Its looks might challenge convention, but we bet it’ll get a lot of people into EVs.
ToyotaToyota’s BZ4X electric SUV may sound like it’s named after a copy machine and feature some somewhat unconventional styling. Still, it looks like it’ll be a good first SUV for many people and an overall decent value proposition. That proposition only looks like it’s getting better thanks to an announcement made by Toyota on Thursday that BZ4X customers would be getting a year of free charging with EVGo.
This partnership with EVGo is brilliant for a few reasons. First, people love the word “free.” That they won’t have to pay for charging for a year will likely be enough to convince some people to make the jump to an EV. It also makes the BZ4X a more attractive option for someone who maybe can’t charge at their home since they’ll be able to fast charge for free, and EVGo stations are relatively commonplace so apartment dwellers with a burgeoning EV kink should statistically be relatively close to one, making charging convenient.
This isn’t the first time that Toyota has employed a free fuel strategy with an unconventional vehicle, either. It has offered folks who bought a Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in California up to $15,000 in free fuel as well as nearly a month of rental car days in case the still somewhat unreliable hydrogen network makes it impossible to fill up when you need to.
Will the free charging thing be enough to get people over the way the BZ4X looks, as well as their initial concerns about transitioning to electric power for their transportation needs? Who knows, but it’s a pretty good start.
Watch this: 2023 Toyota BZ4X: Toyota’s future starts now
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