Toyota bZ4X Concept Previews First of Seven New bZ EVs

• The Toyota bZ4X electric crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle, will be the first of Toyota's new Beyond Zero EVs to arrive next year.

• It's built on the Toyota and Subaru co-developed electric platform, and this model has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.

• There will eventually be 15 new Toyota EVs, with seven to carry the bZ name.

Toyota says it has 15 new electric vehicles on the way, of which seven will use the moniker bZ, for Beyond Zero. The first to arrive will be the bZ4X crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle—a logical choice, since the RAV4 was Toyota's best-selling car in the U.S. last year. The bZ4X will arrive in mid-2022 with others, including an electric pickup truck, to follow in the next few years.

The bZ4X concept is similar in shape and size to the RAV4 crossover but lower, with a longer wheelbase and sharper styling. From the outside, the concept captures the ethos of bold, futuristic EV looks, but we can't say the same for the interior. It's taken over by an awkwardly bulky steering column, with a digital gauge cluster set back far apart from the steering wheel that has an oversize hub with buttons for the cluster and driver-assistance features. A large touchscreen extends up out of the center console, which has a rotary shifter placed in the middle and storage underneath with two USB-C ports.