Toyota's electric vehicle has been upgraded with dual battery choices, increased range, enhanced power output, and quicker charging capabilities. The lead engineer explains these advancements.
Although Toyota maintains its dedication to various highly efficient propulsion systems for the future, the global leader in vehicle production has frequently faced accusations of not taking the electric vehicle revolution seriously The definitive evidence might very well be the Toyota bZ4X. As competitors sprint forward with increased ranges, superior technology, electric-vehicle specific software, and quicker charging speeds, Toyota’s initial foray into contemporary electric vehicles feels increasingly outmatched as time goes on.
However, an unforeseen event occurred in recent times: The bZ4X has proven popular, maybe even against all odds. Its sales have taken off. rose sharply in the U.S. in 2024 amid aggressive incentive programs, and it's picking up steam in Europe too. In mostly-electric Norway, for example, It has become the best-selling model nationwide. Clearly, individuals desire excellent fully electric choices from the business that introduced electrified vehicles.
2026 Toyota bZ4X Live Images
Therefore, with numerous upgrades to the bZ4X this year—including increased range, faster charging, enhanced power, and better route planning—Toyota aims to convey a clear message to these individuals: We understand your concerns perfectly well.
At last week’s Kenshiki Forum in Brussels, Toyota Operating Officer and Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries stated, 'We took into account the feedback from our customers, retailers, and the journalists evaluating our offerings.' He added, 'The new model boasts up to 50% increased power output, charges nearly two times faster, and has twofold the towing capability,'
The lead engineer for the bZ4X, Masaya Uchiyama, informed InsideEVs that this vehicle was designed with comparisons to the Tesla Model Y, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the Cadillac Lyriq in mind. These models represent tough competition within the electric vehicle market, as they've generally outperformed Toyota’s previous offerings across various aspects.
Given these improvements—set to make their way to the U.S. market shortly—are we finally seeing the bZ4U transform into the electric vehicle it was intended to be from the start?
2026 Toyota bZ4X Live Images
Expanding Capabilities With Increased Power And Performance
Let’s begin with the key details. The bZ4X now features two entirely new battery choices. Previously, the bZ4X provided a 71.4 kWh battery for its front-wheel-drive versions and a 72.8 kWh option for its all-wheel-drive configurations.
| 2024 bZ4X | New bZ4X | |
| Battery Size | 71.4 kWh; 72.8 kWh | 57.7 kWh; 73.1 kWh |
| Range | Up to 516 kilometers as per EU specs; 252 miles for the U.S. | Up to 573 km according to EU specifications; US specs will be announced later (approximately 280 miles as estimated by InsideEVs). |
| Output | Up to 214 hp | Up to 343 hp |
| Max DC Charging Speed | 150 kW | 150 kW |
Now, it adheres more closely to the "large and small" approach we observe. with electric vehicles from Hyundai and other brands The base model of the bZ4X comes with a 57.7 kWh battery, whereas the version with the bigger battery has a 73.1 kWh unit. (These figures represent the total capacity.)
Toyota says this was done so that "customers can select a version that best suits their driving requirements and their budget." The smaller battery will be exclusive to the FWD model, while the larger one with be available with both FWD and AWD.
2026 Toyota bZ4X Live Photos
The exact ranges on those models haven't been disclosed yet, but Toyota is already saying the bZ4X will offer up to 356 miles (573 km) of range on the European WLTP cycle. Previously, the most the bZ4X could offer was 320 miles (516 km) in Europe, so this is a substantial upgrade.
U.S. range figures haven't been disclosed yet. Stateside, the highest-range bZ4X—the XLE FWD model—offers a maximum of 252 miles of range. Some quick back-of-napkin math shows the bZ4X could now be a 280-mile car in U.S. specs, but we'll have to see what its official rating is. We also don't know for sure whether the small-battery version will make it to the U.S., as consumers here seem to be more range-focused.
2025 Toyota bZ4X Interior
Uchiyama added that it's not just the battery sizes that are different, either. "We improved the energy density and increased the amount of cells in each," he said. "Before on the bZ4X, one battery had 96 cells. The new generation has 104."
Toyota BZ4x AWD (2025)
The bZ4X's "eAxles," Toyota's name for its electric motors, have also been improved and now include silicon carbide semiconductors for more power output. T hat's the same tech that made the Lexus RZ300e the most efficient electric SUV on the U.S. market . The bZ4X now starts at 165 hp for the base FWD version but goes all the way up to 343 hp for dual-motor AWD, making it "one of the most powerful Toyota models available in Europe outside the GR performance car range," the company says.
Considering the last bZ4X I drove had 214 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, the new one should have a hell of a lot more grunt.
