On April 16, FAW-Toyota joint venture launched the bZ3 sedan in China, starting at 169,800 RMB (24,400 USD). After the launch, Toyota China announced it received 5,000 orders for the new EV. Toyota bZ3 is Toyota’s first electric sedan and the only second pure EV in the lineup, and their first electric car was Toyota bZ4X EV.
Toyota bZ3 was released in March 2023 and began large-scale delivery in April. Toyota bZ3 sold 297 vehicles in March, mainly provided to dealers as exhibition vehicles and test drives. In April, it was officially delivered to users with sales data of 2,342 units.
The bZ3 is built on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform and uses lots of BYD technology, such as an LFP Blade battery and a motor from Fudi Motor, a BYD subsidiary.
Regarding body dimensions, the bZ3 measures 4725mm in length, 1835mm in width, and 1475mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2880mm. The bZ3 car comes in three options, with the highest trim level having a 616 km range and a price of 199,800 RMB (28,700 USD). The lowest trim level, Elite Pro, has a 517 km range and a single front motor. It supports fast charging from 30% to 80% in 27 minutes.
| Toyota bZ3 options | Range (km) | Power (hp) | Price (RMB) |
| Elite Pro | 517 | 174 | 169,800 |
| Long Range Pro | 616 | 241 | 189,800 |
| Long Range Premium | 616 | 241 | 199,800 |
It’s important to mention that BYD has already launched the 2023 Seal, with a starting price of 189,800 RMB (27200 USD). It will pose competition to Toyota bZ3.
In April, Toyota’s other EV, bZ4X, sold 17,77 units in China. Adding the two models together, the total sales of the Toyota bZ series in China in April were 4,119 units, with a market share of approximately 1.1% in the pure electric market in China.
Editor’s Comment
Toyota is working hard to increase its EV sales in China, and the current sales situation is lower than the company’s expectations. Throughout 2022, Toyota sold 4,037 pure EVs in China. It is equivalent to BYD’s 2-day sales in the Chinese market or Tesla’s 4-day sales in the Chinese market. However, from January to April 2023, Toyota’s pure EV sales in China reached 9,270 units, more than twice the amount for the entire year of 2022. At present, Toyota’s EV sales are still on the rise.
