Toyota bZ4X on target for late 2022 despite supply shortages

Toyota Australia says it is still working towards a late 2022 launch for its first battery electric vehicle- the bZ4X – despite production issues that are causing delays extensive across many of its models.

Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, told media today the Toyota bZ4X mid-sized electric SUV was on track to arrive in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2022, despite the unprecedented production delays due to a shortage of semi-conductors.

The delays have stretched out to 9-10 months for the LandCruiser 70-Series and RAV4 Hybrid (Toyota is currently working on an EV version of the 70-Series for mining applications).

Toyota has also been forced to delay customer deliveries of the new 300-Series LandCruiser. While there are about 500 LC300s in the country, they’ll be heading to dealerships as demonstrators; right-hand drive production for customers is not due to commence until November at the earliest, something that is believed to have created waiting lists well into 2022.

But Hanley says the company is still working towards a fourth-quarter arrival for the bZ4X.

“At this stage we’ve had no information about any delays in relation to that car,” said Hanley. “At this stage our plans are to continue with our launch plans around the bZ vehicle”, which he confirmed was “somewhere around the fourth quarter of next year”.

About the size of a RAV4, Toyota has showed off a concept of the bZ4X, although it’s very close to the car that will arrive in dealerships.

The soon-to-arrive bZ4X will drive all four wheels and is the start of a family of new bZ models – for beyond Zero – that Toyota is planning over coming years.

The sister car to the Subaru Soterra, the bZ4X is Toyota’s long-awaited reply to the surging interest in electric vehicles.

Toyota has already warned that the bZ4X will be expensive, something likely to make it a low-volume vehicle within the brand’s portfolio.

It will also have to compete with a raft of impressive new mid-sized electric crossovers and SUVs, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Polestar 2 and Tesla Model Y. By late 2022 it could also be competing with the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Nissan Ariya, among others.

In the meantime, it’s a case of joining the queue for those looking for a new Toyota. Hanley says the brand is focusing on being honest and transparent with customers about delays, aiming to inform them as it gleans more information from its Japanese parent.

“Our dealers are communicating regularly with our customers,” said Hanley, who sent a message to waiting customers that “Toyota understands your frustration”.

“We are doing everything we can to get you behind the wheel of your new Toyota as soon as possible.”

Hanley was also adamant that while others – including Mercedes-Benz and Ford – had taken some features out of their cars in response to the computer chip shortage, Toyota would not be doing the same.

“We have no plans – no plans – to de-spec any of our vehicles.”