Toyota's electric vehicles could finally be worth considering seriously.

      **Toyota**

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      This week is all about Toyota electric vehicles. First, the company revealed that the bZ4X will undergo a significant update and will simply be renamed as “bZ” moving forward. Today, it was announced that a new Toyota C-HR will be introduced, which has little in common with the previous model that left our market a couple of years ago. This new C-HR will share the same platform as the bZ, a platform that has been significantly enhanced since the bZ4X debuted in 2022. At that time, Toyota's first mass-market EV was uncompetitive on paper and unimpressive in reality. Three years later, with much improved specifications and a starting price that has decreased in recent months, it's finally time to take notice.

      To begin with, we still don’t know how much these 2026 model-year EVs will cost. The C-HR will be smaller than the bZ, and the current bZ4X starts at $38,940, which is notably better than the initial $43,215 MSRP when it first launched. Toyota's electric vehicles never qualified for the $7,500 federal tax credit under the existing criteria, which likely won’t matter if House Republicans have their way. Regardless, we can reasonably expect the C-HR to be priced in the mid-to-high $30K range, a segment that is rapidly becoming crowded with EVs.

      So far, neither the bZ4X nor its Subaru equivalent, the Solterra, has provided impressive driving ranges compared to competitors, which definitely affected the vehicle at its launch, especially given its higher price back then. Toyota quotes an EPA-rated range of 222 miles for the dual-motor all-wheel-drive bZ4X and 252 miles for the single-motor front-wheel-drive variant. The revamped bZ expected later this year will have a starting range of 236 miles for the base model with a smaller battery, with all other trims featuring a larger battery offering ranges between 278 and 314 miles, depending on the drivetrain. That’s a significant enhancement. The C-HR, equipped with standard all-wheel drive and 338 horsepower, is projected to achieve up to 290 miles on a full charge.

      Now we are getting somewhere. Looking at the competitive landscape of roughly $35K EVs, the 300-mile mark is becoming the standard. I recently drove a base $35,000 Chevrolet Equinox EV with an estimated range of 319 miles, and I was thoroughly impressed by its overall performance, except for GM's infotainment system. Hyundai's entry-level EV, the Kona Electric, is priced a bit lower than where we expect the C-HR to land, but it only manages a range of 261 miles on a full charge. The entry-level Ford Mustang Mach-E, without incentives, has an MSRP of $41,185 along with a 260-mile range.

      Of course, range isn’t everything, and it wasn’t the only issue with the bZ4X. Its unusual interior ergonomics were another downfall, and based on the photos, I'm unsure if the new model will rectify that. Slow charging was also a concern. While Toyota's forthcoming NACS-equipped EVs will include a standard onboard 11-kW AC charger for improved Level 2 performance, it seems they will still be limited to 150 kW for DC fast charging. (The AWD bZ4X bizarrely capped at 100 kW, so we’ve reached out to Toyota to see if this limitation applies to the updated model.) In contrast, Hyundai’s higher-end EVs, like the Ioniq 5, can reach up to 350 kW.

      There will still be compromises, as is typical with reasonably priced vehicles, and even more so for affordable EVs. The technology is rapidly progressing, and cars that can alleviate range anxiety need to be budget-friendly for the average consumer. Toyota’s EVs were previously sidelined because they couldn't engage in that conversation. “The bZ4X’s major drawbacks (range, quirky interior design) could be much more easily excused if it were cheaper,” my colleague Byron mentioned a few months back when Toyota lowered the price of that SUV by several thousand dollars.

      One final note: The C-HR has an appealing design. While I enjoyed the Equinox EV I drove, I didn't find it particularly photogenic. Its odd proportions and long wheelbase made it less attractive. If you need the space, it could be a solid choice. However, I don’t, so I find the C-HR's aesthetic much more appealing. It features Toyota’s new front design, which I already admire on the Prius, and it lacks the odd cladding the bZ4X used to bear. I’d still like to see it from multiple angles beyond the provided images, but