Toyota BZ: BEVs must be fit for Aussie conditions

Days before Toyota unveils its first battery electric vehicle of the modern era – tipped to be called BZ4X – the Japanese giant’s Australian outpost has made clear any BEVs it sells will have to meet local condition and capability requirements.

“Australians will not compromise on performance and practicality,” Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss Sean Hanley told EVcentral.com.au.

Toyota will unveil a concept version of an electrified SUV expected to be called the BZ4X at the Shanghai show in China on Monday ahead of a European launch for the production version later this year.

The BZ name – short for Beyond Zero – will apply to a whole family of BEVs including the BZ1, BZ2, BZ3, BZ4 and BZ5 as well as the BZ1X, BZ2X, BZ3X, BZ4X and BZ5X.

The theory is the “X” denotes dual-motor all-wheel drive models.

The Shanghai BZ concept has been teased by Toyota in a social media post that fleetingly showed off the cars face including slimline headlights and blue Toyota badge.

A single image of the nose has also been issued by Toyota.

The Toyota BZ4X is due to be unveiled next Monday, April 19 – we’ll have full details once they’ve been released.

The BZ family is based on the dedicated e-TNGA platform and will also spawn BEV models for technology partner Subaru, in which Toyota has a small shareholding. It’ll also form the basis for future Lexus EVs, with the exception of the upcoming UX300e.

In Australia, Toyota has focussed its highly successful electrification efforts on hybrids, selling more than 54,000 in 2020.

This week it launched the second-generation Mirai fuel cell electric vehicle (watch out for drive impressions coming soon), although only 20 examples will initially be available on a three-year lease primarily targeted at businesses.

Hanley made clear the local division would add BEVs after they become available.

“I would think at some stage it is more than likely that battery electric vehicles will form part of our line-up in Australia,” he said.

But he immediately applied qualities any Toyota BEV must include to be sold here.

“It’s got to be fit for purpose, it’s got to do the things that Australians want it to do, it’s got to be affordable, it’s got to be practical, it’s got to perform.

“So therefore in the true Toyota way, when that time is right for those cars we will develop the technology that allows those cars to be in this market to do the things that Australians want.

“You get that right and your future is secure.”

The dominant market leader by sales, Toyota has built its reputation in Australia on what it calls QDR – quality, durability and reliability. Its full-size SUVs and 4x4s like the HiLux ute have been intrinsic to that reputation.

Such has been Toyota’s local success in 4x4s, Australia plays a lead role in testing such vehicles when they are being developed.

A new generation LandCruiser is due this year and the speculation is that it could eventually include a hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain rather than batteries because of the range, refuel time and weight advantages FCEV delivers.

But the refuelling infrastructure for hydrogen is almost non-existent in Australia, while BEVs can tap into the electricity grid.

That means there is the potential for Toyota Australia to sell a lot more BEVs than FCEV Toyotas in the shorter term.

An example of that is a test program Toyota is currently involved in developing a BEV 70-Series LandCruiser with BHP in Western Australia.

Hanley indicated any battery electric SUV would get testing input from Toyota Australia.

“The short answer is we would get to a have a role in testing for our market,” he said.

“[How big a role] depends on the vehicle and the market. It’s like any car, we assess it.”