And the award for the most improved EV goes to… the 2026 Toyota bZ

The world’s largest automaker has had a somewhat rocky relationship with battery-electric vehicles. Toyota was an early pioneer of hybrid powertrains, and it remains a fan of it today, often saying that given limited battery supplies, it makes sense to build more hybrids than fewer EVs. Its first full-fledged BEV didn’t get off to a good start, with the cars being recalled due to incorrectly fitted wheels when they were arriving in showrooms. Reviews for the oddly named bZ4x were mixed; The car did little to stand out among the competition.

A complete lack of attention to feedback has kept Toyota from becoming the world’s largest automaker, and last year it slightly beefed up its EV platform (called -TNGA and shared with Lexus and Subaru). For starters, it simplified the name – the small electric SUV is now simply called bZ. It uses a new 74.7 kWh battery pack, available with front- or all-wheel drive powertrains that now use silicon carbide power electronics. And for the North American market, instead of the CCS1 port right behind the front passenger wheel, you’ll now see a Tesla-style NACS socket.

Our test bZ was the $37,900 XLE FWD Plus, which has the highest range of any bZ at 314 miles (505 km) according to the EPA test cycle. When you realize that the pre-facelift version only went 252 miles (405 km) with 71.4 kWh onboard, the scale of the improvement becomes apparent.

Our loan with the bZ’s more powerful, more expensive Lexus relative arrived promptly a week later. Although I might have liked the Lexus’ interior and some of its mod features like ventilated seats, the Toyota is a better EV despite having fewer frills. With 221 hp (165 kW) driving the front tires and 4,156 pounds (1,885 kg), the XLE FWD Plus is not fast. In normal mode, 0-60 mph (97 km/h) takes eight seconds, although there is still enough torque to chirp the low rolling resistance tires in this setting.