[R3d_L0bst3r]

(photo courtesy of cnet)

For my comfort and economy the BZ4X is the best Toyota I have driven that fits my needs 90% of my driving life.

I am not an engineer, professional driver or YouTube Automotive review guy. Just a standard Dad who is trying to convince his teenage kids that he is cool.

Here are my observations of the 2023 BZ4X XLE AWD with Technology Package.

The Ride.
The quality of the ride has the right amount of comfort and responsiveness. Wind noise on the highway is loud but bearable. Lack of engine noise makes the cabin noise quiet. The JBL sound system is good enough to drown out any white noise from the wind /highway noise.

Just as you would expect trom an EV the acceleration is quicker which adds to the fun off the line or rounding corners. The regenerative braking while turned on does have an aggressive "bite" to it both in acceleration and deceleration. In acceleration, you can feel the gas pedal is heavier then normal to get the vehicle moving. In deceleration, the sensation simulates down shifting all the way down to second gear in manual transmission. I am able to drive the vehicle with one pedal but takes some time to learn the timing. Warning, driving with regenerative braking does not engage your brake lights. Could cause a rear end collision if the driver behind depends on your brake lights to slow down. Last note, unlike other brands BZ4X regeneratove braking does not come to a full stop... it comes to a crawl.

REGENERATIVE BRAKE Update: see March 1, 2023 and March 8, 2023 posts

The ride height is 8". This is identical to my 2022 Toyota Highlander. Provides enough confidence for me to drive through an unplowed snow covered street. The XDrive was easy to use and provided enough grip for me to drive through snow conditions.

The dashboard. Yes, Toyota does likes to do these "experimental" positioning of the dash board. From my first Yaris (center of dash) to this vehicle. Just like every other model I have adapted. There is a sweet spot in which you can position the top curve of the steering wheel to fit the curve of the graphics on the display. This gives you a driving position that is upright and comfortable. Yes, it's not sporty. Yes, no style points will be awarded when you role down the window and greet your friends. Yes, you will look like a parent.

The KM Range.
Current outisde temp of 0 to 10 celsius. I average 25 Kwh/100 km. This is driving comfortably with all the heat elements on (steering wheel, seat, foot well) on and driving about 120 to 180 km a day. My typical day starts with the car at 90% and I end my day at 40% (120km = 30kw) to 20% (180km = 55kw)

The displayed range on the dash is very decieving. Ive learned to drive blind and trust my calculations. Whatever is displayed range. on the dash will never be the actual range you get out of the vehicle. At the current temperature I am confident that this vehicle at 90% charge will get you 190 - 200 km driven with all the heating elements on and have 10 - 15 % of charge remaining at the end of the day. Any driving beyond 200km I would be stressed out looking for the next DC Fast charge to get through my day. To extend my range, i have driven the vehicle like an ice box and cracking the window to defog my windsheild and have managed to get 240 km with the same use (from 90% to 15%). Driving an ice box is not recommended.

If there is anything I can hope for in future Toyota EV's would be to provide a more accurate state of your battery and a better gauge on how much battery is consumed in real-time. The current set up gives you false hope that you will make it as far as the vehicle as indicated which in turn adds more grey hair to your life.

According to my Toyota App. My driving Pulse score in the last 50 days has been "Excellent" with 282 harsh cornering (i drive through three roundabouts daily) , 31 fast acceleration, 65 harsh braking.

More notes: turning on the fan reduces the diplayed range by 60-80 km. All other functions do not show a decrease in displayed range (ex. Heated seat, heated steering wheel, rear and mirror defog, etc...) but I do feel the rate of range available as I drive is reduced at a faster rate.

My Road Trip:

1. Start of trip at 99%.
2. Outside temp 7C
3. Turned AC on while plugged in for 15 minutes before leaving.
4. Highway driving 90% of the time. (100 to 120kmh)
5. 5 passengers. Estimated combined weight : 730 lbs.
6. Entire drive without AC or fan.
7. Total distance covered 177 km.
8. Drive Pulse score: Excellent , 1 harsh cornering, 1 fast acceleration, 2 harsh breaking.
9. Dash Board start of trip indicated 385km of range available. End of trip indicated 144 km. According to dashboard i drove 240km. Actual drive was 177km. This was inaccurate by 63 km.
10. Final percentage at end of trip 33%. Total use of battery 66%

My conclusions: Driving this vehicle like an icebox with 5 passengers and outside temp of 7C; I can drive this vehicle from 99% to 0% a distance of approximately 260km or 160 miles. If driven with AC on at auto/econo mode with outside temp of 7C I estimate this vehicle a range of 200 km or 124 miles or less.

I have zero confidence that this vehicle can get anywhere close to what is advertised. Toyota website claims 367 km driving range. At my current weather condition of 0 to 10C, 367km is hard to believe. Curious to note if I will get this range in the summer. I doubt it. At the moment when someone asks I can confidently say 210 km 100 to 0% driven comfortably... pushing it 250km. Fastest charge 15% to 80% .. DC fast charge 1 hour 40 minutes. Judge yourself, your trip, your drive accordingly.

My current charging set up. Using my dryer outlet. 220v / 24 amp / 4.8 kwh. ( 7 hours = 33 kw = 45% of battery recovered) Cost of equipment : dryer switch $400, level 2 charger $600, install $0)

Level 1 charger provided by Toyota. My previous charging set up. 110v (7 hours = 14% of battery recovered) Painful. Not recommended. Daily stress calculating trips. Anything more then 80km a day is stressful. Constatly finding a charging station and crossing fingers it is available and working.

Final Final note: Power Outage overnight sucks. Spending early morning sitting at fast charging station to make sure you get a spot and enough charge for the day is painful and requires determination, discipline, and self control from explicit profanity every 30 seconds.

