BYD and Toyota have registered a new all-electric saloon in China. Called the bZ5, it will be the first production vehicle made by the joint enterprise BYD Toyota EV Technology (BTET).
We are told that the car will be released under both badges and sold as two separate models, although the differences will be minimal. The BTET factory was founded two years ago with equal stock participation between the Chinese and the Japanese automakers. Aside from making EVs, it will focus on producing spare parts and components for them.
Among the 16 EVs previewed by Toyota last year (see video), there was a design study called the bZ SDN. The bZ5 model registered this weekend is a continuation of that study. It is over 4.7 meters long, has 2.9 meters of wheelbase and weighs around 2.2 metric tons.
The images suggest that the car patented is barely different from the original concept. On the other hand, the lack of door handles, side mirrors and some other crucial details suggests that the company has not finalized the design yet.
A pre-production sample was spotted testing in China this spring. You can find the images further down our gallery here, complete with a detailed shot of the cabin with its vertical infotainment system display.
All technical parameters, as well as the launch date and pricing details, remain to be announced.