A reluctant participant in the growth of electric vehicle development, Toyota’s answering the call to bolster the performance characteristics of its first EV, the bZ4X — including a new name, now just the bZ. Check out the improvements at Headlight.News.
Toyota taken the covers off the second version of its first-ever EV, starting with a new, simplified name: the bZ.
Toyota’s nothing if not consistent, and despite being appropriately reticent about jumping into a shift to all-electric vehicles, the second version of its first EV benefits from several improvement, especially in driving range.
The new bZ can now travel up to 314 miles (Toyota’s estimate) on a full charge, which is a 25% increase from its original 252 miles. This presumes uses of the car’s larger 74.7 kWh battery. A smaller 57.7 kWh battery gets up to 236 miles, but it is only available on the base XLE with front-wheel drive (FWD).
It also comes equipped with the North American Charging System, formerly the Tesla charging system. Battery preconditioning is now available on all versions of the bZ. Toyota estimates the bZ can go from 10% to 80% charge in about 30 minutes using a DC fast charger, under optimal conditions.
Faster and farther
Toyota’s new bZ travels farther on a full charge than its predecessor.
The new model doesn’t just go farther, although the range is dependent upon which version consumers buy or lease. To get the 314-mile version, you’ll need to get the XLE with FWD Plus. Three other variants get you 299 miles, 288 miles or 278 miles — all farther than the previous model.
Toyota’s eAxles have also been upgraded, now using silicon carbide semiconductors, which help deliver higher power output. For all-wheel drive (AWD) models, output increases by 50% to 338 combined system net hp, making it capable of going from 0-60 mph in around 5 seconds. The bZ’s FWD models also boost their output, now delivering up-to 221 hp (previously 201 hp).
The 2026 Toyota bZ also adopts Plug & Charge capability, an industry standard protocol that allows automatic identification, authentication and authorization at selected charging networks, reducing the need for multiple mobile charging applications.
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