Toyota bZ4X
Toyota is investigating a Danish media road test that found the all-electric bZ4X’s driving range to be much lower than its WLTP projections. Toyota bZ4X had two-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions.
Toyota entered the competitive all-electric crossover market with the bZ4X. The electric vehicle (EV) has front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions.
A Danish motoring journal FDM tested both, the FWD and the AWD bZ4X. The FWD bZ4X has a WLTP range of 504 km and the AWD version has a 461 km WLTP range.
Although, curiously, the FWD bZ4X only lasted 246 km, while the AWD bZ4X ran out of juice after 215 km (134 miles) during FDM’s test. That’s 51% and 53% off the vehicle’s WLTP range respectively.
Although the bZ4X wears the Toyota badge which has become synonymous with reliability, it still has several critical issues. The EV’s production was halted this year because its wheels kept falling off. The latest update regarding poor range puts the bZ4X fate in question.
Toyota Danmark Head of Press Anders Tystrup said the carmaker is aware of the test and vehicle results. The press manager said the range mismatch may be attributable to the bZ4X’s battery “buffer,” but an inquiry is underway.
The automaker will likely issue the investigation’s results within a week.
Interestingly, the launch of Toyota bZ4X in Thailand has thus far been a spectacular success. Toyota Motor Thailand was forced to cease accepting reservations for its new electric vehicle (EV) just 24 hours after the order books were opened.
The company claims to have received 1,064 online pre-orders for the EV during the first hour of booking orders on November 9 at 8:00 p.m., and 3,356 on November 10 at 8:00 p.m.
The first ASEAN markets to receive the bZ4X are Thailand and Indonesia. The Thai government’s incentives for the purchase and sale of electric vehicles are one of the reasons for its popularity.
Moreover, as Toyota uses Thailand as its distribution hub for ASEAN regions, experts anticipate a considerable increase in bZ4X sales in these markets due to a logistical advantage.