Toyota bZ3C: the new electric SUV from the Japanese manufacturer for the Chinese market

The production version of the Toyota bZ3C, a new five-seat electric SUV, was recently unveiled when the manufacturer applied for its sales licence in the Chinese market. This model, the third from Toyota with a fully electric powertrain, was developed with the collaboration of BYD, from which it sources its drivetrain and battery pack, as shown in the leaked documents.

The Toyota bZ3C is presented as a four-door, five-seat coupé-style SUV, with a design clearly resembling that of the Prius. Its dimensions are 4780 mm long, 1866 mm wide and 1510 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2880 mm. The vehicle’s kerb weight is 1920 kg, and it will be available with 18-inch wheels as standard, or 21-inch wheels as an option. An important detail worth highlighting is that it may also be fitted with a LiDAR , as an option, at the top of the front windscreen.

The electric motor of the Toyota bZ3C is capable of delivering up to 200 kW of power and is supplied by Fudi Power, a subsidiary of BYD based in Changsha. The top speed of this electric SUV is, on the other hand, limited to 160 km/h, as shown in the documentation.

The bZ3C also features a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, likewise supplied by the Chinese company BYD. Although its exact capacity is not specified in the leaked documents, the range of this electric SUV is expected to fall between 500 and 600 km, always under the excessively generous Chinese CLTC homologation cycle. Therefore, real-world range will be somewhat lower.

Toyota does not want to lose its place in the Chinese market

The bZ3C was presented at the Beijing Auto Show in April of this same year. Its platform is the result of joint development between FAW, China’s second-largest carmaker, and Toyota. In addition to this model, Toyota already sells the bZ4X and the bZ3 in China, both also fully electric.