Interior.
Piano finish collects finger prints and scratches. I have to wipe down with micro cloth on a reguar basis. The buttons and controls are easy to use and understand, very characteristic of any other Toyota.

The missing glove box is replaced by the center storage as it is deep enough to fit all the typical paper work you would have in a traditional glove box.

The new radiant heating element in the front passenger footwell is ok. The driver side heating element is as wide as the base of the steering column and is not enough to heat the entire foot well. The heating element in the front passenger is wider and does a better job heating your legs. Heated rear seats works as expected.

Exterior.
In person views look much better then online. I have the white/black version XLE AWD with the 20" wheels and rear split spoiler.

This is the first Toyota I have owned that strangers have approached me with complimenting conversations. Part curiosity as the vehicle is not seen often.

In conclusion:
Fits my needs. An EV vehicle at $50K (with $10k rebate). Fits my daily driving need of 180km per day with the ability to recover enough to repeat the following morning. Comfortable ride to and from with no frills. Confident that I can accelerate when I need to react. Keeping it Simple.

Bingo Fuel; military slang for minimum fuel required for a comfortable and safe return to base. (Enter Hunt for Red October movie reference here)

The reality is that for my daily driving lifestyle, I find my "Bingo Fuel" is at 35%. I approximate this to be 40 km before 0%. Driving below this point is calculated and any detour would incur some stress into my day. With my day constantly starting at 90% and my "Bingo Fuel" at 35% and current temp of 0 to 10 celsius those percentages equate to about 165 km of driving range at the highest level of comfort.

If driven like an icebox with outside temp of 0 to 10C. I would estimate 250 - 260 km of range. ( see my road trip experience above). Not recommended. WARNING: Driving and ice box sucks and will create a miserable, cold, unhappy wife.

I would not recommend this vehicle if on a regular basis you have to drive more then 180km a day during winter and you only intend to charge using a combo of level 1 at home and public charging stations. (Level 1 = 55% = 13 hours to charge). It can be done just might not be good for your sanity. I tried this for a month. It sucks.

On the other hand. If you drive less than 180 km a day and you have a level 2 charger set up. This vehicle is awesome.

2023 Toyota BZ4X, it is simple but good (only up to 180km). It's like a grill that only cooks and fits a single 8 oz. NY strip .. works really well... season with salt and pepper... nice quick sear both sides.. slow cook to medium rare... no sides... bada bing bada boom... thank you and good night. No gold foil.. no salt bouncing of fore arm... grill to fork to mouth... that's it.

My previous Toyota's:
2000 Toyota Corrola
2002 Toyota Yaris
2006 Toyota Matrix XLE
2010 Toyota Prius Limited
2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited
2017 Toyota Prius with Tech Package
2022 Toyota Highlander AWD XLE

Other Vehicles:
1993 Mitsubishi Lancer
1995 Mitsubishi Lancer
1998 Toyota Corolla
1990 BMW 3 series
2015 Mercedes C Class


Thank you for reading this far. I hope this helps you find the right EV vehicle.

Happy Motoring.

 

[osiris11]

For my comfort and economy the BZ4X is the best Toyota I have driven that fits my needs 90% of my driving life.

I am not an engineer, professional driver or YouTube Automotive review guy. Just a standard Dad who is trying to convince his teenage kids that he is cool.

Here are my observations of the 2023 BZ4X XLE AWD with Technology Package.

The Ride.
The quality of the ride has the right amount of comfort and responsiveness. Wind noise on the highway is loud but bearable. Lack of engine noise makes the cabin noise quiet. The JBL sound system is good enough to drown out any white noise from the wind /highway noise.

Just as you would expect trom an EV the acceleration is quicker which adds to the fun off the line or rounding corners. The regenerative braking while turned on does have an aggressive "bite" to it both in acceleration and deceleration. In acceleration, you can feel the gas pedal is heavier then normal to get the vehicle moving. In deceleration, the sensation simulates down shifting all the way down to second gear in manual transmission. I am able to drive the vehicle with one pedal but takes some time to learn the timing. Warning, driving with regenerative braking does not engage your brake lights. Could cause a rear end collision if the driver behind depends on your brake lights to slow down. Last note, unlike other brands BZ4X regeneratove braking does not come to a full stop... it comes to a crawl.

The ride height is 8". This is identical to my 2022 Toyota Highlander. Provides enough confidence for me to drive through an unplowed snow covered street. The XDrive was easy to use and provided enough grip for me to drive through snow conditions.

The dashboard. Yes, Toyota does likes to do these "experimental" positioning of the dash board. From my first Yaris (center of dash) to this vehicle. Just like every other model I have adapted. There is a sweet spot in which you can position the top curve of the steering wheel to fit the curve of the graphics on the display. This gives you a driving position that is upright and comfortable. Yes, it's not sporty. Yes, no style points will be awarded when you role down the window and greet your friends. Yes, you will look like a parent.

The KM Range.
Current outisde temp of 0 to 10 celsius. I average 25 Kwh/100 km. This is driving comfortably with all the heat elements on (steering wheel, seat, foot well) on and driving about 120 to 180 km a day. My typical day starts with the car at 90% and I end my day at 40% (120km = 30kw) to 20% (180km = 55kw)

The displayed range on the dash is very decieving. Ive learned to drive blind and trust my calculations. Whatever is displayed range. on the dash will never be the actual range you get out of the vehicle. At the current temperature I am confident that this vehicle at 90% charge will get you 190 - 200 km driven with all the heating elements on and have 10 - 15 % of charge remaining at the end of the day. Any driving beyond 200km I would be stressed out looking for the next DC Fast charge to get through my day. To extend my range, i have driven the vehicle like an ice box and cracking the window to defog my windsheild and have managed to get 240 km with the same use (from 90% to 15%). Driving an ice box is not recommended.

