At Just $15,000, This is the Affordable Toyota EV You Can’t Have

The new Toyota bZ3X is, at less than $20,000, the sort of affordable EV American motorists are craving. The problem is you can’t have it. Not unless you’re thinking about moving to China. But it’s certainly connecting with motorists in the People’s Republic. And it might offer some insight into the sort of product Toyota just might eventually be able to come up with for the U.S.

China’s market for battery-electric vehicles is now the world’s largest. Much of the credit goes to the Beijing government’s NEV, or New Energy Vehicle, program which heavily promotes plug-based products. But it also helps that automakers are rolling out new EVs at a frenetic pace.

 

They’re also putting the emphasis on affordable products, some all-electric models coming in at less than $10,000. Those products require a lot of sacrifice when it comes to size, features, performance and range, of course. But the new Toyota bZ3X shows you can still deliver a respectable product – for one thing, delivering an estimated 267 miles per charge on the base model– at an affordable base price. It starts at just 109,800 yuan, or about $15,000.

Known in China by its Mandarin name – Bozhi 3X – the new model is doing so well it reportedly crashed the automaker’s online ordering system when first launched.

A little help from my friends

The successful launch of the bZ3X is a significant development for a foreign-based manufacturer, coming at a time when Chinese domestic brands like Geely and Great Wall have become increasingly dominant in their home market – to the point where some foreign marques, such as Ford and General Motors, are paring back operations in China. Jeep has pulled out entirely.

Of course, it helps to have some local help, the bZ3X the product of a joint venture between Toyota and its long-time Chinese affiliate GAC –the Guangzhou Automobile Group.

The electric crossover was first revealed back in December but when it went on sale this month it generated more than 10,000 sales within the first 60 minutes after the GAC Toyota joint venture’s order bank was opened up.

What’s new

While not the cheapest EV in China, bZ3X starts at a base price of about $1,000 less than the already popular BYD Atto 3. And it offers more features and better range. (To put it into American perspective, the 2025 Toyota bZ4X now offered in the States carries a base price of $38,465.

The Chinese EV measures 181.1 inches in length, with a 108.8-inch wheelbase. It stands 64.7 inches in height and has a height of 73.8 inches. By comparison, the bZ4X is 3.5 inches longer, with 3.4 inches more wheelbase. It’s only a fraction of an inch taller and wider. The bZ3X, meanwhile, boasts a flexible, fold-down interior that can handle up to 10-foot-long cargo.

The exterior design blends a bit of what would seem familiar from the American model with details borrowed from other GAC designs. Inside, the partners came up with a sort of mobile lounge look that should appeal to Chinese buyers who see their vehicles as extensions of their often-cramped apartments. The instrument panel is relatively spartan, though it features a 14.6-inch infotainment screen and an 8.8-inch gauge cluster.

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Powertrain

The bZ3X comes with a 50.0 kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery pack – LFP technology being one of the keys to holding down cost. The partners claim the 430 Air model can deliver up to 267 miles per charge. The upgrade, dubbed the 610 Max, packs in a 67.9 kWh pack and boosts range to an estimated 370 miles.

Those figures should come with an asterisk as Chinese range numbers tend to be highly optimistic and would likely be anywhere from 20 to 30% less using the U.S. EPA test cycle.

All versions of the bZ3X feature a single electric motor delivering 204 horsepower. By comparison, the current version of the American bZ4X pushes out a combined 214 hp from twin motors, front and back.

Pricing and packages

The GAC Toyota bZ3X is offered in several packages.

In base form, the there are relatively few high-tech features beyond the twin digital displays. That version comes in at $15,000.

Upgraded package including technology like the NVIDIA Drive AGX Orin X processor, up to 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic and radar sensors, and a LIDAR unit that helps underpin advanced driving assistance functions and even a Level 2+ driving system.

The S20 Pro jumps to the equivalent of $16,700, with the S20 Pro+ topping out around $22,000 with the Level 2+ technology.

When will we see it in the U.S.

Toyota’s initial entry into the American market, the bZ4X is about to undergo a mid-cycle update for 2026 aimed at addressing some of the issues that have generated mixed reviews and weaker-than-expected sales.

The automaker has promised to introduce more new EVs over the next several years but has yet to provide details. Something more affordable than the current crossover is likely to follow. But don’t expect to see the Chinese bZ3X cross the Pacific. Not considering the trade constraints currently in place.

Former Pres. Joe Biden quadrupled tariffs on Chinese EVs, to 100% of the wholesale price. That would make bZ3X far less of a bargain considering some of the alternatives such as the Chevrolet Equinox that starts just over $30,000 and which qualifies for the current $7,500 in tax credits offered on some American-made EVs.

We’ll likely see a more affordable American Toyota EV but how close it resembles bZ3X is uncertain. Odds are Toyota will build it in the U.S., possibly at the new plant its setting up for electric vehicles in Texas.