Toyota Debuts All-Electric SUV Concept

TORONTO, Ontario – APRIL 19, 2021 – Toyota envisions a future in which carbon neutrality is achieved through the practical marketization of a portfolio of products with advanced, alternative-fuel and zero-emission powertrain technologies. Already a leader in electrification, the company took a major step forward today with the introduction of the Toyota bZ4X Concept, a vision for the first of a global series of battery-electric vehicles to be introduced under the “Toyota bZ” brand umbrella.

The Toyota bZ4X Concept joins a full lineup of electrified vehicles – a lineup that, in total, accounts for more than 40% of all alternative powertrain vehicles sold in Canada. These alternative powertrains include battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric, hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric.

Toyota plans to expand to around 70 electrified models globally by 2025. This future lineup will feature 15 dedicated BEVs, including seven carrying the bZ (Beyond Zero) brand moniker. In addition, Toyota intends to bring electrification to its pickup truck lineup in the near future, including hybrid electric and BEV powertrains. This diverse portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

“The Toyota bZ4X concept points to yet another option in our already robust electrified portfolio,” said Bob Carter, TMNA executive vice president of sales. “At Toyota, we are a human-centred company – the customer is our CEO and will ultimately decide which technologies will carry us toward a carbon-neutral future. With investments and product offerings across the spectrum of electrification, we intend to be there with products and technologies that meet the diverse needs of customers around the world.”

Jointly developed with Subaru, the Toyota bZ4X SUV Concept is built on the new e-TNGA BEV- dedicated platform. The concept conveys Toyota’s legendary quality, durability and long-term reliability (QDR) in combination with Subaru’s AWD capabilities to achieve a driving experience that is both comfortable and engaging.

The Toyota bZ4X SUV concept features a long wheelbase with short overhangs, resulting in a distinctive design with ample interior space. The open-concept interior is designed to enhance driver comfort and confidence on the road. With every detail purposefully engineered, the low position of the instrument panel and the location of the metres above the steering wheel not only help expand the vehicle’s sense of space but also help increase visibility to aid in safe and secure driving.

Toyota plans to produce the Toyota bZ4X in Japan and China; it hopes to begin worldwide sales of the model by the middle of 2022. North American product details will be shared at a later date.

Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Toyota has sold over five million vehicles in Canada through a national network of 287 Toyota and Lexus dealerships. Toyota is dedicated to bringing safety, quality, dependability and reliability to the vehicles Canadians drive and the service they receive. TCI’s head office is located in Toronto, with regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Halifax, and parts distribution centres in Clarington, Ontario and Vancouver. Toyota operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada. Having produced more than nine million vehicles, popular Canadian models built at these facilities include Toyota RAV4, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h hybrid. Recent investments at its facilities in Ontario will allow for increased production of the top-selling Toyota RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid models.