The new 2023 Toyota bZ4X can fully charge in 11 hours when using a 220-volt charger. Upon news of the release Toyota stated that the bZ4X could go from 0-80% charge in under an hour! But that number comes with a lot of caveats.

When you’re deciding on an

electric vehicle

to buy, the time for it to charge could be a big factor in the decision you make. Many car manufacturers are releasing fully realized electric vehicles, which means that you have a lot of options out there for you. The Toyota bZ4X is a new SUV on the electric market that could be an option for consideration.

Read on to find out about the types of chargers and charging times for the Toyota bZ4X and the caveats that come with those charging times.

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How long does a 2023 Toyota bZ4X take to charge?

The bZ4X boasts that it can charge from 0% to 80% in under an hour. However, there are a lot of factors that affect that charging time. These include the type of charger you’re using and the conditions that you’re charging in.

The Toyota bZ4X has front wheel drive (FWD) and all wheel drive (AWD) drivetrains available, but they come with different batteries. The FWD battery is a 71.4 kWh 355 V lithium-ion battery while the AWD comes with a 72.8 kWh 355 V lithium-ion battery.

The temperature can negatively impact charging times for the bZ4X. However, the bZ4X experiences significant decreases in DC, or fast charging) charging speeds when the temperature is below freezing. And if the temperature drops below -4 degrees Fahrenheit, you may be completely unable to charge your electric Toyota. This, surprisingly, mostly affects the AWD battery, which seems counterintuitive.

The temperature conditions affect all electronics and batteries, so while charging times may slow this seems like a big defect in the Toyota electric SUV. It’s more likely for those in colder climates to want an AWD drivetrain, but not if it means that they won’t be able to use the vehicle in the coldest of conditions.

It can take anywhere from one hour to 56 hours to charge up your Toyota bZ4X in ideal conditions depending on the type of charger you’re using.

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At-home charging speeds for a 2023 Toyota bZ4X

Most at home charging ports for an electric vehicle are classified as Level 1 charging. Level 1 charging consists of an outlet that puts off 120V at 15 amps, but the car will limit that to 12 amps.

When using this type of charging, you’re getting roughly 5 miles per hour of charge. That means if you’re going from empty, it’ll take about 56 hours to get a full charge, but you can add time to that if the conditions aren’t ideal.

If you charge the vehicle overnight (i.e. for eight hours), you get about 40 miles of range. If your workplace offers charging, that also means you can get 40 miles during a standard eight-hour workday, which will hopefully cover your commute home at the very least.

If that strikes you as being too slow, you can have a level 2 charging port installed at your house. However, this needs to be on an independent circuit for your house, which means that it might not be the easiest thing to install. But if you want to ensure faster charging time, this might be an option worth considering.

Public charging speeds for a 2023 Toyota bZ4X

Most public charging stations are level 2 or level 3 charging stations. If you opt to not get a level 2 charging port installed at your house, you can use a level two charger in public. When using a public charger, it’s important to ensure that you have any adapters you may need to optimize charging times and ensure that no damage comes to your car.

Level 2 charging basically doubles the speed of charging. Level 2 charging happens at 240V with a potential to go at 24 amps. This means that your bZ4X will be charging at about 10 miles per hour. In eight hours, this would get you about 80 miles of range for your next trip.

It would take just over a day, 26 hours, to get a full charge from zero with level 2 charging. This isn’t that long, but it also means that if you’re only going to be passing level 2 chargers, the electric SUV may not be your best choice of vehicle.

However, Level 3 charging or DC charging, can completely change that. The level 3 charging is also known as fast charging because it charges much faster than the other two options. For the regular person, this option would only be available in public charging stations.

This is the type of charging required for the boasted 0% to 80% charge in under an hour. With fast charging, the speed slows down as the battery fills meaning that while it can take 30 minutes to charge from 0%-80%, it can take over an hour to get from 0% to 100%.

Toyota also recommends that you don’t use DC charging more than twice a day. If you do, it can lead to significantly slower charging speeds for that day and in the future. This is a drawback of the quick charge, which again doesn’t make the bZ4X ideal for a lengthy

road trip

Most public charging stations cost about $.40 to $.70 per kWh. That means it’ll cost roughly $30 to fill up your vehicle if you’re using a public charger. Some states have free public charging stations, but those tend to be Level 1 or Level 2 charging, which means you won’t be able to get a fill-up during a pitstop.

There is one other type of charger out there, but it isn’t currently available for all electric vehicles. The Tesla Supercharging stations are only compatible with Tesla electric vehicles, and there are no adapters that would allow you to charge your Toyota bZ4X at one of those stations. That means if you are planning on taking a road trip in your bZ4X, make sure that you aren’t including Tesla Supercharging stations on your refueling list or you’ll be left high and dry.

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