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Toyota officially launches the bZ4X, its first full EV in nearly a decade

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Toyota’s bZ4X electric vehicle arrives at dealers this Spring, catalyzing the Japanese automaker’s launch into pure EVs, its first in nearly ten years.

“The all-electric Toyota bZ4X SUV not only looks to further Toyota’s commitment to a carbon-neutral future, but it does so in style,” the company said after launching the vehicle this morning. “Ready to make a fresh mark on the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) segment, bZ4X blends bold, modern styling with tech-laden features in an extremely capable platform.”

Credit: Toyota

The bZ4X is Toyota’s first addition to the global bZ series, which stands for “Beyond Zero.” Designed and developed with human-centricity at the heart, Toyota said it hopes to provide more than a mobility solution for customers, but also an innovative space for drivers to imagine a new era of the company’s vehicles.

The bZ4X is a competitive and attractive option for electric vehicle buyers. Important metrics like range and performance are at the focal point of any consumer’s decision in the emerging EV sector, and Toyota brought some competitive numbers to the table with its introductory bZ offering. The bZ4X offers 252 miles of range in its XLE front-wheel-drive models and will start at just $42,000. Not to mention, the bZ4X’s body style is a common selection in the U.S. market. Combining functionality with a sleek design, it is neither bulky nor restrictive.

Credit: Toyota

Toyota said the design of the bZ4X is one that focuses on a “dynamically flowing silhouette.” “The profile of the bZ4X is balanced and sleek, with dynamic character lines that flow from front to rear,” the automaker said. It is a sporty look that also encapsulates some futuristic features, like the enclosed grille area that is simply not feasible on a gas-powered vehicle. Despite its design, it still has the classic Toyota look, keeping the vehicle unique in its own way, not veering too far away from the overall feel of its cars.

Four Trim Levels, All Under $50k

Toyota will offer four trim levels for the bZ4X: two grades with XLE and Limited and two drivetrains, front-wheel and all-wheel-drive.

  • 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE FWD – $42,000
  • 2023 Toyota bZ4X Limited FWD – $46,700
  • 2023 Toyota bZ4X XLE AWD – $44,080
  • 2023 Toyota bZ4X Limited AWD – $48,780

Front-Wheel-Drive trim levels will produce 201 horsepower, with All-Wheel-Drive configurations offering slightly more at 214. Instant torque will help the bZ4X achieve a 7.1-second 0-60 MPH time for the FWD trims and just 6.5 seconds for the AWD drivetrains.

All bZ4X models are equipped with a J1772/CCS1 socket, so home and public charging will be a breeze. Toyota said that there is also a 6.6 kW onboard charger, which allows the bZ4X to charge from low to full in about 9 hours with a Level 2 charger at home or in public.

Credit: Toyota

Toyota’s Big Plans for EVs

About a quarter of Toyota’s total sales in the United States in 2021 were of its electrified vehicles, it said. However, these are not pure EVs, and included hydrogen fuel cell electrics, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.

There are big plans for pure EVs at Toyota, however, despite its focus on other powertrains for many years. Globally, Toyota plans to expand to around 70 electrified models by 2025, featuring 15 dedicated pure EVs. Seven of the fifteen will feature the bZ brand moniker. “This diverse portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050,” the company added. “Globally, Toyota has put more than 20 million electrified models on the road – with a CO2 emissions reduction effect equivalent to the CO2 emissions reduction of over 5.5 million BEVs. Over the next nine years, Toyota will invest $70+ billion in electrified vehicles as a whole with the target to launch 3.5 million BEVs globally in 2030.”

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Toyota debuts bZ4X SUV concept, kicking off its 15 electric vehicle lineup

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla surges Robotaxi fleet ahead of Cybercab launch event

Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi fleet quietly grew sevenfold in three weeks just before Cybercab Day arrives.

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Tesla’s unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown far faster than the public numbers suggested, and the timing lines up with the company’s biggest autonomy showcase yet. According to data compiled by the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker, Tesla now has nearly 200 vehicles operating without a safety monitor across Austin, Dallas and Houston, yielding a roughly 7X increase in about three weeks.

The jump lands four days before this week’s Tesla Cybercab launch event in Austin, where the company plans to show off its purpose-built, two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals in a live commercial setting for the first time. Stick with us on X and Facebook for live reporting from the event.

The strategic logic is straightforward. Tesla has spent the past year scaling Robotaxi in small, deliberate steps, first widening geofences, then extending operating hours, then quietly growing fleet size, usually with little advance notice. Ashok Elluswamy told investors on the Q2 earnings call that the program had logged more than 380,000 unsupervised miles with zero notable incidents, a safety record the company has leaned on to justify moving slowly. Critics have used the flip side of that caution, a fleet that appeared stuck around two dozen vehicles for months, as evidence that Tesla’s driverless ambitions were outrunning its actual deployment.

A fleet quietly scaling to nearly 200 vehicles right before Cybercab Day undercuts that argument without Tesla having to say anything about it directly. It also sets up the event to do double duty. Rather than simply introducing new hardware, Tesla can point to an operating base of unsupervised Model Ys already running at meaningful scale, then argue the Cybercab, which uses the same underlying Full Self-Driving stack according to earlier coverage of the fleet’s software upgrades, is a natural next steps. Tesla has separately been registering the two-seat Cybercabs with Texas regulators this week, with the count climbing from seven to 45 in a matter of days.

The two ramps, one in software-driven Model Y deployment and one in physical Cybercab registrations, are happening in parallel rather than in sequence. That suggests Tesla wants Thursday’s event to land as proof that the robotaxi business is already running at scale, not just a reveal of a new vehicle shape. Whether the unsupervised numbers hold up once Cybercabs start mixing into the same fleet is the detail worth watching once the event wraps.

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Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper

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Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.

The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.

There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.

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The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.

Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.

The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.

Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.

A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.

Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event

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Credit: Teslarati

UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!

Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.

Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.

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The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.

Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:

Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.

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Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.

The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.

Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.

The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.

Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.

Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.

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