Toyota bZ4X SUV - Range, charging & running costs
Top versions of the bZ4X manage over 300 miles of range, but fast-charging is coming later
There are two versions of the Toyota bZ4X and both use the same 71.4kWh battery – that’s slightly smaller than the 77kWh capacity of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4 with 82kWh. These are the front-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) models, and they have different amounts of power and range because of the different drive layouts.
The FWD model has 201bhp from a single motor, while the AWD version has 215bhp from two electric motors. In both versions, the batteries are incorporated into the car’s body, under the floor. This helps to keep the car’s centre of gravity low – which improves handling, and you can find out more about its performance in the next section of our review.
Toyota bZ4X range & charging
Since the bZ4X has the same battery no matter which version you go for, the differences in range are down to the extra electric motors on AWD versions. The FWD model has an impressive range of up to 321 miles, while the AWD model has 286 miles – both of these are the official stated figures, so treat them as a maximum in perfect conditions.
In our initial drive of the bZ4X (in top-spec AWD form) we saw efficiency of 3.4 miles/kWh, which would result in a range of around 240 miles. That’s not too far off the claimed figure for a top-spec car, so the bZ4X is relatively efficient. However, in a winter test of the bZ4X FWD in cold conditions with the heater turned on, this dropped to 2.6 miles/kWh, resulting in a pronounced decrease in range to less than 200 miles.
Charging is identical no matter which version you choose since the battery and charging tech is the same in both models. From a home wallbox charger it takes 12 hours and 45 minutes to charge (at 7.4kW) although if your home or workplace supports 11kW charging, that drops to seven hours and 45 minutes. To get this time you’ll also need to wait for a later bZ4X model, because early cars won’t be able to make use of 11kW charging.
At a public rapid charger the bZ4X charges from 10-80 per cent in 70 minutes at 50kW or just 32 minutes at a 150kW-capable charge point. That’s not quite as fast as a Hyundai Ioniq 5 – which can charge at up to 220kW – but it’s competitive enough.
Insurance groups
The FWD model with 201bhp sits in insurance groups 37 or 38 depending on trim level. This is quite high, but is probably because the car is quite powerful. The AWD version is in insurance group 40 (out of 50) no matter which trim level you choose – even the top-spec version sits in this group.
Warranty
All Toyotas come with one of the best warranties in the new car world. As long as you have the car serviced at an approved garage, the warranty runs for up to 10 years or 100,000 miles. This is even better than the seven-year cover you get on a Kia EV6.
Servicing
If you pay for a bZ4X through Toyota’s latest leasing scheme, servicing is free for the first three years. Otherwise, it’s £180 for a small service and £260 for a major service, which seems reasonable.
