If you have been in the market for a brand new electric car very recently, you have probably noticed that the average waiting time is around a year and a half, which is kind of crazy. In the meanwhile, used car and gas prices haven't stopped climbing. At this point, you are probably thinking about getting a new model that is not out yet since you have to wait anyway. The Toyota Bz4X seems to be a great option since the brand is reputed for its reliability and great resale value. However, the Japanese manufacturer recently made a controversial announcement about his first all-electric vehicle.
Apparently, the fast-charging system doesn't work below minus 4 degrees Celsius. This is not a problem if you live somewhere where it's hot, like California or Texas, but here in Canada, that is a whole different story since a - 4 degrees is kind of an average for several months in the year. This is very frustrating indeed because it takes about 30 minutes to take charge of the vehicle from 10 to 80%. Then, in cold temperatures, it takes about 10 hours to charge the Toyota Bz4X.
We don't have much information about it yet, but there is some speculation about the fact it's even worse when the temperature goes colder than minus 4 degrees Celsius. Again this might not be a problem if you live somewhere where it doesn't really go below that. However, here in Canada, temperatures can go as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius, and I'm not even talking about the northern part of the country.
This is kind of sad because the Toyota Bz4X is a very interesting vehicle for our market. I'm sure it will be as reliable as any other Toyota model, and as a matter of fact, it will be pretty affordable, which is even worst to know for us in Canada. I mean, Toyota is not the only manufacturer that is making electric vehicles. Yes, the average range of an all-electric vehicle is significantly lower during the winter season. There isn't much we can do about it, and in some cases, like with the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, it's literally impossible to put it in all EV mode during winter. However, this is the first time I heard about electric vehicles not being able too used to fast chargers under a certain temperature. Since Canada is one of the best markets currently for electric vehicles, I am sure the Japanese manufacturer will find a solution before the Bz4X start to be delivered in mass.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier
