{"id":16002,"date":"2022-08-05T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T06:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=125398"},"modified":"2022-08-05T08:17:10","modified_gmt":"2022-08-05T06:17:10","slug":"bz4x-was-toyotas-first-fully-electric-car-worth-the-wait","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/bz4x-was-toyotas-first-fully-electric-car-worth-the-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"BZ4X: Was Toyota\u2019s first fully electric car worth the wait?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Daniel Bennett\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 05 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Toyota isn\u2019t afraid to try new things. It made hybrid cars popular with the Prius, it sold the first commercial hydrogen<\/a> car with the Mirai<\/a>, and it\u2019s now working with the Japanese space agency (JAXA) to put the first proper car on the Moon \u2013 one that you won\u2019t need to wear a spacesuit to drive. So it feels odd that it\u2019s taken so long for the company to launch its first electric car, the BZ4X.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s was the hold-up? Well, from the outside looking in, it seems Toyota was hoping that motorists would back hydrogen power. It\u2019s clear to see why: with a hydrogen fuel cell there\u2019s no range anxiety and you refill your tank in largely the same way you do now. Unfortunately, the infrastructure (the refuelling stations) didn\u2019t arrive in time to match Toyota\u2019s ambitions.<\/p>\n

The BZ4X isn\u2019t Toyota throwing in the towel on hydrogen; it\u2019s bridging the gap until hydrogen becomes a more viable option in the future \u2013 we think. So is Toyota\u2019s pioneering spirit alive and well in its first battery-power-only car?<\/p>\n

The answer is a muddy one. This is a good electric car, it\u2019s fun to drive and offers tonnes of space with a smooth ride. Plus, the four-wheel-drive model (4WD) has some pretty smart all-terrain tech to help you when the road runs out. The BZ4X will wade through water, creep down steep verges and skip over rocky surfaces with an easy confidence. The interior has had a modern makeover too, with a clean, sleek finish that\u2019s an upgrade over the more utilitarian cabin you\u2019d normally find in a Toyota.<\/p>\n

All-in-all, this car embodies Toyota\u2019s sensible, practical side \u2013 what\u2019s missing is the company\u2019s fun-loving, experimental spirit. The kind of thinking that came up with the i-Road, a lovable three-wheeler electric trike built as a way to curb congestion and air pollution.<\/p>\n

First off, let\u2019s start with the name: BZ4X. The first bit stands for Beyond Zero, the 4 signifies the size (presumably there\u2019ll be a BZ3 or 5 in the future) and X means it\u2019s an SUV\/crossover, just like every other new electric car these days. Functional, but clumsy.<\/p>\n

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Inside, there\u2019s a big central touchscreen to access any app \u00a9 Toyota<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Fortunately, no one buys a car based on its name, so what\u2019s it like on the road? We took the 4WD model (there\u2019s also a front-wheel drive (FWD) model) for a few hours around Copenhagen\u2019s busy centre, and around a small off-road course to find out.<\/p>\n

In the driver\u2019s seat the steering wheel is compact and sporty. The combo of a lofty driving position and small wheel means that the digital dashboard can be obscured \u2013 you sometimes have to peek over or around the wheel to see what\u2019s going on. The 215bhp motors are split between either end, making the BZ4X quick off the mark. Meanwhile, the low centre of gravity \u2013 thanks to the batteries spread out across the floor of the car \u2013 mean that it\u2019s agile and taut around corners. It\u2019s as fun to drive as an electric SUV can be.<\/p>\n

The cabin is spacious and suitably techy, with a big central touchscreen and a console lit up with controls. Everything\u2019s sensibly proportioned and ergonomic, as you\u2019d expect from a Toyota. Above all else, the ride is seriously impressive. The BZ4X wafts over potholed city roads and country lanes without fuss, despite the weight of its batteries and thin, low-resistance tyres.<\/p>\n

The rear seats are big and spacious \u2013 you won\u2019t have kids kicking you in the back \u2013 compared to competitors that tend to struggle to squeeze in batteries and keep the rear cabin roomy. The 412-litre boot is what you\u2019d expect to find on an EV this size, with storage below for the charging cables.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a handsome car, but could do with more of Toyota\u2019s playfulness \u00a9 Toyota<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The all-important figure, the range, is nothing spectacular. At 317 miles (510km) for the FWD model and 286 miles (460km) on the 4WD model, it\u2019s in line with its competition. Though as with all EVs, in the real world you can expect a chunk less than that.<\/p>\n

Off-road, the car\u2019s X-terrain tech is a fun addition that made light work of the course laid out for us: some ultra-steep ramps were set up so that the car would have only two wheels in contact with the ground at a given moment. We were also invited to drive through a small pool of water to prove it could wade. Both scenarios are unlikely for most UK drivers, but it\u2019s nice to see some of Toyota\u2019s all-terrain DNA at play.<\/p>\n

There is one place where Toyota\u2019s trademark playfulness does appear: two small winglets jutting out of the back of the roof that act as a small spoiler or \u201cbunny ears\u201d as the car\u2019s assistant chief engineer joyfully shared with me. They\u2019re a neat piece of design flair on a handsome but otherwise anonymous-looking car. It\u2019s this sense of fun that means Toyota is more than just a company that makes affordable cars, and it\u2019s the one thing that its first battery-powered car could have done with more of.<\/p>\n

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