Toyota Motor Corporation is launching its first series of electric vehicles for the global market. The Japanese automaker said that this electric SUV embodies the reliability and efficiency that supports the Toyota brand. 

The company said on Friday that a "bZ4X" similar to Toyota's popular RAV-4 will be released in North America, Japan, China and Europe in mid-2022. bZ4X is expected to travel approximately 310 miles per charge and is the first of seven "bZ" series electric vehicles that the automaker plans to launch globally by 2025.

Compared with competitors such as Volkswagen, Toyota, the world's largest automaker, has been slower in its influence in the field of electric vehicles. Volkswagen will begin selling its flagship ID.3 electric vehicle in 2020. Even so, bZ4X still has a history of more than 20 years, Toyota General Manager Daisuke Ito said that he has experience in battery-powered cars. 

Ido said that since the release of the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, the Prius in 1997, Toyota has gained strong control over battery and energy efficiency. Ido said that the car's heating system and battery temperature control mechanism can improve efficiency, allowing it to travel long distances on less bulky batteries. 

The car is also equipped with a series of Toyota's latest technologies. They include the "Toyota Safety Sense" driver assistance system, which, together with the in-car multimedia system, will be able to update wirelessly. Certain models will be equipped with a rectangular "steering-by-wire" yoke, allowing the driver to control the vehicle without changing hands.

The bZ4X, which was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show earlier this year, will be equipped with a rooftop solar panel option. According to Toyota's estimates, when the vehicle is parked outside, they will help to charge the vehicle, and can generate enough electricity to travel 1,800 kilometers per year. 

This electric SUV is located on Toyota's "e-TNGA" platform, which the company says can be installed on vehicles of various sizes. The platform will speed up the deployment of new electric vehicles, reduce development time and allow different models to be designed in parallel. Although some key components remain the same, batteries and electric motors—the most expensive components in electric vehicles—can be adjusted to the model.

Toyota declined to comment on the pricing, but Ido said the company's intention is to provide a "user-friendly" electric car to prevent costs from rising too high. In addition to electric vehicles, Toyota also believes that hybrid, fuel cell and traditional gasoline-powered vehicles will play a role in its fleet in the next decade. By 2030, Toyota plans to sell approximately 8 million electric vehicles, of which 2 million will be electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, and the remaining approximately 6 million hybrid vehicles.

"We are contributing to carbon neutrality through a series of practical and sustainable vehicles," said Chief Engineer Kouji Toyoshima. In other words, "we use the Bz series as a piece of the puzzle in the carbon neutral framework."