Video by Leah Carroll. Words by Donal Byrne.
Ironically, while many Irish car buyers have consistent concerns about making the move over to fully-electric cars, the sales of EV's are growing faster than anticipated. Figures for the January to May period show EV sales up by 40 per cent.
They now account for 21.5 per cent of the market, with petrol just behind at 21.2 per cent and hybrid sales at 27.3 per cent, indicating that many people are still opting for the compromise between electricity and conventional engines.
It would appear new car buyers are well disposed towards EVs, but many are not quite ready for them yet.
The reasons EVs are still something of a nervous proposition are revealed in the results of research carried out by Toyota to coincide with the launch of the estate version of its Bz (battery zero) model, and those results are not surprising.
The main concerns people have relate to battery life, availability of charging infrastructure, long-distance driving challenges and the price of EVs. Charging availability has improved, especially along motorways and in cities, but we are not quite there yet.
However, prices have come down, with Hyundai and Volkswagen now offering budget EVs and Chinese companies coming fast behind with affordable family-sized cars.
The concern that puzzles me a little is battery life. Many manufacturers now offer an eight-year guarantee for their batteries, and Toyota is offering a warranty that guarantees 70 per cent of battery efficiency up to eight years, or 160,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.
In addition, the company offers a warranty covering up to one million kilometres provided the car has a yearly service with its dealer network.
It will be interesting to see how impediments will be viewed over the short term and how valid these concerns will remain as major factors for EV buyers.
The Bz Touring (a fancy name for an estate) is an extension of the current Bz, literally. It’s 140 mms longer, and 20 mms taller than the standard Bz, and the stretching exercise gives it perhaps its biggest combined appeal of interior space, comfort and a pretty massive boot.
It looks almost exactly like the standard Bz, which means a blend between rugged and, at the same time, conservative styling. Sitting on large 18" wheels with wheel arch cladding, it looks a little bolder than a Rav 4.
It comes with a 74.7 kWh battery, and Toyota is claiming a range of up to 590 kilometres, but we’ll wait to see how achievable this is in real-world conditions, especially when temperatures are lower and less conducive to optimum range.
It does, however, have a heat pump to improve efficiency, and it is lighter than some of its competitors, which also helps. Needless to say, home charging is really a must, as it is with any EV in Ireland.
There is basically one version, with a price tag of €44,881. For that, you will get things like adaptive cruise control, adaptive LED headlights, and cloud navigation free for four years.
The interior is spacious but, like other Toyota models, it still doesn’t have enough light and shade in its finish - a little colour contrast, such as piping or stitching across the dashboard, would go a long way.
There is lots of room front and back due to that high roofline, and the boot is something of a revelation, with a capacity of 669 litres. For comparison, VW’s biggest EV, the ID 7, has a capacity of 605 litres.
Toyota has been improving its software of late, something it needed to do. There’s a 7" driver’s information screen and a 14" centre screen for most controls and navigation.
The Bz Touring has a better claim than others to be an SUV, and space is perhaps its biggest asset. A longer drive than the one I had will be required to see what its range and other assets are.
