Toyota Bz3 is the new car that will revolutionize the world of electric vehicles. The Japanese brand, struggling with electric cars and complaining of low demand, has decided to create its new Bz3 in partnership with a Chinese company, BYD revolution.
A few weeks ago, one of Toyota’s executives indicated in an interview that electric cars were not a solution. This senior manager advocated diversity, including promoting hybrids, a sector in which the Japanese manufacturer is very present. But the 100% electric car is a different story, despite the recent launch of its first electric car, the bZ4X SUV with an engine from GAC-Toyota.
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TOYOTA BZ3: AN ENGINE AND A BATTERY BYD
The Japanese carmaker is preparing its new electric sedan bZ3 in China. To do this, Toyota has joined forces with the Chinese giant, the second largest electric car manufacturer behind Tesla, BYD. Toyota has taken over the engine and battery (LFP type with Blade technology) from BYD but uses its e-TNGA platform. The latter will arrive in Europe this year with three electric cars.
The Toyota bZ3 sedan is a rear-wheel drive and offers two different power outputs: 183 hp and 244 hp, with a top speed of 160 km/h for both versions. The car is quite long, with 4.72 mn against a width of 1.8 m and a height of 1.47 m with a wheelbase of 2.88 m, similar to a Tesla Model 3. As for the weight, it is in the average range, with 1.8 tons on the scale.
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TOYOTA BZ3: TWO DIFFERENT FINISHING TOUCHES
We can see in the pictures two different finishes, one with 16-inch wheels and the second one mounted 18 inches. The rear design is classic and reminds me a bit of the Toyota Camry. The front is much more successful, with a thin and aggressive nose, a bit like the MG4. The design is very close to the bZ SDN concept we saw last December.
The car’s interior photos and technical specifications should be announced later by Toyota, as it is currently a leak from China, relayed by Carnewschina. Toyota bZ3 is expected to be officially unveiled in November, with marketing to follow, initially in China.
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TOYOTA BZ3: IS IT A BELIEF IN THE ELECTRIC CAR?
The leak coincides with an intervention by an American senior executive at the Japanese manufacturer. The man thinks Joe Biden’s goal of getting his 50% of new car sales to be electric by 2030 is unrealistic. In fact, according to Forbes, Toyota’s North American sales chief Jack Hollis believes the American market is not ready for the arrival of electric vehicles.
California disagrees, with its new regulation requiring the sale of new electric cars from 2035, but with a nuance that should speak to Toyota: 20% of new cars sold in 2035 can be plug-in hybrids. But isn’t this remarked exit of Toyota a way to tackle the United States and their new ecological bonus, which prevents the brand’s cars from accessing it? And a way to make people forget that the Japanese manufacturer only has one electric car to offer now? Remember that Toyota plans to have 30 different electric vehicles by 2030.