The Toyota bZ3 is an electric vehicle and is the second electric vehicle in the “bZ” family after the bZ4X SUV. The vehicle depends on the e-TNGA stage and has been created in collaboration with Toyota, FAW Toyota and BYD, with the latter offering a battery and electric motor to power the bZ3.
The new 4.7-meter vehicle joins the mid-range segment and, with a wheelbase of almost 2.9 meters, will rival the Tesla Model 3 and Nio ET5. Two power options are available – 135 kW or 180 kW. Power is diverted from the rear tires by a lone electric motor, making this more remarkable 240bhp model likely to be a joy to drive.
BYD’s high-end LFP batteries are available in two sizes – 49.92 kWh or 65.28 kWh with CLTC assured range of 517 km and 616 km, respectively. Toyota claims it has used “rechargeability” to reduce battery damage and promises the bZ3’s battery will keep up with the 90% limit after 10 years.
The interior was created with the idea of a Family Parlor in mind and, according to the organization, should provide a space for appreciating time with loved ones. From the photos we can tell it is immaculate and clean with neutral tones and loads of light thanks to the large windows.
Toyota’s Computerized Island system includes a huge focus screen with a saucer-like control center, the driver has a dedicated computer crew, and the steering wheel is almost indistinguishable from the one on the bZ4X. There’s remote phone charging, voice control, and virtually all of the vehicle’s capabilities can be controlled from this single space.
No handover date has been set yet, the vehicle will be manufactured by FAW Toyota in China and sold through its sales organization. Reuters revealed last month that the vehicle will be created before the end of this current year with deals soon to follow, with an objective cost of $28,000, but that has not been formally confirmed or denied.
Meizu will sell cars in her mobile showroom
Founded in 2003, Meizu was quite possibly the oldest phone maker in China, consistently shipping 10 million phones. The implementation has recently dropped to a total of just 1 million phones each year, and the organization has been taken over by another phone organization – Xingji Shidai Innovation. Nothing was strange until we understood that the organization was founded by the CEO of Geely – Eric Li – who currently owns more than 79% of Meizu’s shares.
With the new header, Meizu has seen a rebranding and revival of its product offering. With that in mind, Meizu’s VP asked his followers for their take on Meizu’s new store plan via Weibo. The shops involved will be substantially larger and, under the proposed plan, will also have vehicles in view.
Meizu does not want to send its own vehicle, to some extent sooner rather than later. They will almost certainly highlight Geely vehicles in their showrooms, all things being equal, and deal with full store administration. Confirmation of the deal comes from a new job posting from Meizu – anything related to the automotive industry suggests the organization needs its own piece of the pie.
To further confirm this, Meizu’s base in Zhuhai has been adorned with a goliath banner that previews “All in Auto” – the instructions are clear. A senior VP of Geely confirmed that Meizu would not actually go into assembly, however it would provide store management to the vehicle organization.
Currently owned by Meizu, Xingji was founded in September, barely a year ago, fully focused on planning and creating high-end mobile phones. The organization had a worldwide dispersion plan and keeping in mind that it was taking care of its most memorable item, it decided to expand Meizu’s income by selling Geely vehicles. This way, everything stays in the family, i.e. Clients can end up buying a phone while looking for a vehicle or buying a vehicle while looking for a phone. All things considered, Meizu was bringing in the cash.
