AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)10/06 Report--

On October 6, Toyota recalled its first all-electric SUV model bZ4X worldwide. According to a notice issued by the Japan Land Bureau,"hub bolts connecting the wheels of the main vehicle may loosen, allowing the wheels to be separated from the vehicle." If the wheels separate from the vehicle while driving, it may cause the vehicle to lose control, thus increasing the risk of collision. No one should drive these vehicles until remedial measures are taken." In addition to the Japanese market, Toyota USA Sales has issued a similar recall plan, but it does not include the Chinese market because the car is not yet available for sale in the Chinese market.

This is not Toyota's first recall of the BZ4X. On June 23, Toyota USA Sales issued a recall notice for the same reason as above. However, according to the latest recall announcement, Toyota has proposed the latest solution, Toyota will replace all vehicle wheels, using hub bolts to fix, instead of the previous bolts. Production of the bZ4X was suspended in June after problems were found with bolts connecting the wheels, and the production line at Toyota's planned Motomachi plant in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is expected to restart in mid-October as new solutions are proposed.

In December 2021, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda officially announced the electric transformation plan: Toyota hopes to achieve 100% electrification of Lexus models sold to the United States, Europe, China and other places by 2030, and achieve this goal globally by 2035 thereafter. Previously, Toyota Zhang male is not optimistic about the future development of pure electric vehicles, announced the electric transformation plan is more like helpless, and as the first landing product of the electric transformation plan, Toyota bZ4X market performance is not ideal.

On April 28, FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota announced the pre-sale price of bZ4X one after another, and the pre-sale price range was 220,000 - 300,000 yuan. According to the plan, FAW Toyota bZ4X and GAC Toyota bZ4X will officially announce the final prices of the two models on June 17. However, after more than two months of fanfare about the bZ4X, two hours before the final price announcement, officials suddenly announced a postponement of the launch, citing "supply chain uncertainty, delaying the price announcement to ensure the interests of users, and currently working on a more consumer-friendly price."

Industry insiders believe that the pre-sale price of bZ4X is 220,000 - 300,000 yuan, while the overseas (US market) starting price is 42,000 US dollars. The price in the domestic market is actually lower than the overseas price. The release of major products is cancelled directly because of price adjustment, which is not convincing. On the day the launch was postponed, car critics revealed on their social platforms that "Toyota found in recent tests that the bZ4X battery management system would go wrong in cold conditions, resulting in failure to charge."

Although the bZ4X belongs to the global model, the domestic market is not the same as the overseas version of the battery supplier, the domestic bZ4X battery supply is Ningde era, while the overseas version is provided by Toyota and Panasonic joint venture. However, due to "battery management system error" led to the suspension of the conference, has also been officially denied.

Toyota then began recalling bZ4X models in global markets due to possible wheel separation from the vehicle body. In the U.S. market, Toyota will provide owners of recalled bZ4X models with comprehensive guarantees including transfer vehicles, fuel subsidies, cash compensation, free charging pile renewal and warranty extension.

At present, when Toyota bZ4X will be listed in China is unknown. However, according to previous sources, Toyota plans to start production and sales processes at the end of the year for the pure electric model bZ3, a pure electric product launched jointly by Toyota and BYD and the second model of Toyota bZ series.

According to the relevant information declared by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the bZ3 is similar to the bZ SND concept car released by Toyota before. It adopts the headlight group style with corner design. The new car is also equipped with a through-type LED daytime running lamp group. The front surround uses a layered design. The central cooling opening and ventilation openings on both sides create a very good sports atmosphere. In terms of size, the length, width and height of the new car are 4725/1835/1475mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2880mm, which is close to Tesla Model 3. In terms of power, the battery and motor of bZ3 are provided by BYD's Fudi, among which the battery adopts lithium iron phosphate battery, and is matched with rear single motor, and its maximum power provides 135kw and 180kw.

Toyota, the second model in its bZ electric car family, had planned to officially launch it at the Beijing auto show, but was delayed by the epidemic. According to Sky Eye Inspection, BYD Toyota Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the two parties, was established in 2020 with a registered capital of 345 million yuan and a share ratio of 50% each. However, BYD Toyota Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. has no production base. bZ3 will be produced in FAW Toyota Tianjin Factory. The three electric technologies will be provided by BYD, which is regarded as the first model launched after Toyota and BYD joint venture. As for the price, the market is expected to be around 200,000 yuan, 100,000 yuan cheaper than Tesla Model 3.

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