Toyota made a big splash in Europe last week with major upgrades to the bZ4X and Lexus RZ crossovers, as well as the debut of the new C-HR+. Yet across the lineup, the real story lies beneath the surface: massive hardware upgrades, bigger batteries, upgraded motors and smarter tech.
The current Toyota bZ4X is not exactly class-leading in terms of range, charging or performance. It was in dire need of upgrades to truly resonate with the masses. Turns out, Toyota was listening to its growing base of customers who want great EVs.
While most of the details are Europe-specific for now, there’s little reason to believe these upgrades won’t arrive in the U.S. After all, Toyota invited American journalists to the unveiling, so a U.S. launch for some of this stuff is all but inevitable.
Bigger, More Energy Dense Batteries
Photo by: Lexus
The current bZ4X in the U.S. gets two battery sizes: 71.4 kilowatt-hours on the front-wheel drive, reportedly sourced from Prime Planet & Energy Solutions, Toyota’s joint venture with Panasonic and 72.8 kWh on the all-wheel drive, which comes from CATL.
The bZ4X now gets different batteries. The base version has a smaller 57.7 kWh unit and the longer-range model has a larger 73.1 kWh unit. Its Chief Engineer, Masaya Uchiyama, told InsideEVs that these batteries are now more energy-dense and the number of cells has also increased.
It’s unclear who the suppliers are, but at some point, it’s good to assume it will be LG Energy Solution or Toyota’s own $14 billion battery plant in North Carolina. The latter will be ready to ship batteries for Toyota hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs from April. Toyota also announced in 2023 that LGES would begin supplying NCMA batteries for Toyota BEVs in the U.S. from 2025.
That said, the European-spec bZ4X would get up to 356 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. Those estimates are typically about 22% higher than EPA numbers, so we figure the bZ4X might still get roughly 280 miles of range stateside—substantially better than the maximum 252 miles on the current FWD version available here.
The new C-HR+ also gets an even larger battery. The crossover coupe, which is mechanically unrelated to its now-discontinued gas-powered namesake, will get a 57.7 kWh pack and a larger 77 kWh pack. Toyota estimates that the latter will deliver 373 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, so expect its EPA range to be close to 300 miles.
The Lexus RZ will also get these upgrades, including the bigger 77 kWh pack. If you’re an enthusiast, its 408 hp range-topping version would be the one to go for.
Improved Charging Performance
Photo by: Lexus
The current bZ4X is too lazy to gulp electrons, which means owners end up spending far too long at public fast-charging stations. Our pals at the YouTube channel Out Of Spec Reviews ran a charging test with a 2022 bZ4X. It went from 0-80% in over an hour, which is terrible for anyone planning a road trip.
The max DC fast-charging rate of 150 kilowatts is the same on the upgraded models, but Toyota engineers told InsideEVs that the charging curve is now flatter, which would mean more consistent speeds at a higher rate. As a result, Toyota claims the charging time has now been halved.
Level 2 charging has also improved and that’s crucial as most owners would likely end up plugging in at home. The peak for AC charging has been doubled from 11 kW to 22 kW. Expect these upgrades to be uniform across models, including the bZ4x, C-HR+, Lexus RZ and quite possibly the Subaru iterations of the same.
Battery Preconditioning, Route Planning, Upgraded “eAxles”
Photo by: Lexus
Battery preconditioning is another welcome addition to Toyota EVs. It will now be standard and should also improve charging speeds. This would ensure that the battery would reach optimal temperatures by the time the vehicle arrives at a charging station. And also improve the pack’s thermal management.
Customers will be able to activate battery preconditioning manually or automatically with route planning, which is also new for Toyota BEVs. Earlier, owners had to use the Toyota smartphone app for route planning, but the new models will be natively equipped with this feature. So when you enter a destination, the vehicle will suggest charging stops along the way.
Photo by: Toyota
2025 Toyota bZ4X Interior
The electric motors are now more powerful with silicon carbide inverters, which makes them more efficient and powerful. The bZ4X has a maximum output of 343 hp whereas the Lexus RZ will deliver 408 hp. That’s pretty sick for the bZ4X, especially, as it’s supposed to be a mass-market family crossover.
Speaking of the motors, Toyota said its “eAxle” electric motor system is also upgraded. On the RZ, for example, the front and rear motors will have an identical power output, which Toyota says will help with better power distribution. It also said that the all-wheel-drive system now reduces pitch while acceleration and minimizes dive during braking by redistributing brake force between the axles.
A Real Shift For Toyota
Photo by: Toyota
Some of these upgrades already exist on newer EVs. But remember that for Toyota—long criticized as a laggard in the EV space—it’s a big shift.
Toyota also has several advantages over newcomers, like millions of loyal customers and an established network of dealerships and service centers. And now that the world’s largest automaker is finally onboard with EVs, it has the power to steer the entire car industry towards taking EVs more seriously.
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