Japanese car giant Toyota has finally launched its first battery electric vehicle (BEV) in Australia, and used the occasion to complain about the federal government’s proposed vehicle emissions standards, saying that the transition to EVs would be “too quick.”
The Toyota bZ4X will be available in two models, a front-wheel-drive model priced from $66,000, and an all-wheel-drive priced from $74,900. And it will also be available with a full-service lease option which the company hopes will help “alleviate potential anxieties of those venturing into the BEV for the first time”.
Toyota has been slow to the EV market, and has been accused of using its influence in Australia and the US to try and slow down the development of policies that could support the shift to electric.
It has focused heavily on hybrids, as well as hydrogen cars, which now seem a losing bet, and questioned whether customers will embrace EVs.
Its position was underlined by Toyota’s head of sales in Australia, Sean Hanley, who said that while the new vehicle would be “the foundation of Toyota’s electrification strategy,” the company would need more time to reduce emissions from the rest of its fleet to meet Australia’s proposed fuel-efficiency rules.
The fuel-efficiency standard would put an emissions limit on vehicles across each automaker’s fleet, forcing companies to balance sales of high-emitting vehicles with low-emission alternatives.
But Hanley said while Toyota supported the introduction of emission limits, the company urged the government to give car companies more time to deliver efficient vehicles in Australia, particularly low-polluting four-wheel drives and utes.
“The proposed transition that we’re seeing right now, the timing of that transition is too quick,” he said, quoted by AAP.
“It simply doesn’t recognise the technical hurdles, the lengthy time and the substantial cost that will be required to deliver commercial (battery electric vehicles) that are practical, that are capable and, above all, that are affordable.”
Built on the company’s e-TNGA platform, which – like other EV platforms – allows the wheels to be pushed further outward to the front and rear, leaving more room for passengers within the vehicle’s footprint. And it offers the versatility of front or all-wheel-drive traction – the latter providing benchmark off-road capability among all-electric SUVs.
The FWD model of the new EV offers 535km of range (NEDC), and while the Australian version has not been tested, the model available in Europe claims a 436 km range on the more stringent WLTP assessment. That puts the Toyota offering at a higher price, but with lower range than the Tesla Model Y.
Both models of the bZ4x are powered by a 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery, but limits DC fast charging to 150kW. The FWD model features a front-mounted electric motor putting out 150kW/266Nm, while front and rear motors on the AWD model put out 160kW/337Nm.
Rounding out the features on the new bZ4X are poly-ellipsoidal LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors with automatic power folding, a power tailgate, and the latest Toyota Safety Sense suite.
Inside features fabric and SofTex trim, eight-way power adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, leather-accented steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and smart entry and start.
Note: Additional reporting by AAP. Toyota did not invite The Driven to its launch event.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.