If there is anything I can hope for in future Toyota EV's would be to provide a more accurate state of your battery and a better gauge on how much battery is consumed in real-time. The current set up gives you false hope that you will make it as far as the vehicle as indicated which in turn adds more grey hair to your life.

According to my Toyota App. My driving Pulse score in the last 50 days has been "Excellent" with 282 harsh cornering (i drive through three roundabouts daily) , 31 fast acceleration, 65 harsh braking.

More notes: turning on the fan reduces the diplayed range by 60-80 km. All other functions do not show a decrease in displayed range (ex. Heated seat, heated steering wheel, rear and mirror defog, etc...) but I do feel the rate of range available as I drive is reduced at a faster rate.

My Road Trip:

1. Start of trip at 99%.
2. Outside temp 7C
3. Turned AC on while plugged in for 15 minutes before leaving.
4. Highway driving 90% of the time. (100 to 120kmh)
5. 5 passengers. Estimated combined weight : 730 lbs.
6. Entire drive without AC or fan.
7. Total distance covered 177 km.
8. Drive Pulse score: Excellent , 1 harsh cornering, 1 fast acceleration, 2 harsh breaking.
9. Dash Board start of trip indicated 385km of range available. End of trip indicated 144 km. According to dashboard i drove 240km. Actual drive was 177km. This was inaccurate by 63 km.
10. Final percentage at end of trip 33%. Total use of battery 66%

My conclusions: Driving this vehicle like an icebox with 5 passengers and outside temp of 7C; I can drive this vehicle from 99% to 0% a distance of approximately 260km or 160 miles. If driven with AC on at auto/econo mode with outside temp of 7C I estimate this vehicle a range of 200 km or 124 miles or less.

I have zero confidence that this vehicle can get anywhere close to what is advertised. Toyota website claims 367 km driving range. At my current weather condition of 0 to 10C, 367km is hard to believe. Curious to note if I will get this range in the summer. I doubt it. At the moment when someone asks I can confidently say 210 km 100 to 0% driven comfortably... pushing it 250km. Fastest charge 15% to 80% .. DC fast charge 1 hour 40 minutes. Judge yourself, your trip, your drive accordingly.

My current charging set up. Using my dryer outlet. 220v / 24 amp / 4.8 kwh. ( 7 hours = 33 kw = 45% of battery recovered) Cost of equipment : dryer switch $400, level 2 charger $600, install $0)

Level 1 charger provided by Toyota. My previous charging set up. 110v (7 hours = 14% of battery recovered) Painful. Not recommended. Daily stress calculating trips. Anything more then 80km a day is stressful. Constatly finding a charging station and crossing fingers it is available and working.

Final Final note: Power Outage overnight sucks. Spending early morning sitting at fast charging station to make sure you get a spot and enough charge for the day is painful and requires determination, discipline, and self control from explicit profanity every 30 seconds.

Interior.
Piano finish collects finger prints and scratches. I have to wipe down with micro cloth on a reguar basis. The buttons and controls are easy to use and understand, very characteristic of any other Toyota.

The missing glove box is replaced by the center storage as it is deep enough to fit all the typical paper work you would have in a traditional glove box.

The new radiant heating element in the front passenger footwell is ok. The driver side heating element is as wide as the base of the steering column and is not enough to heat the entire foot well. The heating element in the front passenger is wider and does a better job heating your legs. Heated rear seats works as expected.

Exterior.
In person views look much better then online. I have the white/black version XLE AWD with the 20" wheels and rear split spoiler.

This is the first Toyota I have owned that strangers have approached me with complimenting conversations. Part curiosity as the vehicle is not seen often.

In conclusion:
Fits my needs. An EV vehicle at $50K (with $10k rebate). Fits my daily driving need of 180km per day with the ability to recover enough to repeat the following morning. Comfortable ride to and from with no frills. Confident that I can accelerate when I need to react. Keeping it Simple.

Bingo Fuel; military slang for minimum fuel required for a comfortable and safe return to base. (Enter Hunt for Red October movie reference here)

The reality is that for my daily driving lifestyle, I find my "Bingo Fuel" is at 35%. I approximate this to be 40 km before 0%. Driving below this point is calculated and any detour would incur some stress into my day. With my day constantly starting at 90% and my "Bingo Fuel" at 35% and current temp of 0 to 10 celsius those percentages equate to about 165 km of driving range at the highest level of comfort.

If driven like an icebox with outside temp of 0 to 10C. I would estimate 250 - 260 km of range. ( see my road trip experience above). Not recommended. WARNING: Driving and ice box sucks and will create a miserable, cold, unhappy wife.

I would not recommend this vehicle if on a regular basis you have to drive more then 180km a day during winter and you only intend to charge using a combo of level 1 at home and public charging stations. (Level 1 = 55% = 13 hours to charge). It can be done just might not be good for your sanity. I tried this for a month. It sucks.

On the other hand. If you drive less than 180 km a day and you have a level 2 charger set up. This vehicle is awesome.

2023 Toyota BZ4X, it is simple but good (only up to 180km). It's like a grill that only cooks and fits a single 8 oz. NY strip .. works really well... season with salt and pepper... nice quick sear both sides.. slow cook to medium rare... no sides... bada bing bada boom... thank you and good night. No gold foil.. no salt bouncing of fore arm... grill to fork to mouth... that's it.

My previous Toyota's:
2000 Toyota Corrola
2002 Toyota Yaris
2006 Toyota Matrix XLE
2010 Toyota Prius Limited
2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited
2017 Toyota Prius with Tech Package
2022 Toyota Highlander AWD XLE

Other Vehicles:
1993 Mitsubishi Lancer
1995 Mitsubishi Lancer
1998 Toyota Corolla
1990 BMW 3 series
2015 Mercedes C Class


Thank you for reading this far. I hope this helps you find the right EV vehicle.

