Toyota Motor Corp. is kicking off its first series of electric vehicles bound for the global market with a battery-powered SUV that the Japanese automaker says embodies the reliability and efficiency underpinning the Toyota brand.
The bZ4X, which resembles Toyota’s popular Rav-4, is set for release in North America, Japan, China and Europe in mid-2022, the company said Friday. With an estimated range of around 500 kilometers per charge, the bZ4X is the first of seven bZ series EV models the automaker plans to introduce globally by 2025.
Toyota, the world’s biggest automaker, has been slower to build its presence in the EV arena compared with rivals such as Volkswagen AG, which began shipping its flagship ID.3 EV in 2020. Even so, the bZ4X is based off more than two decades of experience with battery-powered cars, according to Toyota General Manager Daisuke Ido.