Thinking about putting a Toyota electric vehicle into your drive time rotation? We feel you – and the best way to feel confident about your purchasing decision is to know your facts. We have tons of information about Toyota electric vehicles on our website, and we’re also here with the latest electrified Toyota news to keep you aware of what’s going on in the industry. Check it out!
What’s new in the world of Toyota electric vehicles?
So what’s new? Here are three things you need to know when it comes to N Charlotte electric Toyotas this month.
Akio Toyoda has stepped down and changes are coming. The CEO of Toyota – Akio Toyoda – recently stepped down from his position and Koji Sato will take his place. Sato has made it no secret that he wants to majorly expand Toyota’s presence in the electric car market and integrating more electrified options into the day-to-day lineup. Rumor has it that Toyota recently bought and disassembled a Tesla Model Y (it’s a common practice among automakers, believe it or not) to get a better idea of the manufacturing techniques that Tesla is using in their cars. What they discover will undoubtedly affect the design of new Toyota electric vehicles to come.
Toyota and Lexus are working on a new EV platform. As of right now, all Toyota electric vehicles sit on the e-TNGA platform. This is a slightly modified version of the original TNGA platform, which was designed for internal-combustion cars. Toyota and Lexus are sitting down together to come up with a new platform that’s designed solely for electric cars. See, the e-TNGA platform is fine, but it limits the size of the battery pack that the car can have. In turn, this limits the range that the car can drive on one charge, making it difficult for Toyota electric vehicles to keep up with competitors like Tesla. Toyota and Lexus’ new platform would allow for farther range as well as the development of all-new models to come down the road. We expect to see it in action by 2026, so stay tuned.
There’s a new bZ in the family. Remember how we talked about the bZ family, and how Toyota wants to expand this group of all-electric vehicles? The N Charlotte Toyota bZ4X exists stateside right now, and there’s also been a concept bZ SUV floating around that may or may not make it into the permanent lineup. A new bZ has been introduced in China, however – the bZ3. This sedan is actually a collaboration between Toyota and BYD, which is another renowned electric car company. The collab features the e-TNGA platform but uses BYD’s lithium-ion battery pack, motor, and electric control system, and the range is a whopping 372 miles. Additionally, the starting MSRP of this new Toyota electric vehicle is just $27,700 USD. We don’t know if we’ll see it at Toyota of North Charlotte anytime soon, but we’ll keep you posted.
Call Toyota of N Charlotte with electric car questions or to shop
Have questions about the latest Toyota electric vehicle news or want to get behind the wheel of one? Visit Toyota of N Charlotte today. We’re located just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville at 13429 Statesville Road. You can also see all of our inventory online or call us today at (704) 875-9199.
