Is the 2023 Toyota bZ4X Meeting Expectations?
The 2023 Toyota bZ4X electric SUV is finally here. The bZ4X is the cornerstone of Japanese automaker Toyota’s electric future. Is the bZ4X meeting expectations, or is the new electric SUV a huge disappointment?
The 2023 Toyota bZ4X hasn’t made a huge splash yet
Toyota currently produces the most popular SUV, so naturally many automotive enthusiasts have high hopes for its first electric SUV. Since Toyota is an expert in hybrid technology, many gearheads assumed that the bZ4X would be innovative and groundbreaking. The battery tech that the bZ4X uses is impressive, but the electric SUV’s style, range, and performance haven’t been very impactful to electric SUV rankings.
Even the bZ4X’s affordability isn’t significantly competitive. Toyota produced an average electric SUV, and that’s great for consumers, but is the EV notable?
The 2023 Toyota bZ4X starts at $42,000. It’s currently eligible for a $7,500 federal electric vehicle tax incentive that brings the base model’s price down closer to $34,500 after the tax credit. That’s pretty affordable for an electric compact SUV.
The bZ4X comes in two trim levels: the XLE and the Limited. The bZ4X Limited starts at $46,700 but its price is closer to $39,200 after the incentive. Toyota’s electric SUV has a max driving range of 252 miles. It has a max power output of 214 horsepower. The EV’s range and power aren’t impressive when compared to rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The Toyota bZ4X’s greatest feature needs to be highlighted
The Toyota bZ4X doesn’t have a 300-mile driving range or a great 0-60 time. What it does have is a dependable battery. One of the best bZ4X features is the electric SUV’s battery. Toyota outsourced the development of its electric SUV’s battery to Panasonic, a giant in the battery industry.
The bZ4X was developed with the challenges that electric vehicles are currently facing in mind. Extreme temperatures can cause rapid battery degradation, immobility, and even fires from overheating. This issue is one of the greatest hurdles that electric vehicles will have to leap over if they are to become ubiquitous in America in the next few years.
Toyota uses a heat pump to tackle this issue. Leave it to the Japanese automaker to develop an electric vehicle that’s inherently more dependable than many of its rivals.
How many bZ4X models will be made in 2022?
Toyota only plans to produce about 7,000 electric SUVs for the American market in 2022. If the Japanese automaker wants to produce the best electric SUV, it’ll have to produce many more models in 2023 and continue to hone in on the reliability of the bZ4X.
The EV has only been out for a few months, and according to Reuters, it is already experiencing its first mass recall. Will the bZ4X end the year on a high note or continue to be eclipsed by its competition?
