If you’re thinking about switching from your petrol, diesel, or hybrid Toyota car to an All-Electric model, now could be the perfect time with the launch of All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X. To discover the differences, we took the Toyota RAV4 and an All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X for a trip in the Buckinghamshire countryside. Find out more about this new EV SUV and what the switch to EV could mean for you.
All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X has just been released in the UK and represents the first all-electric model to be released by Toyota, leading the way for the brand’s electrification and launch of the bZ family.
All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X features dynamic SUV design, outstanding performance, impressive electric range, the latest in-car infotainment and technology, and Toyota Safety Functions. All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X is designed to defy expectation and is always ready for life’s adventures.
This All-Electric SUV is offered with a 71.4kWh battery and either 204hp single motor or 218hp dual motor depending on whether you specify the front wheel drive version or all-wheel drive version. The most powerful version offers a dynamic driving experience with 0-62mph in just 6.9 seconds yet can still drive up to 318 miles* on a single charge. There are three core trim levels to choose from: Pure, Motion and Vision.
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All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X features a distinctive exterior design which combines advanced aerodynamics with the imposing style of an Electric SUV. Highlights include all the front radar sensors being hidden away behind a gloss black panel, optional 20" alloy wheels and the rear LED light bar. The rear spoiler with twin winglets catches the eye for all the right reasons whilst also improving the aerodynamics. The plastic wheelarch cladding hints at the car's potential off-road ability.
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Like all Toyota cars the interior feels very well built and uses a range of quality materials with gloss black trim on the centre console and fabric cloth on the dashboard. The optional 12.3" central touchscreen supports wireless smartphone integration and features a crisp HD display. The climate controls are seperate to the touchscreen which makes them easier to operate whilst on the move. The standard Heat Pump heats and cools the interior but using much less energy than a standard climate control system.
There is plenty of storage with a large open storage area beneath the centre console and good size doorbins and power points to keep everyone happy.
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Making the switch from a conventional combustion engine vehicle to an All-Electric vehicle can be daunting. But looking at the potential benefits and the small changes in your driving habits required, an EV could fit perfectly into your lifestyle.
Usually, an EV will have more torque than an equivalent petrol car which is instantly available giving the EV a more responsive driving feel. In addition, EV cars are near silent whilst operating which gives a more refined experience.
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Electric cars have fewer moving parts and therefore require less maintenance. All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X has cheaper servicing costs than an equivalent petrol car. With an intermediate service costing from £150 vs £240 and a full service from £210 vs £370. A service plan is also £11 less per month.
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Discover Electric Mobility at Toyota
Petrol and Hybrid cars emit emissions when combusting fuel, whereas electric cars do not emit any emissions from the tailpipe whilst driving. However, you must consider how sustainable the source of electricity is when charging the car.
Due to there being no tailpipe emissions, EV cars benefit from much lower tax than conventional cars.
EV car owners currently have the benefit of road tax costing £0, much less than an equivalent petrol or hybrid car. The benefit extends even further for company car drivers who can benefit from 2% BIK on All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X, meaning tax payments from as little as £31. Whereas an equivalent petrol car could have up to 30% BIK, meaning you pay much more tax.
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To charge All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X you simply open the charging port which is located on the front wing on the passenger side. Then either use the charging cable supplied with the car or the cable attached to the charging station and insert into the port. Follow any instructions on the charging station or your mobile app to confirm the charge. Then check the car is charging, the status light should turn green.
Close all the doors and boot, lock the car and leave it to charge. When you return, simply unlock the car and remove the cable. If the cable is yours return it to the boot or wherever you store it.
Not unless you want to, in fact the quickest charging happens between 20 and 80%, so frequent top ups within this range can be more convenient. Fully charging the battery will provide you with the range you require for longer journeys.
The battery in All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X comes with up to a 10 year warranty, initially 8 years and then renewed annually at every Toyota service up to 10 years old and is designed for durability and reliability no matter your charging habits.
The fastest charging takes place between 10-80% battery capacity, outside of this charging is slower to protect the health of the battery. Other factors also affecting the charging speed include the ambient temperature (colder temperatures mean a slower charging rate), the charging rate and the size of the battery. All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X features a 71.4kWh battery pack and supports rapid charging up to 150kW.
Officially between 10% to 100% these are the charging times:
• At home with a 3-pin plug, 31 hours to charge.
• Home wall box 7kW, 7 hours.
• 11kW Public charger, 5 hours.
From 20%-80%:
• 50kW Public charger, 60 minutes.
• 150kW Public charger, 45 minutes - giving approx. 270 miles range per 30 minutes charging.
To work out the cost of charging your car, check the battery capacity and your electricity rate. For All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X this is 71.4kWh and on average 34p per kWh. 0.39 x 71.4 = £27.85 for a range of up to 318 miles. This means that each mile costs approximately 11p. Whilst everyone's rate will be different, this is large cost saving compared to driving a conventional car.
Public and public rapid chargers will cost more per kWh than charging at home. However, the speed of charging could outweigh the extra cost for some drivers and the total cost will still be lower than driving a conventional petrol car.
All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X can be charged with a Type 2 connector for charging at home, work or public chargers. The car can also be charged with a CSS connector for rapid charging, these are normally attached to the charger. All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X comes with a 3 pin plug cable (for charging at home) and a 32A Type A Mennekes cable which is supported by a range of chargers. No matter which you use to charge the car, you use the same charging port.
For some electric car users it may not be possible to have a home charger installed at home due to reasons such as not having off-road parking, renting or having parking not close enough to your home.
It is still possible to own an electric car if you cannot charge at home. As All-New All-Electric Toyota bZ4X supports rapid charging you could use a rapid charger once or twice a week to keep the battery topped up. It is most convenient to charge an electric car where it is parked (which is almost 95% of the time for a car), using chargepoints at these locations. These locations could be at work, when shopping or leisure centres.
It is worth looking into how many miles a week to work out how often charging would be required. With 318 miles range and a commute of less than 30 miles, the battery could last over a week.