Toyota has introduced a new all-electric family SUV in the Chinese market, the bZ3x, which is being hailed as the automaker’s most affordable EV in the country. Priced between $15,000 and $21,000, the bZ3x comes equipped with autonomous features that are usually found in much more expensive vehicles.
The launch of the bZ3x has sparked a lot of interest, with Toyota’s web servers reportedly crashing after orders opened due to a flood of visitors. This overwhelming response indicates the high demand for affordable electric vehicles in the Chinese market.
Operating in China through a joint venture with GAC Group, Toyota is making a serious push into the country’s competitive new energy vehicle (NEV) market. With over a hundred brands vying for market share, Toyota is aiming to establish a strong presence by offering a budget-friendly electric SUV with advanced features.
The bZ3x is available in seven different trims, with five versions without lidar and two with lidar included. All models are equipped with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, ranging in size from 50 to 58 kilowatt-hours. The larger battery provides a range of 520 kilometers (323 miles) on the CLTC cycle, with an output of 200 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. The bZ3x uses a 400-volt architecture and can charge from 30-80% in just 24 minutes.
Inside the cabin, the bZ3x boasts a minimalist design with a 14.7-inch center screen powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. The “smart driving system” is provided by Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta, utilizing hardware such as the Nvidia Drive Orin X chip, which offers up to 254 trillion operations per second (TOPS) of computing power. The vehicle is equipped with an impressive sensor suite, including one lidar, three long-range radars, 11 short-range ultrasonic radars, and 11 cameras.
Given the complexity of China’s traffic landscape, with narrow roads, two-wheelers, and tricky intersections, the bZ3x’s advanced sensor suite is a crucial feature for ensuring safety and efficiency on the road.
Local reports suggest that the bZ3x has been a hit in the Chinese market, with Toyota receiving 10,000 orders in the first 60 minutes of opening orders. The high demand led to the web server crashing, underscoring the popularity of the affordable electric SUV.
Overall, the Toyota bZ3x represents a significant step forward for the automaker in the EV market, showcasing a commitment to innovation and sustainability in the rapidly evolving automotive industry. With its competitive pricing and advanced features, the bZ3x is poised to make a significant impact in the Chinese NEV market and beyond.