Toyota to launch bZ4X electric SUV in Australia

Australia’s most popular car brand will add a head-turning SUV to its range — and it signals a dramatic new direction for the market leader.

Toyota will begin selling an electric vehicle in the Australian market in the near future as part of a global strategy to launch seven EVs in the next four years.

The brand unveiled a concept vehicle, dubbed the bZ4X, at the Shanghai motor show this morning. It says the vehicle will go on sale in international markets by the middle of next year.

Details are scarce — Toyota hasn’t revealed power outputs, estimated range or even how many motors the vehicle has — but the compact SUV has been co-developed with Subaru and could potentially slot in between the C-HR and RAV4 in the local line-up.

Toyota’s bZ4X concept is the prelude to an all-new EV bound for Australia. Picture: Supplied.

There will be seven bZ models launched globally by 2025. The name bZ stands for “beyond zero”. Toyota says the new model will

The new models will share an all-new vehicle platform designed specifically to house an electric motor and batteries. The design will allow it to take advantage of the extra space created by dispensing with the combustion engine and associated hardware.

Toyota says the EV will have interior space comparable to a large sedan.

The concept car has a space-age steering wheel set low in the dash to improve visibility.

The bZ4X’s all-wheel-drive set-up was jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru and is claimed to take advantage of “the unique responsiveness of electrified vehicles” to deliver “impressive off-road performance”.

The SUV will also have a solar recharging system that recharges the battery while the car is stationary. Toyota says the tech will improve range in colder months — EVs typically lose range in cold weather.

Toyota Australia has committed to introducing the bZ4 locally, with timing to be confirmed closer to launch.

The new model could be the catalyst to kickstart the electric vehicle market here, as Toyota accounts for one in every five new cars sold.

Until now, EVs have been shunned by consumers, who have baulked at the high prices and lack of charging infrastructure. Less than one per cent of local car sales are EVs.

The bZ4X will be the first of seven new electric vehicles from the brand in the next four years. Picture: Supplied.

But the car industry is pressing ahead with the technology. By the end of this year seven of the top ten brands — not including Toyota — will have either an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid for sale.

Toyota is late to the EV party. Of the top ten brands, Hyundai, Nissan and MG already sell EVs here, while Mazda will introduce one next month and Kia by the middle of the year. Mitsubishi has a plug-in hybrid that can travel short distances on electric-only power, while Ford will introduce a plug-in hybrid towards the end of the year. Only Subaru and Volkswagen are yet to announce firm dates for local EV introduction.

A spokesman for Subaru Australia said the EV was “not on our timeline at the moment”.

Until now, Toyota has focused on selling hybrid petrol-electric vehicles, which are much cheaper and don’t require recharging. The brand sold 54,000 hybrids last year, accounting for about 85 per cent of the electrified vehicles in the country.

The new electric SUV complements Toyota’s range of eight hybrids. Picture: Supplied.

It will introduce its eighth hybrid model, based on the Kluger SUV, in June.

It is also dabbling in hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. It has begun leasing the Mirai fuel cell vehicle and has opened a commercial-grade hydrogen refuelling station in Victoria.

Toyota Australia Vice President Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said the company would continue to offer customers a variety of power options, including EV, petrol, diesel and hybrid.

“Further bZ series vehicles will be considered and introduced as appropriate for Australia in due course, expanding Toyota’s electrified vehicle choices.

“Our approach reiterates Toyota Australia’s absolute commitment to reducing its CO2 footprint and the adoption of new technologies across our extensive range of vehicles, while recognising the different practical needs of Australian customers and geographies. Offering a number of powertrain choices to suit customer needs is essential,” he said.

The concept car has a space-age interior that takes advantage of the purpose-built electric platform. Picture: Supplied.

He said Toyota had more than 20 years of proven design and development experience in electrified powertrains.

“We will continue to evaluate the market in Australia and strive towards increasing to a powertrain mix that includes a form of electrification across our vehicle range by 2030, excluding GR and performance models,” he said.

Currently, Toyota offers 55 electrified models globally. By 2025, the global line-up will be expanded to approximately 70 models including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. About 15 of those will be pure electric vehicles.

Earlier this year, Toyota president and chief executive Matthew Callachor, said hybrid would still be the most practical option for mainstream car buyers in the near future.

“If you look at, not so much the high end of the market, but the mass market, practically speaking there’s still a distance for battery technology to come, in terms of infrastructure supporting it and also in terms of money,” he said.

The steering wheel looks like something out of a spaceship. Picture: Supplied.

He said Toyota was investing huge amounts of time and effort on both battery and fuel-cell technology to address long-term issues, but hybrids remained the most practical short to midterm solution.

“On a practical, implementable basis now, our focus is let’s get hybrids right because what we can see is that will give an instant benefit to all concerned. It doesn’t mean that Toyota is not interested in battery technology or fuel cell technology, it’s just that there are still barriers towards mass take-up right at this moment,” he said.