Happy Motoring.

Great rundown of your experience with your bz4x. Thanks for sharing the details.

 

[B.Wilkins_85]

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Did I read correctly that it took almost two hours to DC fast charge your vehicle from 15-80%? Was that on a 100 kW charger?

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

Did I read correctly that it took almost two hours to DC fast charge your vehicle from 15-80%? Was that on a 100 kW charger?

My DC fast charge from the road trip I mentioned: 33% to 80% took me 1 hour and 8 minutes. 32kwh

Location: Volvo Car USA Seattle DC4

On another location:
15% to 80% (if I remember correctly) took 1 hour and 34 minutes. 42kwh

Location : BC Hydro

See my photos below:

 

[B.Wilkins_85]

Thank you for clarifying. I just looked up that station—it's a 62.5 kW charger. You charged about 50% of the battery's capacity (~65 kWh net), and your charging rate averaged about 28.6 kW/hour, which—based on what I've seen shared from others (including Solterra owners), and also considering my own experience, is about the max that this car can charge at—even if it were a 100 kW charger.

Back in ~2009, my good friend & co-worker was an early adopter of EV’s when he bought an original, first-generation Nissan Leaf. For that car, with a 30 minute fast charge, he could get himself about 80 miles of range.

With a 2023 BZ4X AWD, 30 minutes at the quick charge station will apparently only net one about 30-40 miles of additional range; at least in cold weather.

Now I can understand why a new user over at the Solterra forums had to get towed home after picking up his car from the dealership. IIRC, he apparently ran out of juice on the side of the highway (unexpectedly, based on the GOM's estimates), crawled the car to a nearby DC quick charger, got a little further, but yet still needed a tow to make it all the way home.

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Thank you for clarifying. I just looked up that station—it's a 62.5 kW charger. You charged about 50% of the battery's capacity (~65 kWh net), and your charging rate averaged about 28.6 kW/hour, which—based on what I've seen shared from others (including Solterra owners), and also considering my own experience, is about the max that this car can charge at—even if it were a 100 kW charger.

Back in ~2009, my good friend & co-worker was an early adopter of EV’s when he bought an original, first-generation Nissan Leaf. For that car, with a 30 minute fast charge, he could get himself about 80 miles of range.

With a 2023 BZ4X AWD, 30 minutes at the quick charge station will apparently only net one about 30-40 miles of additional range; at least in cold weather.

Now I can understand why a new user over at the Solterra forums had to get towed home after picking up his car from the dealership. IIRC, he apparently ran out of juice on the side of the highway (unexpectedly, based on the GOM's estimates), crawled the car to a nearby DC quick charger, got a little further, but yet still needed a tow to make it all the way home.

Thank you for the info. Good to know. Will add this to my knowledge / database / records.

Yes, the drive home from the road trip mentioned in my post was slightly stressful. I had visited 4 other DC Fast charging at my destination as 3 of them were available accoring to the app but were either defective, vandalized, or non-EV parked in stall. Traveled homeward bound till I found a DC fast charge that worked. The scenario described at Soltera forums would be my nightmare during that time. Plus, I can imagine my salty wife and grumpy kids only adding fuel to this scenario.

 

[Nabaz]

For my comfort and economy the BZ4X is the best Toyota I have driven that fits my needs 90% of my driving life.

I am not an engineer, professional driver or YouTube Automotive review guy. Just a standard Dad who is trying to convince his teenage kids that he is cool.

Here are my observations of the 2023 BZ4X XLE AWD with Technology Package.

The Ride.
The quality of the ride has the right amount of comfort and responsiveness. Wind noise on the highway is loud but bearable. Lack of engine noise makes the cabin noise quiet. The JBL sound system is good enough to drown out any white noise from the wind /highway noise.

Just as you would expect trom an EV the acceleration is quicker which adds to the fun off the line or rounding corners. The regenerative braking while turned on does have an aggressive "bite" to it both in acceleration and deceleration. In acceleration, you can feel the gas pedal is heavier then normal to get the vehicle moving. In deceleration, the sensation simulates down shifting all the way down to second gear in manual transmission. I am able to drive the vehicle with one pedal but takes some time to learn the timing. Warning, driving with regenerative braking does not engage your brake lights. Could cause a rear end collision if the driver behind depends on your brake lights to slow down. Last note, unlike other brands BZ4X regeneratove braking does not come to a full stop... it comes to a crawl.

The ride height is 8". This is identical to my 2022 Toyota Highlander. Provides enough confidence for me to drive through an unplowed snow covered street. The XDrive was easy to use and provided enough grip for me to drive through snow conditions.

The dashboard. Yes, Toyota does likes to do these "experimental" positioning of the dash board. From my first Yaris (center of dash) to this vehicle. Just like every other model I have adapted. There is a sweet spot in which you can position the top curve of the steering wheel to fit the curve of the graphics on the display. This gives you a driving position that is upright and comfortable. Yes, it's not sporty. Yes, no style points will be awarded when you role down the window and greet your friends. Yes, you will look like a parent.

The KM Range.
Current outisde temp of 0 to 10 celsius. I average 25 Kwh/100 km. This is driving comfortably with all the heat elements on (steering wheel, seat, foot well) on and driving about 120 to 180 km a day. My typical day starts with the car at 90% and I end my day at 40% (120km = 30kw) to 20% (180km = 55kw)

The displayed range on the dash is very decieving. Ive learned to drive blind and trust my calculations. Whatever is displayed range. on the dash will never be the actual range you get out of the vehicle. At the current temperature I am confident that this vehicle at 90% charge will get you 190 - 200 km driven with all the heating elements on and have 10 - 15 % of charge remaining at the end of the day. Any driving beyond 200km I would be stressed out looking for the next DC Fast charge to get through my day. To extend my range, i have driven the vehicle like an ice box and cracking the window to defog my windsheild and have managed to get 240 km with the same use (from 90% to 15%). Driving an ice box is not recommended.

