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Toyota’s Longer-Range ‘bZ’ Set for U.S. Debut; Lithium-Ion Battery will Allow for Driving 500 km on Single Charge

Courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp.
Toyota Motor Corp’s “bZ” electric sport utility vehicle

By Yasuhiro Kobayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:24 JST, May 14, 2025

NEW YORK — Toyota Motor Corp. plans to begin selling a revamped bZ4X electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) in the United States in the latter half of this year, the automaker said Tuesday.

The company will shorten the name to “bZ” and enhance its driving range by 25% ahead of U.S. release.

According to Toyota, the bZ will be equipped with a large lithium-ion battery that will allow for a maximum driving range of about 500 kilometers on a single charge. The battery will recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.

Toyota introduced the bZ4X in 2022 as its first mass-produced electric vehicle. By 2024, sales of the bZ4X in the United States had doubled year-over-year, reaching 18,570 units.

The bZ will be produced at the Motomachi plant in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, and is expected to be exported to the United States. This raises the possibility of it being subject to the automotive tariffs introduced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The bZ4X is priced at about $40,000 (about ¥5.9 million) in the United States. Toyota has not yet announced the U.S. price for the bZ.