2026 Toyota bZ First Look

Toyota's electric crossover gets more range, better charging, and a refreshed exterior for 2026.

Austin Lott | 

May 21, 2025 | 3 min read

Toyota

The headline change is a new lithium-ion battery that increases capacity to 74.7 kilowatt-hours (kWh) — which Toyota estimates will be capable of 314 miles of range. Changes continue throughout, with significant updates to the electric drivetrain plus refreshed interior and exterior designs. Here's what you need to know about the 2026 Toyota bZ.

Toyota

The 2026 Toyota bZ Boosts Electric Convenience

For 2026, Toyota has fixed one weak point of the outgoing bZ4X: range. The new 74.7-kWh battery pack increases range by 25%, adding 62 miles of manufacturer-estimated range versus the 2025 bZ4X.

A smaller 57.7-kWh battery will remain available on XLE front-wheel-drive trims, offering a 235-mile range estimate.

Toyota

Charging is now done via a North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug like those found on Teslas. This opens up thousands of high-speed charging stations to Toyota bZ drivers, including Tesla's Supercharger network.

The new plug integrates with the Plug & Charge standard, which allows vehicles to communicate directly with stations to arrange charging and payment on compatible networks. The charging standard is designed to allow owners to charge their vehicle as simply as the name suggests — plugging in and letting the car do the rest.

Toyota

Toyota's Updated 2026 bZ Gets Faster Charging and More Power

In addition to the larger battery and new charging plug, changes to the electric drivetrain and charging system help the bZ find its footing against competitors.

The 2026 bZ's battery can go from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes under ideal conditions at a DC fast charger, Toyota says. Level One and Level Two charging capabilities remain — the two primary ways drivers can charge at home — with the latter being improved thanks to a higher-capacity onboard charger that bumps charging speeds from last year's 7 kilowatts (kW) to 11 kW.

Toyota

A new battery pre-conditioning system lets drivers in cold climates bring the battery up to optimal charging temperatures before plugging in. The new system can be activated manually or automatically when navigation is set to a charging station. An energy-efficient heat pump for heating and cooling, along with standard front-seat and steering wheel heating, helps keep energy consumption down while making the cabin comfortable.

Improvements in the electric motors — which Toyota calls eAxles — offer up to 50% more power. The new drive units produce 338 horsepower in all-wheel-drive models, bringing the zero-to-60 time to a sports car-like 4.9 seconds. Front-drive models also see a power bump, going from 201 to 221 horsepower.

Toyota

Toyota bZ Changes Inside and Out

Visual changes start with a new fascia and lighting. Updated front overfenders, with a color-matched paint option, add to the effect.

Inside, a redesigned center console now features two wireless smartphone chargers sitting underneath a new 14.0-inch infotainment display mounted to a slimmer dash.

Toyota

Additional improvements include new steering wheel paddle-selected regenerative braking and ambient lighting with 64 available colors. Front-seat ventilation, heated rear seats, and front-seat radiant footwell heaters are available as options.

Toyota expects the 2026 bZ to hit dealer lots during the second half of 2025. Pricing for the 2026 model is yet to be confirmed, but the 2025 Toyota bZ4X starts around $38,000.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Austin Lott

Austin has been in the automotive industry since 2014. Before joining Capital One, he got his start at Motor Trend magazine in his native Southern California. Since then, he's written for publications such as Edmunds, The Drive, Super Street, Automobile, Hagerty, and Diesel Power. In his free time, Austin works on older cars and enjoys interesting experiences — once he even got to operate a 1948 GE diesel-electric locomotive.