If there is anything I can hope for in future Toyota EV's would be to provide a more accurate state of your battery and a better gauge on how much battery is consumed in real-time. The current set up gives you false hope that you will make it as far as the vehicle as indicated which in turn adds more grey hair to your life.

According to my Toyota App. My driving Pulse score in the last 50 days has been "Excellent" with 282 harsh cornering (i drive through three roundabouts daily) , 31 fast acceleration, 65 harsh braking.

More notes: turning on the fan reduces the diplayed range by 60-80 km. All other functions do not show a decrease in displayed range (ex. Heated seat, heated steering wheel, rear and mirror defog, etc...) but I do feel the rate of range available as I drive is reduced at a faster rate.

My Road Trip:

1. Start of trip at 99%.
2. Outside temp 7C
3. Turned AC on while plugged in for 15 minutes before leaving.
4. Highway driving 90% of the time. (100 to 120kmh)
5. 5 passengers. Estimated combined weight : 730 lbs.
6. Entire drive without AC or fan.
7. Total distance covered 177 km.
8. Drive Pulse score: Excellent , 1 harsh cornering, 1 fast acceleration, 2 harsh breaking.
9. Dash Board start of trip indicated 385km of range available. End of trip indicated 144 km. According to dashboard i drove 240km. Actual drive was 177km. This was inaccurate by 63 km.
10. Final percentage at end of trip 33%. Total use of battery 66%

My conclusions: Driving this vehicle like an icebox with 5 passengers and outside temp of 7C; I can drive this vehicle from 99% to 0% a distance of approximately 260km or 160 miles. If driven with AC on at auto/econo mode with outside temp of 7C I estimate this vehicle a range of 200 km or 124 miles or less.

I have zero confidence that this vehicle can get anywhere close to what is advertised. Toyota website claims 367 km driving range. At my current weather condition of 0 to 10C, 367km is hard to believe. Curious to note if I will get this range in the summer. I doubt it. At the moment when someone asks I can confidently say 210 km 100 to 0% driven comfortably... pushing it 250km. Fastest charge 15% to 80% .. DC fast charge 1 hour 40 minutes. Judge yourself, your trip, your drive accordingly.

My current charging set up. Using my dryer outlet. 220v / 24 amp / 4.8 kwh. ( 7 hours = 33 kw = 45% of battery recovered) Cost of equipment : dryer switch $400, level 2 charger $600, install $0)

Level 1 charger provided by Toyota. My previous charging set up. 110v (7 hours = 14% of battery recovered) Painful. Not recommended. Daily stress calculating trips. Anything more then 80km a day is stressful. Constatly finding a charging station and crossing fingers it is available and working.

Final Final note: Power Outage overnight sucks. Spending early morning sitting at fast charging station to make sure you get a spot and enough charge for the day is painful and requires determination, discipline, and self control from explicit profanity every 30 seconds.

Interior.
Piano finish collects finger prints and scratches. I have to wipe down with micro cloth on a reguar basis. The buttons and controls are easy to use and understand, very characteristic of any other Toyota.

The missing glove box is replaced by the center storage as it is deep enough to fit all the typical paper work you would have in a traditional glove box.

The new radiant heating element in the front passenger footwell is ok. The driver side heating element is as wide as the base of the steering column and is not enough to heat the entire foot well. The heating element in the front passenger is wider and does a better job heating your legs. Heated rear seats works as expected.

Exterior.
In person views look much better then online. I have the white/black version XLE AWD with the 20" wheels and rear split spoiler.

This is the first Toyota I have owned that strangers have approached me with complimenting conversations. Part curiosity as the vehicle is not seen often.

In conclusion:
Fits my needs. An EV vehicle at $50K (with $10k rebate). Fits my daily driving need of 180km per day with the ability to recover enough to repeat the following morning. Comfortable ride to and from with no frills. Confident that I can accelerate when I need to react. Keeping it Simple.

Bingo Fuel; military slang for minimum fuel required for a comfortable and safe return to base. (Enter Hunt for Red October movie reference here)

The reality is that for my daily driving lifestyle, I find my "Bingo Fuel" is at 35%. I approximate this to be 40 km before 0%. Driving below this point is calculated and any detour would incur some stress into my day. With my day constantly starting at 90% and my "Bingo Fuel" at 35% and current temp of 0 to 10 celsius those percentages equate to about 165 km of driving range at the highest level of comfort.

If driven like an icebox with outside temp of 0 to 10C. I would estimate 250 - 260 km of range. ( see my road trip experience above). Not recommended. WARNING: Driving and ice box sucks and will create a miserable, cold, unhappy wife.

I would not recommend this vehicle if on a regular basis you have to drive more then 180km a day during winter and you only intend to charge using a combo of level 1 at home and public charging stations. (Level 1 = 55% = 13 hours to charge). It can be done just might not be good for your sanity. I tried this for a month. It sucks.

On the other hand. If you drive less than 180 km a day and you have a level 2 charger set up. This vehicle is awesome.

2023 Toyota BZ4X, it is simple but good (only up to 180km). It's like a grill that only cooks and fits a single 8 oz. NY strip .. works really well... season with salt and pepper... nice quick sear both sides.. slow cook to medium rare... no sides... bada bing bada boom... thank you and good night. No gold foil.. no salt bouncing of fore arm... grill to fork to mouth... that's it.

My previous Toyota's:
2000 Toyota Corrola
2002 Toyota Yaris
2006 Toyota Matrix XLE
2010 Toyota Prius Limited
2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited
2017 Toyota Prius with Tech Package
2022 Toyota Highlander AWD XLE

Other Vehicles:
1993 Mitsubishi Lancer
1995 Mitsubishi Lancer
1998 Toyota Corolla
1990 BMW 3 series
2015 Mercedes C Class


Thank you for reading this far. I hope this helps you find the right EV vehicle.

Happy Motoring.

Thanks for sharing

 

[Mike7792]

Does the awd differ from the fwd in terms of kwh/100km for efficiency?
Im in the same city as you but my daily commute isn’t as long as yours. I drive 55km daily from vancouver to surrey round trip. So a mixture of highway and city driving but I average 18.3kwh/100km (heating elements useage varies but i prefer a cooler cabin temp)

I see you average 25kwh/100km , is that not a bit “high” ?

 

[osiris11]

Does the awd differ from the fwd in terms of kwh/100km for efficiency?
Im in the same city as you but my daily commute isn’t as long as yours. I drive 55km daily from vancouver to surrey round trip. So a mixture of highway and city driving but I average 18.3kwh/100km (heating elements useage varies but i prefer a cooler cabin temp)

I see you average 25kwh/100km , is that not a bit “high” ?

I have no numbers to back this up since I'm still waiting for my FWD, but I would assume the FWD would be more efficient since it's one motor vs two. And it can DC fast charge up to 150kw instead of 100kw.

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Does the awd differ from the fwd in terms of kwh/100km for efficiency?
Im in the same city as you but my daily commute isn’t as long as yours. I drive 55km daily from vancouver to surrey round trip. So a mixture of highway and city driving but I average 18.3kwh/100km (heating elements useage varies but i prefer a cooler cabin temp)

I see you average 25kwh/100km , is that not a bit “high” ?

Possible AWD vs FWD varies. Perhaps a FWD owner can provide numbers.

As for my experience. I have the cabin temp set to 22.5C. I have the Economy, Auto button, Sync, heated seat 2/3, heated steering wheel 1/2. the driver (and passenger if seated) heated footwell set to 2/3. I also have the drive mode set to "Eco" and have "Regenerative Brake" on. My typical drive is 80 km round trip on highway plus 60 km city. At the end of these trips my dash displays my performance and I have yet to recall anything lower then 20 kwh/100. (Majority 23 to 25kw/100). My wife says on her shorter trips (grocery runs) she seen as low as 17 kwh/100.

The worse was 47kwh /100. This was on first day of receiving vehicle (i was too excited). I drove it with Xmode up and down snow covered streets, city driving, highway driving. Expermenting with Max heat and various differential settings, 5 passengers. Did 100% to 12% range of 130 to 150 km in one day (if i remember correctly).

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Here is an update my earlier reply about my average kwh/100km driven at the highest level of comfort. See photo below:

Trip distance: 68.2 km
Trip time: 1 hour 3 minutes
Trip Average: 28.7 kwh/100km
Outside Temp: -1 to 1 C

Cabin setting:
1. Auto Temp set to 22.5C with "Eco" on
2. Sync on
3. Heated seat driver and passenger 2/3 on
4. Heated foot well for both driver and passenger 2/3 on
5. Heated steering wheel 1/2

Car Setting:
1. Eco Mode selected
2. Driver + passenger
3. Adaptive cruise control set to 115 kmh. Driven this way for 95% of the time.
4. Regenerative Brake on.

 

[TomD]

I have a FWD since 12th Jan & I have 6.5km on the clock. I have kept a daily log of trips. Temperature has been between 0c & 12C during this period. The longest single trip I completed was 305km with 4km left at 2C at about 115 km per hour average motorway driving. .After that trip I recharged by 300km in about 55mins. As the temperature increased the range has improved. I would have a load of trips with say 280km completed & 70km remaining on the GOM. It appears the range to be about 320km > 370km at 12C. It has been an enjoyable learning curve

 

[joyinhawaii]

Thanks for sharing about your bZ4X, I feel sorry for you that you are having really bad experience with your bZ4X. However my bZ4X experience is opposite of yours. Mine shows slightly low miles driven opposed to your, my one way drive to work is 38.5 miles but my bZ4X shows 37.9 miles driven at the end of the drive, I think this is good as the tires are new and as they will wear down it will show correct miles and eventually a little higher than actual before the tires needs be replaced. Also, I am getting more than the advertised range, I have Limited FWD, I get around 270 miles with air conditioning running 100% time on full charge as opposed to advertised 242 miles. Of course I have the best weather on the planet as I live in "The Paradise" (Hawaii).

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Thanks for sharing about your bZ4X, I feel sorry for you that you are having really bad experience with your bZ4X. However my bZ4X experience is opposite of yours. Mine shows slightly low miles driven opposed to your, my one way drive to work is 38.5 miles but my bZ4X shows 37.9 miles driven at the end of the drive, I think this is good as the tires are new and as they will wear down it will show correct miles and eventually a little higher than actual before the tires needs be replaced. Also, I am getting more than the advertised range, I have Limited FWD, I get around 270 miles with air conditioning running 100% time on full charge as opposed to advertised 242 miles. Of course I have the best weather on the planet as I live in "The Paradise" (Hawaii).

No complaints here. As mentioned in my post, I am happy that it gets the job done for what I need it to do 90% of the time. I plug it in and gets me through the next day for a fraction of the cost of driving a gas engine. (Imagine my gas bill driving 160km a day) For the other 10% I intend to use other vehicles in my garage.

Based from what I have learned from others in this forum; the performance of the vehicle will only get better as the weather improves in my area.

The experience I have posted here is for those who are curious as to what its like to drive my BZX4 AWD vehicle under my conditions. (-5 to 10 C). To eventually persuade or dissuade from selecting a Toyota EV.

Maybe if time allows I will make another post in the summer.

 

[ElectricAvenue]

View attachment 1373 (photo courtesy of cnet)

For my comfort and economy the BZ4X is the best Toyota I have driven that fits my needs 90% of my driving life.

