What is the bZ4X?
Don't accuse Toyota of being late to the EV party. The automaker gets a little miffed at that, pointing to the existence of two generations of RAV4 EV (last sold in 2014) and early investment in Tesla Motors as proof that Toyota has been interested in fully electric cars for a while. But in terms of tangible results, Toyota's interest in the electric space hasn't yielded any actual modern EVs — though the Prius Prime and RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrids are good stepping stones. On the other hand, Toyota's continued lobbying against EV incentives paints a picture of a company more focused on proving the case for its still nascent hydrogen fuel efforts than answering its customers' call for a Toyota EV.
The currently controversial automaker looks to put some of these grumblings to rest with its first fully electric vehicle, the 2023 Toyota bZ4X. Developed jointly with Subaru (whose own version of this EV is called the Solterra), the bZ4X is a compact SUV that is slightly longer than the current RAV4. Its on-paper specs aren't mind-blowing, but those looking for Toyota's take on a modern electric car will likely find the power output and estimated driving range totally sufficient. And we can't discount the unique, expressive design, which is fairly daring for Toyota.