Toyota bZ3C - Prius shape, BYD technology

Toyota bZ3C, Toyota's third electric vehicle, was revealed as the company applied for a sales license in China. Production of the bZ3C is expected to begin in the fourth quarter at the FAW-Toyota joint venture plant in Tianjin.

In China, every car model must be approved by local regulators before it can hit the market. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) releases a monthly list of vehicles that have undergone this process, which inadvertently reveals images and specifications of production versions of cars that automakers have yet to officially launch.

According to Toyota's filing with MIIT, the bZ3C is a 5-seat, 4-door coupe SUV with a Prius-like design. The dimensions of length x width x height are 4,780 x 1,866 x 1,510 mm, respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,880 mm. The car weighs 1,920 kg and offers 18-inch or 21-inch wheel options. The high-end version will have a laser radar on the windshield.

The car is equipped with a 268-horsepower electric motor manufactured by Fudi Power, a subsidiary owned by BYD. The top speed is limited to 160 km/h.

The car's energy is stored in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries supplied by BYD's FinDreams. The battery capacity was not disclosed in the filing, but CarNewsChina predicts the bZ3C will have a range of 500-600 km under CLTC standards.

The Toyota bZ3C was first introduced at the Beijing Auto Show last April. The platform was jointly developed by FAW and Toyota.

Toyota currently sells two electric models in China: the bZ4X SUV and the bZ3 sedan. The new bZ4C will be launched later this year.