I am not an engineer, professional driver or YouTube Automotive review guy. Just a standard Dad who is trying to convince his teenage kids that he is cool.

Here are my observations of the 2023 BZ4X XLE AWD with Technology Package.

The Ride.
The quality of the ride has the right amount of comfort and responsiveness. Wind noise on the highway is loud but bearable. Lack of engine noise makes the cabin noise quiet. The JBL sound system is good enough to drown out any white noise from the wind /highway noise.

Just as you would expect trom an EV the acceleration is quicker which adds to the fun off the line or rounding corners. The regenerative braking while turned on does have an aggressive "bite" to it both in acceleration and deceleration. In acceleration, you can feel the gas pedal is heavier then normal to get the vehicle moving. In deceleration, the sensation simulates down shifting all the way down to second gear in manual transmission. I am able to drive the vehicle with one pedal but takes some time to learn the timing. Warning, driving with regenerative braking does not engage your brake lights. Could cause a rear end collision if the driver behind depends on your brake lights to slow down. Last note, unlike other brands BZ4X regeneratove braking does not come to a full stop... it comes to a crawl.

The ride height is 8". This is identical to my 2022 Toyota Highlander. Provides enough confidence for me to drive through an unplowed snow covered street. The XDrive was easy to use and provided enough grip for me to drive through snow conditions.

The dashboard. Yes, Toyota does likes to do these "experimental" positioning of the dash board. From my first Yaris (center of dash) to this vehicle. Just like every other model I have adapted. There is a sweet spot in which you can position the top curve of the steering wheel to fit the curve of the graphics on the display. This gives you a driving position that is upright and comfortable. Yes, it's not sporty. Yes, no style points will be awarded when you role down the window and greet your friends. Yes, you will look like a parent.

The KM Range.
Current outisde temp of 0 to 10 celsius. I average 25 Kwh/100 km. This is driving comfortably with all the heat elements on (steering wheel, seat, foot well) on and driving about 120 to 180 km a day. My typical day starts with the car at 90% and I end my day at 40% (120km = 30kw) to 20% (180km = 55kw)

The displayed range on the dash is very decieving. Ive learned to drive blind and trust my calculations. Whatever is displayed range. on the dash will never be the actual range you get out of the vehicle. At the current temperature I am confident that this vehicle at 90% charge will get you 190 - 200 km driven with all the heating elements on and have 10 - 15 % of charge remaining at the end of the day. Any driving beyond 200km I would be stressed out looking for the next DC Fast charge to get through my day. To extend my range, i have driven the vehicle like an ice box and cracking the window to defog my windsheild and have managed to get 240 km with the same use (from 90% to 15%). Driving an ice box is not recommended.

If there is anything I can hope for in future Toyota EV's would be to provide a more accurate state of your battery and a better gauge on how much battery is consumed in real-time. The current set up gives you false hope that you will make it as far as the vehicle as indicated which in turn adds more grey hair to your life.

According to my Toyota App. My driving Pulse score in the last 50 days has been "Excellent" with 282 harsh cornering (i drive through three roundabouts daily) , 31 fast acceleration, 65 harsh braking.

More notes: turning on the fan reduces the diplayed range by 60-80 km. All other functions do not show a decrease in displayed range (ex. Heated seat, heated steering wheel, rear and mirror defog, etc...) but I do feel the rate of range available as I drive is reduced at a faster rate.

My Road Trip:

1. Start of trip at 99%.
2. Outside temp 7C
3. Turned AC on while plugged in for 15 minutes before leaving.
4. Highway driving 90% of the time. (100 to 120kmh)
5. 5 passengers. Estimated combined weight : 730 lbs.
6. Entire drive without AC or fan.
7. Total distance covered 177 km.
8. Drive Pulse score: Excellent , 1 harsh cornering, 1 fast acceleration, 2 harsh breaking.
9. Dash Board start of trip indicated 385km of range available. End of trip indicated 144 km. According to dashboard i drove 240km. Actual drive was 177km. This was inaccurate by 63 km.
10. Final percentage at end of trip 33%. Total use of battery 66%

My conclusions: Driving this vehicle like an icebox with 5 passengers and outside temp of 7C; I can drive this vehicle from 99% to 0% a distance of approximately 260km or 160 miles. If driven with AC on at auto/econo mode with outside temp of 7C I estimate this vehicle a range of 200 km or 124 miles or less.

I have zero confidence that this vehicle can get anywhere close to what is advertised. Toyota website claims 367 km driving range. At my current weather condition of 0 to 10C, 367km is hard to believe. Curious to note if I will get this range in the summer. I doubt it. At the moment when someone asks I can confidently say 210 km 100 to 0% driven comfortably... pushing it 250km. Fastest charge 15% to 80% .. DC fast charge 1 hour 40 minutes. Judge yourself, your trip, your drive accordingly.

My current charging set up. Using my dryer outlet. 220v / 24 amp / 4.8 kwh. ( 7 hours = 33 kw = 45% of battery recovered) Cost of equipment : dryer switch $400, level 2 charger $600, install $0)

Level 1 charger provided by Toyota. My previous charging set up. 110v (7 hours = 14% of battery recovered) Painful. Not recommended. Daily stress calculating trips. Anything more then 80km a day is stressful. Constatly finding a charging station and crossing fingers it is available and working.

Final Final note: Power Outage overnight sucks. Spending early morning sitting at fast charging station to make sure you get a spot and enough charge for the day is painful and requires determination, discipline, and self control from explicit profanity every 30 seconds.

Interior.
Piano finish collects finger prints and scratches. I have to wipe down with micro cloth on a reguar basis. The buttons and controls are easy to use and understand, very characteristic of any other Toyota.

The missing glove box is replaced by the center storage as it is deep enough to fit all the typical paper work you would have in a traditional glove box.

