Most automakers are introducing new electric vehicles (EVs) this year. With the competition heating up, many are now offering free charging as an added incentive to attract buyers. Toyota is the latest to make the move. But the automaker is doing it with a twist -– unlimited free charging for one year.
About The bZ4X
The offer is good on the 2023 Toyota bZ4X. It’s not technically Toyota’s first electric car – the company sold a battery-electric version of its RAV4 compact SUV in California from 1997 through 2003 and again from 2012 through 2014. But it is the first of at least 30 EVs Toyota plans to sell under its Toyota and Lexus brands by 2030.
Hence, the mouthful name — “bz” stands for “beyond zero,” the name Toyota plans to give its electric lineup.
The bZ4X is a compact SUV, similar in size to the RAV4, with an expected range of around 230 miles. It’s an unusual-looking vehicle, with a front end composed of origami-like folds and huge, prominent front fender cladding. It will be the first vehicle to use Toyota’s new Safety Sense 3.0 system, which adds low-light pedestrian detection to its automatic emergency braking system. That could address a critical weakness in many current safety systems.
Toyota hasn’t named a price for the EV. The company developed it in partnership with Subaru, which plans to sell a near-identical EV called the 2023 Subaru Solterra.
Most Plans Have a Cap
Whatever that price is, it will also get bZ4X buyers access to a full year of unlimited free charging at EVgo charging stations. EVgo operates about 800 fast-charging stations across 68 metropolitan areas in 35 states.
EVgo’s network today is smaller than Tesla’s Supercharger network and Electrify America’s network of stations. But the company says over 130 million Americans live within 10 miles of an EVgo fast charger. It has plans to build up to 16,000 fast charging stalls by 2027.
The offer is unique. Most EV free charging deals are longer than a year – Kia’s recent plan to offer limited free charging for up to 3 years for EV6 owners is more typical. But most of those plans cap the total amount owners can charge before they have to start paying.
