Toyota puts battery centre stage with new offering

CAR sales so far this year have seen a huge jump towards electrified and full EV vehicles, with Toyota, one of the biggest proponents of hybrid seeing 98% of their sales in January being hybrid.

For the first time in the overall market, hybrid sales overtook those of diesel, marking a sea change, particularly in Ireland.

For many, hybrids are seen as a stepping stone to fully electric cars and while Toyota have yet to release a full on EV, their first production car will be here in May.

The bZ4X is the first of many Toyota EVs to be launched in Europe and it represents the first fruit of Toyota’s new sub-brand bZ, which stands for beyond Zero.

The 4X is a mid-size SUV, which comes with all wheel drive and a claim to excellent off-road capabilities.

Although based on the existing TNGA chassis, the new eTNGA is the marque’s first purpose built EV chassis and treats the battery as an integral part of the car’s body, sited beneath the floor. This ensures the lowest possible centre of gravity.

The four wheel drive system is enabled by dual motors, front and rear, doing away with the need for a heavy prop shaft.

At the front, slim headlights feature and the car’s size is disguised by a low overall height, slender front pillars and a lower axle line.

Up to 20” wheels are available and the electric architecture allows these to be pushed right into the four corners.

To enhance efficiency, airflow is managed over and under the vehicle, with a full underbody cover, a split roof spoiler in addition to a lip spoiler and rear diffuser.

The front grille features a shutter to channel cooling air to the battery when necessary.

A long wheelbase liberates plenty of interior room for five passengers with a 7” TFT screen directly in the driver’s eyeline to provide instrumentation.

A front wheel drive 4X comes with a 204hp motor and provides acceleration of 0-100km/h in 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 160km/h.

The dual motor version provides a total of 217hp and 336Nm of torque which reduces the acceleration figure to 7.7 seconds.

There are selectable drive modes including settings for snow and mud, deep snow and driving on mud at lower speeds. Grip Control is also available for optimum traction.

The lithium ion battery’s performance is guaranteed to be better than 70% for up to 10 years although 90% efficiency is targeted for the same time period.

The batteries are water cooled and carefully monitored throughout charging and discharge cycles.

To further enhance range, a heat pump is used to heat the cabin from the atmosphere while infra red heating is used, in conjunction with optional heated seats, to provide an instant heat boost.

The battery has a usable capacity of 71.4kWh and this gives a claimed WLTP range of more than 450km. 150kW charging provides for a 0 to 80% charge in 30 minutes while from the end of the year, an 11kW on board charger will also be available.

Later in the production cycle, a steer by wire system will be offered, which does away with the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the wheels.

This more compact system releases more interior room and the usual steering wheel gets replaced by a smaller control, with no need for hand over hand movements, with full lock taking just 150 degrees.