The AWD version’s towing capacity has been doubled to 3,306 lbs (1,500kg) which is especially aimed at allowing better caravan-hauling options for European buyers.
Improved Charging, Preconditioning, Navigation
But range isn't the biggest issue for the bZ4X. Charging is. With any luck, that could soon be a thing of the past. Toyota has doubled the power of the onboard AC charger on the higher models from 11 kW to 22 kW, exceeding even the Ioniq 5 and its brethren. Provided a driver can find an extremely powerful Level 2 charger, that should cut its charging time in half; the bZ4X used to take almost 10 hours From its "dim lighting alert" to full brightness.
However, DC fast-charging capabilities stay the same with maximum rates of 150 kW. This might be disappointing as an increasing number of electric vehicles can handle charges up to 200 kW or even greater. Nonetheless, Uchiyama mentioned that this does not affect the bZ4X's performance. charging curve —its capacity to maintain a high output over an extended period, essentially—has also seen enhancements, which ought to result in a more enjoyable experience overall.
Toyota BZ4x 2025
Uchiyama acknowledged, “Previously, we experienced a sharp peaky charging curve,” which indicates that the bZ4X reached its fastest charging rate initially but dropped off rapidly soon after, forcing drivers to endure longer waiting times for their vehicles to charge fully. He stated, “Now, we have smoothed out this curve. The vehicle maintains a higher voltage level throughout.”
Uchiyama said Toyota aims for the bZ4X to go from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. While not as lightning-fast as the Ioniq 5 it's targeting, that could be a significant improvement from before, when some bZ4X models took nearly an hour to pull that off. It also puts the Toyota in the same charging-time ballpark as competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
2025 Toyota bZ4X Interior
More importantly, the bZ4X now comes with battery preconditioning as a standard feature, and it's activated both manually and automatically when a charging station is set in the navigation system. By warming the battery before charging, Uchiyama said, this should enable much quicker charging overall. This was added especially for those bZ4X drivers in places like Norway or Canada, he said, who struggled with charging in very cold weather.
2025 Toyota bZ4X Interior
Toyota also finally— finally —implemented a proper EV routing function into the navigation system. That was one of my biggest gripes with the previous bZ4X : if you wanted to, say, drive from New York to Boston, you had to use Toyota's mobile app to plan a route or find chargers nearby. The car's software didn't do that natively. Now, however, it does. "This will automatically select a route with recommended, convenient charging stations, based on the car’s battery state of charge and remaining driving range," the automaker said. This function should also be coming to existing cars via an over-the-air software update too.
Updates Inside And Out
You'd have to have pretty impressive eyesight to immediately spot the visual differences between the updated bZ4X and the old one, but they do exist. The front end is slightly revised for what Toyota claims will be better aerodynamics for more range, but otherwise, expect no major changes.
The inside is a different story. The entire dashboard has been revised to move away from the "cockpit" feel of the old bZ4X, including the relocation of the driver-facing display screen. The gear selector knob has been moved down below dual wireless smartphone chargers, the air vents are shaped differently and a 14-inch multimedia screen is fitted as standard.
"People wanted to have more room and space inside, especially as a BEV," Uchiyama said.
2026 Toyota bZ4X Live Images
Toyota representatives additionally mentioned that the updated bZ4X boasts a quieter interior and includes enhancements to its noise, vibration, and harshness reduction systems. In general, Uchiyama noted that it will likely provide a more pleasant driving experience.
Price And Release Date
2026 Toyota bZ4X
The pricing details for the refreshed bZ4X have not been revealed as of yet; however, with an optional smaller battery pack available, it might begin at a lower price point compared to its predecessor. The vehicle is anticipated to hit showrooms across Europe sometime following the summertime launch.
Toyota representatives highlighted that all these enhancements pertain specifically to the European-model vehicle. Nonetheless, it’s quite probable that they will be adopted by the U.S.-market variant within the next few months or possibly sooner. Upon the bZ4X reaching the American market, given Toyota's past claims , it's likely to have a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug from the factory.
That would make the bZ4X a faster, more powerful, longer-driving EV with better route planning and quicker charging, plus native access to the Tesla Supercharger network. If Toyota can really deliver, then the bZ4X may not be dismissed as some afterthought anymore.
At this event, Toyota reaffirmed that three more new all-electric models would be introduced by 2026 to join the updated bZ4X, the new C-HR+ and the Urban Cruiser . Three more are coming, and they seem to be a pickup truck and at least one SUV, possibly based on the Land Cruiser Se concept .
Is Toyota finally getting serious about EVs? It certainly seems that way, and that should be great news for any fans who have been waiting for this to happen.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
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