Toyota Launches An Electric Vehicle, 'bZ4X'

Toyota said it will begin offering its first electric vehicle in eight years, the bZ4X small SUV.

The bZ4X starts at $42,000 and can go up to 252 miles per charge. It is the first EV that Toyota has offered since its electric version of the RAV4.

“With zero emissions and an exhilarating drive, the bZ4X is hitting the market at just the right time as we expand our already comprehensive electrified product lineup,” Mike Tripp, the vice president of Toyota Marketing, said in a November 2021 press release when the EV production model was first introduced.

“As a human-centered company, Toyota remains committed to offering customers a diverse portfolio of products to meet their individual needs and move us toward a carbon neutral future,” Tripp added.

The move from the “top-selling automaker in the U.S.” is important because it will help consumers who already feel comfortable with Toyota vehicles be more comfortable with making the switch to an electric vehicle, Stephanie Brinley, principal analyst for S&P Global Mobility noted.

“You’ve got buyers who are interested in checking this out but may not be willing to try a new brand or leave (Toyota) to go to Chevrolet or Ford,” Brinley said.

“As we transition to a market that is more dominated by electric vehicles, the answer is really convincing normally ICE (internal combustion engine) owners to try something new,” she said.

Sales for the bZ4X will start in states that have zero-emissions vehicle requirements and then spread to the rest of the U.S., Toyota said.