The new radiant heating element in the front passenger footwell is ok. The driver side heating element is as wide as the base of the steering column and is not enough to heat the entire foot well. The heating element in the front passenger is wider and does a better job heating your legs. Heated rear seats works as expected.

Exterior.
In person views look much better then online. I have the white/black version XLE AWD with the 20" wheels and rear split spoiler.

This is the first Toyota I have owned that strangers have approached me with complimenting conversations. Part curiosity as the vehicle is not seen often.

In conclusion:
Fits my needs. An EV vehicle at $50K (with $10k rebate). Fits my daily driving need of 180km per day with the ability to recover enough to repeat the following morning. Comfortable ride to and from with no frills. Confident that I can accelerate when I need to react. Keeping it Simple.

Bingo Fuel; military slang for minimum fuel required for a comfortable and safe return to base. (Enter Hunt for Red October movie reference here)

The reality is that for my daily driving lifestyle, I find my "Bingo Fuel" is at 35%. I approximate this to be 40 km before 0%. Driving below this point is calculated and any detour would incur some stress into my day. With my day constantly starting at 90% and my "Bingo Fuel" at 35% and current temp of 0 to 10 celsius those percentages equate to about 165 km of driving range at the highest level of comfort.

If driven like an icebox with outside temp of 0 to 10C. I would estimate 250 - 260 km of range. ( see my road trip experience above). Not recommended. WARNING: Driving and ice box sucks and will create a miserable, cold, unhappy wife.

I would not recommend this vehicle if on a regular basis you have to drive more then 180km a day during winter and you only intend to charge using a combo of level 1 at home and public charging stations. (Level 1 = 55% = 13 hours to charge). It can be done just might not be good for your sanity. I tried this for a month. It sucks.

On the other hand. If you drive less than 180 km a day and you have a level 2 charger set up. This vehicle is awesome.

2023 Toyota BZ4X, it is simple but good (only up to 180km). It's like a grill that only cooks and fits a single 8 oz. NY strip .. works really well... season with salt and pepper... nice quick sear both sides.. slow cook to medium rare... no sides... bada bing bada boom... thank you and good night. No gold foil.. no salt bouncing of fore arm... grill to fork to mouth... that's it.

My previous Toyota's:
2000 Toyota Corrola
2002 Toyota Yaris
2006 Toyota Matrix XLE
2010 Toyota Prius Limited
2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited
2017 Toyota Prius with Tech Package
2022 Toyota Highlander AWD XLE

Other Vehicles:
1993 Mitsubishi Lancer
1995 Mitsubishi Lancer
1998 Toyota Corolla
1990 BMW 3 series
2015 Mercedes C Class


Thank you for reading this far. I hope this helps you find the right EV vehicle.

Happy Motoring.

Thanks a lot for the feedback on your bZ4X ownership so far @R3d_L0bst3r! How was the ride quality and experience like on your road trip? Aside from range is it a car that can handle longer trips?

 

[ElectricAvenue]

I have a FWD since 12th Jan & I have 6.5km on the clock. I have kept a daily log of trips. Temperature has been between 0c & 12C during this period. The longest single trip I completed was 305km with 4km left at 2C at about 115 km per hour average motorway driving. .After that trip I recharged by 300km in about 55mins. As the temperature increased the range has improved. I would have a load of trips with say 280km completed & 70km remaining on the GOM. It appears the range to be about 320km > 370km at 12C. It has been an enjoyable learning curve

Welcome to the forum @TomD and congrats on getting your bZ4X! What have you liked the most about your car so far? At public chargers what kind of charging rates can you get?

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Thanks a lot for the feedback on your bZ4X ownership so far @R3d_L0bst3r! How was the ride quality and experience like on your road trip? Aside from range is it a car that can handle longer trips?

The drive itself was great. Felt safe and stable at speed. The steering input was responsive and felt connected to the road. Acceleration at speed is awesome, hardly any lag when you step on it to overtake. The acceleration puts a smile on your face as you feel your body sink into the seat. Really enjoying accelerating off the line.

Wind noise is loud at highway speed. The JBL audio helps to drown out the white noise. Some improvement could be made here by Toyota. I have the larger wheels which I'm guessing gives it a bumpier ride, but nonetheless ride is smooth enough to put the kids and wife to sleep. In the end, the JBL audio drowns out wind noise and snoring. All good.

 

[Mike7792]

@R3d_L0bst3r Did you install a Level 2 charger at home?
If you did, what brand?
Any recommendations for local electrician? Im in Burnaby

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

@R3d_L0bst3r Did you install a Level 2 charger at home?
If you did, what brand?
Any recommendations for local electrician? Im in Burnaby

I have a simple set up. I get 50% back every night. (12mn to 7am)

I am using a Grizzle-E Level 2 EV charger in combination with a Splivolt (Nema 14/30 + Nema 14/50) splitter switch connected to my dryer outlet. The Grizzle-E can be set to 50/32/24/16 amp configurations.

Conveniently, my dryer and 220/30 amp outlet is next to the garage. All equipment is indoors.

I am getting 24 amps and 4.8 kwh.

This translates to 0% to 100% in approximately 12 hours. I drive my BZ4X 90% to 40% daily. Charging overnight from 12mn to 7am. (7 hours = 33 kw)

Cost:
Grizzle E = $599 CAD
Split Volt = $552 CAD
Install= $0 CAD

My preferred electrician:
Vancity Electric
Cory Byron
Vancityelectric.ca

 

[R3d_L0bst3r]

Additional observations on regenerative braking feature on my AWD.

Unable to reactivate Regenerative brakes

I have AWD model and I have been using for city driving and the regeneration booster rarely disengages. It does sometimes going down steeper hills. It is a 'drive easy' mode and if you stick with that it may disengage less. Currently, in Victoria, BC with temps around 0 Celsius, it does not...

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