BZ5 Becomes Toyota's New Weapon In China's Electric Car Market

The latest electric car is from Toyota bZ5. (Photo: Electrek)

Toyota officially launched its newest electric car, bZ5, in the Chinese market. This vehicle comes with an impressive distance of up to 630 km, and is priced from 130,000 to 160,000 yuan or around Rp295 million to Rp365 million.

Reporting from the Electrek page, Wednesday, May 21, Toyota bZ5's first unit officially left the assembly line at Toyota's new FAW energy plant in China on May 16. This moment is not only the launch of a new model, but also marks a number of important achievements for the company.

FAW Executive Vice President Toyota, Bi Wenquan, called the launch of bZ5 proof of Toyota's strength and ability as a tough joint car manufacturer. This car is expected to strengthen Toyota's position in facing stiff competition in the Chinese electric vehicle market.

Interestingly, bZ5 is also the 12 millionth car produced by FAW Toyota. However, this model is called one of the most significant. Developed locally, bZ5 carries the spirit of go globally with a typical Chinese style,' as explained by Toyota FAW General Manager Fujiwara Hiroyuki. This strategy is part of Toyota's efforts to reclaim market share in the region.

Toyota bZ5 comes with two BYD Blade LFP battery options: 65.28 kWh with a CLTC distance of 550 km, and 73.98 kWh which can cover up to 630 km. Inside the cabin, users are greeted by the concept of smart cockpit wrapped in red sporty nuances, as well as a 15.6-inch touch screen which is the center of a minimal but sophisticated interior display.

Not only that, bZ5 is equipped with a Momenta 5.0 smart driving system that supports more than 30 modern features, ranging from navigation assistance in cities and toll roads, to automatic parking.

In dimensions, this car is built on the Toyota e-TNGA platform, with a length of 4,780 mm, a width of 1,866 mm, a height of 1,510 mm, and a wheelbase of 2,880 mm, in the sense of almost equivalent to the Tesla Model Y dimension.

Toyota president Koji Sato is optimistic about the presence of bZ5 in the Chinese market. China is at the forefront of electrification and vehicle intelligence. If our product can be accepted here, then we believe it can be accepted globally," he said.