Toyota’s Transition to Electric: What You Need to Know

Toyota’s new CEO, Koji Sato, leading the Toyota electric vehicles strategy, has announced Lexus' role in the EV transition. Lexus’ goal is to have a full line-up of zero-emission EVs and to sell 1 million EVs worldwide by 2030. The manufacturer also strives to achieve carbon neutrality in Asia.

While Toyota has been a leader in hybrid vehicle sales for models like the Prius, we look forward to seeing more fully electric vehicles by Toyota on the road.

Current Toyota Electric Models in the U.S.

Currently, Toyota only has one electric vehicle available in the USA, Toyota bZ4x, which comes in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. specs of the Toyota electric vehicle, bZ4x, include:

Toyota bZ4x (FWD, AWD)

• Range: 228-252 miles
• Battery size: 71.4 kWh
• Charging times:
• Level 1: 13hrs 13min
• Level 2: 4hrs 57min

Lexus’ first EV, the RZ 450e, is now also available for pre-order in the U.S. and has a starting price of $59,650. specs of the Lexus electric vehicle, RZ 450e, include:

Lexus RZ 450e

• Range: 220 miles
• Battery size: 71.4 kWh
• Charging times:
• Level 1: 13hrs 13min
• Level 2: 4hrs 57min

You can now find the full range of information about these vehicles, as well as all other EVs available in the U.S. today in our EV car pages.

Charging the bZ4x and RZ 450e: Your Options

There are three ways of charging your electric vehicle:

• Home charging:
• Level 1 charger: uses a standard 110 Volt household electrical outlet to charge an EV. It is the slowest type of EV charging and typically adds 2-5 miles of range per hour of charging. This is the charger that typically comes with the car.
• Level 2 charger: requires an installation. They plug into a 240-volt outlet (like your washing machine or air conditioning unit) and add more than 30 miles of range per hour.
• Public charging:
• Level 3 charger: super fast chargers available in public places, such as shopping malls, grocery stores and parking lots. They typically add around 100 miles of range per hour. Toyota also has a partnership with EVgo, which offers owners and leasers of the bZ4x one year of unlimited complimentary charging at all EVgo public charging stations.

Both the bZ4x and RZ 450e models come with a Level 1 charger which can be plugged directly into a regular outlet in your home. However, charging this way is slow and not suitable for every EV driver.

If you’re considering purchasing an electric vehicle from Toyota or Lexus and want to make your home EV-ready today with a Level 2 charger, take our survey and let us help you find the best charging solution for you.