Economic Observer Reporter Zhou Ju Gao Feichang As a joint venture among joint ventures that entered the wave of electrification late, FAW Toyota brought two new cars at once to accelerate the catching up.
htmlOn October 25, FAW Toyota announced that its first electric vehicle bZ4X based on a pure electric architecture will be launched, and another electric model bZ3 will be unveiled. bZ4X is developed based on the Toyota 's own e-TNGA architecture and is produced and sold by FAW Toyota; while bZ3 is developed and produced by BYD and Toyota, and will also be sold by FAW Toyota.FAW Toyota joins the tide of electrification transformation of car companies with the trend of two electric vehicles, with great momentum. But the original plan was not the case. According to the original plan, bZ4X should be launched in June this year, but it has been postponed to the present due to various factors, which collides with the "schedule" of bZ3's debut.
bZ4X is a mid-size SUV and bZ3 is a mid-size sedan. According to FAW Toyota's official statement, "bZ3 will form a dual layout of FAW Toyota's electric SUV and sedan markets with bZ4X" and "is a more long-distance direct-in-one electrification layout, proving FAW Toyota's determination to start a new future of electric power."
bZ4X emphasizes that "Toyota quality"
bZ4X is divided into five different configurations. The suggested retail price after comprehensive subsidies is 199,800 yuan to 284,800 yuan, and new cars are expected to be delivered by the end of October.
From the specific price distribution of the models, the elite JOY version priced at 199,800 yuan is the lowest-end model, followed by the long-range JOY version priced at 229,800 yuan, with a difference of 30,000 yuan between the two models. The other versions of the car have a price difference of 20,000 yuan, 19,000 yuan and 16,000 yuan respectively. In other words, the lowest-equipped models mainly play the role of lowering the selling price.
However, as a product of a large joint venture manufacturer, bZ4X entered the market at a price of 20,000 yuan cheaper than the pre-sale price and less than 200,000 yuan, and still shows a very high cost-effectiveness.
In the joint venture brand electric vehicle market, FAW Toyota is a member of the late entry. Before bZ4X, there were already models such as North and South Volkswagen ID. series, Honda's e:NS1 and e:NP1, and Nissan ARIYA on sale on the market. In addition, GAC Toyota bZ4X was also launched not long ago. This car is the "brother model" of FAW Toyota's bZ4X. Among the competitors, what are the highlights of FAW Toyota bZ4X?
According to FAW Toyota's official introduction, the selling points of bZ4X include space, driving control, intelligence, security, etc. Among them, driving control is a key point. The exclusive BEV platform built on the e-TNGA architecture realizes low center of gravity and high rigidity, which helps improve the driving control experience. Judging from the parameters, the minimum energy consumption under CLTC operating conditions is 11.6kwh/100km, and the maximum CLTC range can reach 615km. In addition, X-MODE four-wheel drive off-road assist mode + Grip-Control intelligent creep mode improves the passing of harsh road conditions such as mud and snow, and can cope with various complex road conditions. In terms of
intelligence, FAW Toyota bZ4X has also brought many innovations, such as the high-efficiency solar charging dome, which can generate 1750km of power through solar energy conversion for vehicles to travel in one year.
For bZ4X electric vehicles, FAW Toyota has particularly emphasized its technical advantages in electrification research and development, including: Toyota's 25 years of electrification research and development experience, endorsement of battery 0 accident record, and quality endorsement brought by Toyota's QDR R&D standards; R&D with the goal of "90% battery capacity retention rate in 10 years", and suppress battery aging from materials, battery pack structure, control system, etc.; "prevention" of battery failures and "timely detection when there are signs of failure", and adopt a battery multiple monitoring system that can make users feel at ease and safe.
bZ3's BYD lineage
In addition to bZ4X, the bZ3 that was released simultaneously has received a lot of attention, not only because this is the first sedan in the bZ series, but also closely related to its identity lineage.
FAW Toyota bZ3
It is understood that bZ3 is jointly developed by Toyota and BYD's joint venture in China, "BYD Toyota Electric Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd." and FAW Toyota, and will be sold and operated in FAW Toyota and its sales network in the future.
bZ3 hangs Toyota's logo, but uses many BYD technologies inside, such as BYD's lithium iron phosphate blade battery.This makes bZ3 the first representative work of BYD's "technology output" to foreign-funded enterprises, and it also becomes Toyota's "second leg" in electrification in addition to its independent research and development.
At present, BYD is a well-deserved star enterprise in the new energy vehicle field, and it is leading the market with its monthly sales of nearly 200,000 vehicles. Toyota is a giant in the global car industry and is known for its complete manufacturing strength. Since the two established a joint venture in 2020, what effects can the joint relationship between the two parties bring has always attracted much attention from the industry.
It is understood that the maximum range of bZ3 exceeds 600 kilometers, is equipped with a new special-shaped steering wheel and far-view point overhead instrument, and has many innovations to address the needs of Chinese consumers.
Toyota will include the models developed in cooperation with BYD into its own bZ series, with multiple considerations. According to Toyota's previously disclosed bZ series development plan, a total of 7 models will be planned, of which 5 models will be introduced into the Chinese market. The bZ3 is specifically aimed at the Chinese market, which is conducive to rapidly expanding the product line of the bZ series.
Another level, the electric vehicle products of domestic joint venture car companies have not yet shown full competitiveness in the market. Taking the Volkswagen ID. series, which made its early efforts, as an example, it achieved a monthly sales of about 10,000 units with the support of five models. Honda's first electric car has a monthly sales of less than 1,000 units.
joint venture brand electric vehicles have become a common phenomenon in the industry, and FAW Toyota's electric dual-vehicle layout is undoubtedly a "two-hand preparation". The BYD bloodline that comes with bZ3 may help it break through.
test the waters " renting instead of purchasing "
FAW Toyota said that on the sales service side, the company has established a "bZ electric new world" that connects online and offline and directly reaches users. bZ4X will be sold in more than 740 dealer stores across the country.
In addition, FAW Toyota has innovated its sales model. In addition to providing users with twelve exclusive rights, it also launched an EV vehicle rental plan and provided one-stop butler service, namely "renting instead of purchasing". "Rent-use purchase" will be promoted in 14 cities first. Customers only need to pay a monthly rent to use their cars, without having to deal with a series of trivial matters such as license registration, insurance, maintenance, accident repair, etc.
FAW Toyota has previously focused on hybrid in electrification, and has begun to focus on plug-in hybrid and pure electric in the past two years. The arrival of bZ4X is the beginning of a new stage of pure electric development. FAW Toyota said that focusing on the development of electrification, enterprises will create a comprehensive upgrade from the R&D end, supply end, production end to the operation end, and create a full industry, system and value chain, empowering the comprehensive upgrade of electrification.
On the product side, in addition to bZ4X and bZ3, FAW Toyota will also launch pure electric crossover sedans and pure electric medium and large SUVs one after another, and gradually improve the electrification strategic layout. On the operational side, FAW Toyota will strive to transform from service-oriented enterprise to a full value chain user operation enterprise, "to bring Chinese companies' profound insight into user needs and the craftsmanship spirit of Japanese companies to the new generation of Chinese electric vehicle users."
Last year, Toyota Motor announced its electrification development plan, planning to invest $35 billion in electric vehicle development, and sell 3.5 million electric vehicles each year by 2030. Toyota said it will launch 30 electric vehicles by 2030, including pure electric, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel and ordinary hybrid models.
In the Chinese market where new energy is booming, the success or failure of the bZ series will be related to the effect of Toyota's electrification transformation. How well FAW Toyota performs is crucial.
