Toyota arrives with the bZ4X. But the beginnings are hectic with a case of impossible refills in cold weather.
The Toyota bZ4X is the first electric SUV from the Japanese brand. It also serves as the basis for the Subaru Solterra and the Lexus RZ450e, which, however, takes off in terms of style. It therefore rests on its tortured wings of great ambitions. But a perfectible development of its battery would cause it serious charging problems in cold weather.
It is a recent press release deployed by Toyota USA, which set fire to the powder on the North American markets, particularly in Canada. According to this document entitled “Five things to know about the Toyota bZ4X”the Japanese brand has surprising reservations about charging its electric SUV.
The Toyota bZ4X could not be charged below -20 ° C
At the end of the press release, Toyota indicates that the charging time may be extended ” significantly ” below 10°C. More surprisingly, AWD models would be even more affected than others below 0°C with a recharge that “may not be possible” when the temperature drops below -20°C. Also, Toyota specifies that more than two fast recharges per day “may negatively affect charging time”.
This surprised our North American colleagues, who fear that customers will not be able to enjoy their Toyota bZ4X in winter. Especially since it is the all-wheel-drive versions that will be popular in these regions where temperatures can reach -20°C. For now, Toyota has not provided any additional information on this subject.
A CATL battery at the center of the problem?
Recall that the Toyota bZ4X AWD is equipped with a CATL unit with a capacity of 71.4 kWh. It can aim for a maximum power of 150 kW in direct current on a fast charging station. Once full, it can hold a full charge for 450 km. For its part, the traction version is not particularly affected by this load problem. The difference ? It has a Panasonic battery.
How then can Toyota market models with recognized problems of youth? That’s the whole point. But this new case highlights the dark side of the electric car. For the moment, this problem is akin to a faulty development and a hasty commercialization of the SUV.
Let’s just note that Toyota is not the only one, and many other brands have arrived in the segment “under duress” from administrations and shareholders. This has led Research & Development departments to speed up the development, even if it means launching fairly finished vehicles: the Fiat 500e (problem with fast charging), Lexus UX300e (problem of compatibility with certain fast terminals) or Volkswagen ID.3 (software partially finished on release), are as many other examples that we can cite.
The reservations of rigor on the performances announced
But also, the characteristics of the electric car are far too sensitive to external factors. Consumption (and therefore autonomy) can vary from simple to double depending on the ambient temperature or the profile of the road taken. Same observation in terms of charging. Thus, many users feel fooled when they put the wheels for the first time on the highway in cool weather, and are surprised by a scalped range of around 40% compared to the WLTP value.
Since then, with the specter of Dieselgate still lurking in the automotive sector, manufacturers are issuing more and more reservations to avoid the resounding return of customers and authorities. Toyota’s note seems to be one, with the conditional rigor. But this is also the case at Volkswagen, the last we have noticed to date: the press release accompanying the presentation of the new ID.5 GTX specifies that the announced maximum power of 299 hp (220 kW) can be available for 30 seconds , with a battery temperature between 23 and 50°C, with a charge rate greater than 88% and depending on the conditioning and physical aging of the battery!
