It's been eight years since Toyota last offered a battery electric vehicle here in the United States, and it only existed to satisfy California's strict zero-emissions mandate. After dragging its feet since then, the Japanese automaker is finally ready to offer an electric car that does more than meet government regulations. Enter the 2023 Toyota bZ4X, the first in a new series of 'Beyond Zero' EVs accounting for 30 models by 2030 - hence the bZ moniker. The '4X' portion of the name refers to the size and body style, roughly translating to a RAV4-sized crossover.With the mainstream EV segment still relatively new, the bZ4X will enter the fray against a wide variety of competitors. There's the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 from Asia, the Ford Mustang Mach-E from the USA, the Volkswagen ID.4 from Germany, and the Subaru Solterra, a rebadged version of the bZ4X. And that's just what's available now; more are coming. Toyota is hoping that 201 horsepower in FWD trim and 214 hp in AWD dual-motor form are enough to stave off the threat from rivals, but with only 252 miles worth of range in its most efficient FWD configuration, the bZ4X will have to put up a strong showing in other areas.
