Photo: Dongchedi
Toyota unveiled the concept of a new electric sedan at the Guangzhou Auto Show, increasing the number of all-electric models in China to five. The bZ7 Concept looks similar to the Comfortable Space Concept shown last year and will likely enter production with BYD underpinnings, like the bZ3. Sadly, Western customers won't get the chance to drive it unless they travel to China.
Toyota is one of the most reluctant companies to embrace change despite vowing to flood the market with electric models. More than that, Toyota announces every year that it has a breakthrough solid-state battery ready for production, although nobody has seen it so far. The reality is that the Japanese carmaker only sells one electric vehicle in the Western markets, the bZ4X crossover.
The situation couldn't be different in China, where the market has embraced electric vehicles and foreign carmakers face difficulties. Toyota partnered with local carmakers and is launching more EVs using China-made technical platforms. The best example is the bZ3 electric sedan, a compact EV developed in partnership with BYD and produced by the FAW Toyota joint venture.
Since the bZ3 launched, Toyota gradually expanded its all-electric lineup in China with more crossovers like the bZ3X produced by another joint venture, GAC Toyota. Meanwhile, FAW Toyota will add the bZ3C coupe-SUV to the lineup while both companies make their variants of the bZ4X. GAC Toyota is also preparing to launch a medium-sized sedan next year, previewed by the bZ7 Concept unveiled at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show.
That would be the fifth electric model Toyota has launched in China, although only one (bZ4X) has been developed by its engineers. All others have used technology provided by BYD, and this will likely continue with the bZ7. This means that the bZ7 will use BYD's Blade battery and electric motors. The medium-large sedan looks to be the production version of the Comfortable Space Concept that was unveiled last year in Guangzhou.
The Toyota bZ7 is expected to go on sale in China in the summer of 2025 with an updated design language. It features a sleek coupe-like shape with slim front and rear LED lights integrated into the car's body. It looks like a more refined Prius, although with the features expected from an executive sedan.
There are no technical details yet, but it should offer more range and performance than the smaller bZ3 sedan. This is available with two battery packs, at 50 kWh and 65 kWh, with the latter offering up to 615 km (382 miles) of range according to the Chinese CLTC standard.
When it launches, the Toyota bZ7 is expected to rival the Xiaomi SU7 and the BYD Han at the lower end of the market. It will also face competition from its home country, as Nissan will also launch the all-new N7 electric sedan in China.
The situation couldn't be different in China, where the market has embraced electric vehicles and foreign carmakers face difficulties. Toyota partnered with local carmakers and is launching more EVs using China-made technical platforms. The best example is the bZ3 electric sedan, a compact EV developed in partnership with BYD and produced by the FAW Toyota joint venture.
Since the bZ3 launched, Toyota gradually expanded its all-electric lineup in China with more crossovers like the bZ3X produced by another joint venture, GAC Toyota. Meanwhile, FAW Toyota will add the bZ3C coupe-SUV to the lineup while both companies make their variants of the bZ4X. GAC Toyota is also preparing to launch a medium-sized sedan next year, previewed by the bZ7 Concept unveiled at the 2024 Guangzhou Auto Show.
That would be the fifth electric model Toyota has launched in China, although only one (bZ4X) has been developed by its engineers. All others have used technology provided by BYD, and this will likely continue with the bZ7. This means that the bZ7 will use BYD's Blade battery and electric motors. The medium-large sedan looks to be the production version of the Comfortable Space Concept that was unveiled last year in Guangzhou.
The Toyota bZ7 is expected to go on sale in China in the summer of 2025 with an updated design language. It features a sleek coupe-like shape with slim front and rear LED lights integrated into the car's body. It looks like a more refined Prius, although with the features expected from an executive sedan.
There are no technical details yet, but it should offer more range and performance than the smaller bZ3 sedan. This is available with two battery packs, at 50 kWh and 65 kWh, with the latter offering up to 615 km (382 miles) of range according to the Chinese CLTC standard.
When it launches, the Toyota bZ7 is expected to rival the Xiaomi SU7 and the BYD Han at the lower end of the market. It will also face competition from its home country, as Nissan will also launch the all-new N7 electric sedan in China.
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