Toyota is Working With ChargePoint to Ensure Customers Have Convenient Home & Public Charging Options for its New bZ4X Electric SUV

author: Eric Walz   

As Toyota Motor North America prepares for the launch of its first electric vehicle in the U.S. next year with the debut of the battery-powered bZ4X SUV, the automaker wants to ensure that its EV customers will have seamless access to charging both at home and at public chargers. 

The automaker announced today it will work with EV charging provider ChargePoint, Inc. to help ensure that bZ4X customers will have access to convenient charging solutions.

"We want to instill a feeling of confidence in our bZ4X customers by providing a variety of charging options both at home and away to serve each customer's unique charging needs and preferences," said Christopher Yang, vice president of EV Charging Solutions at Toyota. "The ChargePoint home charger and public charging network will further enhance our customers' ownership experience of the bZ4X."

The lack of convenient charging is considered to be one of the barriers to widespread EV adoption and Toyota wants to address this ahead of the bZ4X launch in 2023 and for the other EVs that will follow. 

Although companies like Tesla, Electrify America and ChargePoint are building out public EV charging networks, there are still not nearly enough chargers to go around as the EV adoption rate ticks upward.

For home charging, bZ4X customers will have the option to purchase a ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger from participating Toyota dealerships or directly from ChargePoint. It's estimated that nearly 80% of all Level-2 charging is done at home.

ChargePoint's Home Flex charger is ENERGY STAR certified and Wi-Fi enabled for access via a smartphone. It can be installed indoors or outdoors and comes with a 23-foot charging cable to support different parking or garage configurations. The charger can charge an electric vehicle's battery up to nine times faster than a standard 110-volt household outlet. 

For the bZ4X, Chargepoint's Home Flex charger can deliver up to 25 miles of range per hour and fully charge the vehicle's battery when plugged in overnight.

Toyota is partnering with Qmerit for the installation of the home chargers. The company will help guide Toyota bz4X customers through the process of locating a certified EV charger installer, offering an initial free quote and additional services to support them until the home installation is completed.

"Qmerit is delighted to offer its residential installation services to bZ4X customers, as over 80% of all L2 charging in the U.S. takes place at home," said Tracy K. Price, founder and CEO of Qmerit.

ChargePoint also offers a large public network of Level 2 and Level 3 (DC fast) chargers, including roaming partner stations, across North America. bZ4X drivers will be able to access more than 80% of the charging locations in North America.

ChargePoint's partnership with Toyota includes the use of its public charging API, so drivers can find and use and pay for a charging session right from the vehicle's infotainment screen or via the Toyota App.

"This arrangement combines Toyota's market leadership in technology and quality for the next generation of mobility with ChargePoint's leadership in delivering accessible charging solutions where drivers live, work and play," said Pasquale Romano, president and CEO of ChargePoint.

"Together with Toyota, we want to provide a high-quality charging experience for new bZ4X drivers at home and on the road." 

Toyota's first EV will be more affordable than many current preimum models on the market from Tesla, General Motors, Lucid Motors and BMW, which could make it a big seller in the U.S.

Toyota says the bZ4X will offer its "legendary reputation for quality and reliability with the performance and practicality drivers want in a modern battery electric SUV."

"As we look to expand our lineup of battery electric vehicles, we look forward to offering our customers the excitement, ease and convenience of owning a battery electric vehicle as we work together and drive towards carbon neutrality," said Yang.

Toyota's new bZ4X electric SUV was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Nov 2021. It's close in size to the popular Toyota RAV4. The bZ4X SUV was jointly developed with Subaru. 

Toyota's new bZ4X electric SUV will launch in the U.S. in 2023.

The electric SUV will be built on Toyota's e-TNGA EV platform and will be available in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. The front-wheel-drive model will come with a single electric motor at the front that's rated at 201 horsepower. 

All-wheel-drive models feature a dual-motors setup with the second motor powering the rear wheels for a combined output of 215 horsepower. These models will utilize Subaru's X-mode all-wheel-drive system, which is also found in the new Subaru Solterra EV, which is Subaru's first-ever all-electric model.  

A 64-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is included with the front-wheel-drive bZ4X, while all-wheel-drive cars have a slightly larger 66 kWh battery.

The front-wheel-drive bZ4X model will offer around 250 miles of range per charge. Toyota hasn't provided an estimated range for the all-wheel-drive model range yet, but we expect the SUV to be able to travel a minimum of 200 miles, which is plenty of all-electric for most drivers in the U.S.

The bz4X is expected to be priced around $36,000, making it a more affordable option to Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y.

ChargePoint, which is based in Silicon Valley, is one of the oldest and largest EV charging providers in the U.S. The company was founded in 2007 back when there were not many EVs on the road. Over the years, ChargePoint has continuously expanded its public charging network in the U.S.

In 2020, ChargePoint completed its business combination with publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Switchback Energy Acquisition Corp and launched its U.S. IPO.

Chargepoint's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the stock symbol "CHPT".

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.