A few brands even as far as to state that in a few years they would be EV only. Others like Jaguar committed brand suicide by immediately stopping production of normal engines cars and going all in on EVs.

Well global EV demand has plateaued. Many brands are now saying they will keep going with normal Internal Combustion engines, alongside EVs. After losing billions of dollars in sunk costs.

In amongst all this sat Toyota. The largest car brand in the world. They openly stated that there approach will be to continue with hybrids and ICE cars  and cautiously approach EVs.

They were openly criticised for it. Many journalists, yes even many of my colleagues in Australia, questioned their sanity. A few mentioned that they would fall because of it.

Fast forward to today and Toyota’s decision appears as one of the smartest corporate moves ever.

They stated that the future shouldn’t be EVs only, that buyers should have a choice of car that suits their needs. And that Hybrid’s have more benefit for the global environment than EV’s do.

Their hybrid sales are  continuing to grow. They have a small but competent stable of EVs that have shared development costs. And their ICE vehicles are still in demand.

Toyota sat back and watched and are still in the lead.

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Im Rob Fraser

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Along side this they did a joint development with Subaru, for an EV SUV and released the oddly named BZ4X last year.

They have just announced some upgrades that include.

• A larger battery – now 74.7kWh
• Improved motor output
• Fresh interior design with a larger multimedia screen
• Refreshed exterior design.

The BZ4X now comes with a 74.7 kWh battery and an increased output for the 2WD version of 165kW.

The AWD version now has a combined output of 252 kW that will allow a 0-100km/h time of a reasonable 5.1 seconds.

Along with the increase in battery size, bZ4X engineers have also improved the battery thermal control and pre-conditioning to offer better charging performance in cold temperatures.

Toyota has updated the cabin of the bZ4X with a more modern and premium design, featuring a new 10-inch multimedia screen that evokes the style of a BEV interior. The company will reveal more details and pricing closer to its release later this year.

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I’m Rob Fraser

Readers can find more details about the Toyota BZ4X  – HERE

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Motoring Minute is heard around Australia every day on over 100 radio channels.  

Motoring Minute has an average daily audience of over 550,000 listeners. 

Listeners will find Motoring Minute syndicated through various news sites around Australia.

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They have just released the all-new smaller SUV CH-R. It comes in three different models with either a 1.8L or 2.0L hybrid petrol engine.

Second, they released the all-electric BZ4X SUV. The unusually named model is the first all-electric SUV for the brand and was jointly developed with Subaru.

Lastly, they have also released the updated HiLux range with some models having the new V-Active technology, which is a mild hybrid. This brings a fuel economy improvement for the diesel engine of about 10%.

HiLux variants equipped with V-Active technology add Multi-Terrain Select, which includes six selectable modes that enhance wheel traction in a range of road surfaces.

Toyota is one of the only brands that have a range of alternative fueled vehicles, with petrol, diesel, hybrids in both petrol and diesel and hydrogen fuel cell EVs.

Their philosophy is to give buyers a choice  of vehicles so they can buy what suits their needs.

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I’m Rob Fraser

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