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Toyota’s BYD-powered electric sedan to debut in China

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Japanese automaker adds jointly developed bZ3 to the lineup in EV push.

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Developed with Chinese EV maker BYD, the bZ3 is the second model under Toyota’s bZ all-electric series. (Toyota pic)

NAGOYA:
Toyota Motor will soon release its first electric sedans in China, expanding its lineup in the world’s largest market for electric vehicles.

Developed with Chinese EV maker BYD, the bZ3 is the second model under Toyota’s bZ all-electric series. The first – the bZ4X sport utility vehicle, developed with Subaru – has been launched worldwide.

The bZ3 will be produced in Tianjin and distributed in the Chinese market by FAW Toyota Motor, a joint venture with China FAW Group. It will have a maximum cruising range of more than 600km on a single charge, according to Toyota, about the same as the bZ4X.

The Japanese automaker’s announcement Monday did not give a specific launch date, price or production target for the new sedan.

Toyota so far has focused on gasoline and hybrid vehicles in China. EVs accounted for only around 5,000 of the record 1.94 million new vehicles it sold in the country in 2021.

Still, the automaker aims to achieve global sales of 3.5 million from EVs alone in 2030 as demand surges in China and elsewhere, an upgrade from its previous goal of selling a combined 2 million electric and fuel cell vehicles, which it announced back in May 2021.

The bZ3 is Toyota’s first EV to be equipped with BYD batteries. The bZ4X used batteries made by Prime Planet Energy & Solutions – a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic Holdings – and Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL).

Toyota plans to invest ¥2 trillion (US$13.5 billion) in developing batteries as part of its push to bolster its supply of core EV components. It announced at the end of August that it would spend up to ¥730 billion to increase battery production in Japan and the US. It is also leveraging partnerships with CATL and BYD to source batteries.

Toyota announced the bZ4X as its first mass-produced EV model in 2021. But it submitted a recall notice to Japan’s transport ministry this June over concerns that sharp turns could cause the SUV’s wheels to come loose. The automaker has since resolved the issue and resumed production in October.

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