Toyota BZ4X EV exceeds initial pre-order expectations in Thailand

The appetite for electric vehicles (EVs) in the kingdom just north of our peninsula’s border is somewhat insatiable to say the least. Just look at the reception the Thais gave for the BYD Atto 3 whereby customers queued overnight at dealerships just to book and purchase them.

The latest EV to garner such overwhelming reception in said kingdom is the Toyota BZ4X, which was launched last week in said kingdom just days apart from its debut in another key ASEAN market – Indonesia. According to Thai English-language news daily Bangkok Post, Toyota’s Thailand arm received no less than 3,356 online pre-orders in just the first 24 hours, prompting the automaker to close said online pre-orders early.

Aptly, this overwhelming reception and initial demand took the Japanese powerhouse by surprise as it surpassed all of its initial expectations. In fact, in just the first hour since the online pre-orders were opened at 8PM on Nov 9, the automaker had already received over 1,000 pre-orders already – 1,064 orders to be exact.

Of course, much of this newfound urgency amongst Thais to adopt EVs stems from a few factors such as rising fuel costs. However, a crucial factor driving this too is the Thai government’s subsidy of THB150,000 to citizens buying brand new EVs in said kingdom. With said incentive, the Toyota BZ4X’s price tag reads at THB1,863,000, which roughly equates to RM236,102.

In other words, based on this initial reception it garnered,  it’s safe to say that the Toyota BZ4X’s place in the Thai market’s burgeoning EV segment is somewhat secure.

Both Thailand and Indonesia stood as the first ASEAN markets to receive the Toyota BZ4X, with the move marking a significant shift by powerhouse Toyota and their embracement of the growing electric-powered zero emissions mobility demands in the region.

Closer to home, local Toyota vanguards UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) are poised to introduce the all-electric BZ4X locally soon. