TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp. has unveiled to the media a prototype of its new electric vehicle, the bZ4X.

The bZ4X, the first model to be produced by Toyota with its EV-dedicated platform, is expected to be a touchstone of the Japanese automaker’s EV strategy.

Toyota plans to launch the bZ4X in overseas markets around the middle of this year. In Japan, the vehicle will be available on lease contracts only, including through a subscription service for individual customers.

The model’s platform, jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru Corp., allows the battery pack to be placed flat under the vehicle floor, which gives the car a low center of gravity.

Drivers will be able to stably control the new vehicle, including when taking a curve, even though the model is an SUV with a relatively high vehicle height, according to Toyota.

The bZ4X can travel about 500 kilometers per single charge. Thanks to steps taken to prevent deterioration, the model’s battery can maintain its capacity at over 90 percent even if it is used for 10 years, which is the world’s highest level.

“We paid attention to everyday user-friendliness,” believing that it is a typical feature of a vehicle developed in Japan, said Daisuke Ido, a senior Toyota official in charge of the development of the bZ4X.

The new vehicle “has become a product that can be safely used for a long time,” he added

JIJI Press