Toyota’s 2023 bZ4X crossover EV will go on sale this month in U.S. dealerships with a name that raises the most quizzical eyebrows across this industry since the ill-fated Merkur XR4Ti.
There are some simple things to understand about Toyota Motor Corp.‘s first full BEV in the U.S. since it produced the 2014 Toyota RAV4 EV with help from Tesla. It’s roughly the size of a 2022 Toyota RAV4, with a far steeper rake to its tailgate; it has a dashboard made of cloth instead of a giant piece of vinyl, and thanks to aerodynamics, it’s shaped like the vast majority of other compact crossovers, EV or otherwise, in the marketplace, with only styling cues like its “hammerhead” front fascia, to distinguish it.
But all that is the easy stuff. To really understand the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, it’s important to focus squarely on the numbers. And there are a lot of them to consider, so let’s do so, even though they might not be in numerical order:
5 — The number of seats, doors and USB ports in the bZ4X.
6.5 — The number of seconds it takes the awd version of the bZ4X to accelerate from zero to 60 mph, a time that’s identical to that of a 2018 Toyota Tundra Limited TRD Off-Road Double Cab 4X4 pickup.
80 + 80 or 150 — The kW ratings of the motors used for the awd and fwd versions, respectively. The awd version is powered by two 80 kW motors, one on each axle, combining to produce 214 hp, while the fwd version employs a single 150 kW motor on the front axle to produce 201 hp.
71.4 or 72.8 — The battery size in kWh on the fwd and awd versions, respectively.
252 or 228 — The EPA estimated range in miles from the battery packs above on the base XLE trim fwd and awd versions, respectively. Limited trim versions drop the ranges to 242 and 222 miles, respectively, because Limited trims come equipped with 20-inch instead of 18-inch tires, as well as ventilated seats.
7,000 — The total number of bZ4X’s that Toyota will sell in the U.S. in calendar year 2022 — about the number of Toyota Sienna minivans it sells in the U.S. in any given month. Incidentally, it’s 500 more vehicles than Subaru has allocated with the Solterra.
3.0 — As in Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, the latest version of the automaker’s standard suite of driver assist and safety features, which will include safe exit assist, a new feature that will warn drivers exiting their parked vehicle if there is another vehicle or bicycle approaching that would make it unsafe to exit.
12.3 — The infotainment screen size, in inches, operating the brand’s new Toyota Audio Multimedia system, a voice-centered infotainment system developed in-house which debuted on the Tundra. Incidentally, the instrument cluster, which is mounted in a high static position above the manually-telescoping steering column, is equipped with a 7-inch screen.
1 — The number of years of complimentary charging Toyota will include on the bZ4X on the EVgo charging network.
400 — The wattage level of the bZ4X, which means that to fully charge its battery takes about…
1 — hour to charge from zero to 100 percent on a DC fast charger, or
11 — hours to charge from zero to 100 percent on a Level 2 charger, or
50 — hours to do the same on the Level 1 charger.
$43,215 — The price, including delivery for a fwd XLE bZ4X, with awd adding $2,080 to the price.
$47,915 — The price, including delivery, for an awd Limited bZ4X (awd still adds another $2,080).
But there is at least one important alpha-numeric jumble that is sure to impact the competitiveness of the 2023 Toyota bZ4X BEV for the foreseeable future, and it’s this:
Q4 2022 — That’s when Toyota Motor North America’s allotment of $7,500 federal tax credits for BEVs is expected to expire, immediately placing at least the awd versions of the bZ4X at a distinct competitive disadvantage over its sister vehicle, the 2023 Subaru Solterra.