Toyota’s fully electric bZ4X car arrives in NZ

The Toyota bZ4X Motion (left) and Pure are now on sale in NZ. Photos: Toyota NZ

Toyota’s first fully electric car, the lumberingly named bZ4X, has officially gone on sale in New Zealand, with a starting price of $72,990 for the Pure front-wheel-drive model, and $10,000 more for the Motion AWD version.

After decades of producing hybrids, the bZ4X is the first model Toyota developed entirely as a Battery Electric vehicle (BEV).

So, what does the Toyota bZ4X name mean? The b is for beyond, Z for zero (as in impact to the environment), 4 indicates its size and X for off-roading capability.

The bZ4X has the same familiarity Toyota customers know.

The Japanese motoring giant says it is a Toyota first and a BEV second in terms of its design, passenger focus and build quality. 

Toyota New Zealand Chief Executive Neeraj Lala says the launch of the bZ4X in New Zealand is a momentous occasion as it marks the next phase of Toyota’s transition to decarbonising its portfolio and producing the right vehicles for customers.

“Two things stand out about this car. It is very easy to drive. The focus has been on simplicity and making it familiar to Toyota drivers, which is extremely important to us. We want our customers to be able to get in the bZ4X and have the same familiarity our customers know and love,” he said.

“Secondly, it is an enormously capable car – it is packed with new technology including the latest iteration of Toyota Safety Sense and integrated battery technology, to the AWD variant’s off-roading capability.”

The Toyota bZ4X Motion was tested in the same off-road course the Land Cruiser Prado.

In a move to emphasise the importance of the bZ4X within the Toyota line up, the bZ4X’s Chief Engineer Masaya Uchiyama travelled to New Zealand in March to launch the BEV to the local market.

Uchiyama-san says the bZ4X Motion was tested on the same off-roading course as the next-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, which he also worked on. He says the bZ4X acquitted itself exceptionally well on the course.

The bZ4X is the first Toyota to adopt the eAxle technology integrating the transaxle, motor generator, and inverter with 150kw of power available for the FWD, and 160kW for AWD (80kW front, 80kW rear). It is compatible with 150kW DC fast chargers; capable of 10% - 80% charge in approximately 30 minutes.

On a full charge, the NEDC testing standard estimated driving range depends on the powertrain and grade: The Pure Front-Wheel Drive range is rated at 535 kilometres while the Motion All-Wheel Drive is rated at 485 kilometres.