger network. Should Toyota genuinely meet these expectations, the bZ4X might no longer be overlooked as merely an ancillary offering.

At this event, Toyota reiterated that they will introduce three additional all-new electric models by 2026, adding to their lineup which includes the refreshed bZ4X, the newly launched C-HR+, and the Urban Cruiser . Another three are en route, appearing to be a pickup truck and at least one SUV, potentially based on the Land Cruiser Se concept .

Does Toyota appear to be genuinely committed to electric vehicles now? This definitely looks like the case, which should come as welcome news for enthusiasts anticipating this shift.

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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