Toyota has finally introduced the successor to the all-electric bZ4X in the Chinese market. Named the Toyota bZ3, this latest electric sedan is predicted to be a formidable competitor to the Tesla Model 3.
The electric sedan is built on Toyota's global e-TNGA platform with a bZ3 battery pack made by BYD. Equipped with regenerative energy technology, the Toyota bZ3 is claimed to have a mileage of more than 373 miles. This considerable distance is helped by a drag coefficient of 0.218.
Toyota itself has not announced how much power output from the bZ3, but is estimated to touch the figure of 178 or 238 hp. The BYD lithium iron phosphate Blade battery is said to have significantly better energy density and safety than other designs. Toyota says that this battery is still able to function at 90 percent of its capacity after 10 years.
Dimensionally, the bZ3's footprint is almost on par with the Tesla Model 3. The styling of the Toyota bZ3 follows that of the bZ4X, with a front design that Toyota likens to the look of a hammerhead shark.
Inside, the dashboard is designed with a minimalistic aesthetic in mind with just a screen for instrumentation and a larger second screen for additional controls governed by inputs such as a dial.
In China, the electric sedan is rumored to be priced at $28,000, significantly cheaper than the Model 3 which retails for $36,000 in the same market.
With the release of the bZ3, Toyota said that the bZ lineup will continue to include several models in the future. Previously, Toyota had committed to produce seven bZ models, but it is not known whether the next models will still be built on the e-TNGA platform or not.
