The bZ family seems a starter for NZ, so too the Lexus RZ, but what else might interest the national distributor?

WHATEVER particular favourites Toyota New Zealand has among a swathe of electric cars its parent revealed to the world on Tuesday night aren’t being shared. 

At least one model in the line-up of vehicles, spanning the Toyota and Lexus brands and touching into almost all zones – from sports cars and city-specialised drives to vans and rugged off-road fare – is odds on for New Zealand placement.

 That’s the RZ, the Lexus brand's first dedicated electric car, riding on the new battery-electric TNGA platform shared with the Toyota BZ4X that is a confirmed local starter in late 2022 and the Solterra, a Toyota lookalike from affiliate Subaru expected here in 2023.

The RZ as shown during Toyota Motor Corporation’s announcement appeared to be in production-ready guise.

It would seem highly likely Toyota NZ would also have interest in others in the spotlight, not least what appeared to be a future view of a battery-dedicated edition of its hugely popular Hilux one-tonne utility, called Toyota Pickup EV.

However, comment today from TNZ chief executive Neeraj Lala has not touched into this.

While allowing that many of the 30 products Toyota plans to build between now and 2030 could well be availed to New Zealand at some point, he has chosen to otherwise only reiterate previously expressed view that the BZ series – which Toyota Japan has called its ‘affordable line’ and confirmed will span five models - will lead the shift to battery electric vehicles for Toyota and New Zealand, and that “Lexus will provide compact cars like the (just launched) new Lexus UX300e for daily use.”

Toyota has signed off bZ4X and is about to start production. However, Tuesday’s show gave first decent look at the four additional variants, all on the common platform.

These include a compact SUV with a rakish roofline that draws parallels with the current C-HR hybrid and a smaller crossover prototype, with chunky styling touches added to compact city car proportions. The latter is cited as being for the European and Japanese markets and would target a power consumption of eight kilometres per kWh, to maximise efficiency. There’s thought this will be the next model to launch in the BZ series, and could make its debut in production form next year.

These will be joined a bZ mid-size sedan and a large bZ large SUV concept available with three rows of seats. Toyota has nor provisioned any technical information or further intended specifications for any of the concepts.

In more general terms, Lala has offered thought that Japan’s announcements of future vehicles, plus a $NZ100 billion investment spend on hybrids and battery-pure vehicles, provides TNZ with the opportunity to achieve its objective of leaving no customer behind in the transition to a low carbon economy.

Toyota had been consistent with the message over the past three years that a full range of powertrains will be critical meeting this target in NZ.

“The announcement by Akio Toyoda … supports these messages and the recommendations we have been proposing to key Government officials. We have maintained that hybrids will continue to spearhead our transition in the short-term,” Lala said.

“However, the announcement this week also demonstrates how serious we are in the expansion of BEVs. Most importantly, the investment and direction state our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality.

“We will work hard to identify when supply will be available, ensure the models we introduce are affordable for Kiwis, and most critically achieve the Toyota safety standards our customers have come to expect from our brand.” 

While the transition to full electrification would take time from an availability perspective, Lala cites Toyota Japan’s aim of producing 3.5 million BEVs by 2030 as being “just a baseline target” that signals just how serious Toyota is about electrification.

Global availability will be dependent on emissions and energy policies. 

“There has been concerns regarding our commitment to electrification.

“However, we have been working on BEVs for more than 30 years, and I am confident we are heading in the right direction and this announcement supports that. The BZ series will lead the shift to BEVs for Toyota and New Zealand, and Lexus will provide compact cars like the new Lexus UX300e for daily use.”

Toyota NZ was set to complete 2021 as the market leader, a position it has already held for 33 consecutive years.

“What is more pleasing to me, is that we will deliver more than 11,000 hybrids to customers, which is a new record.”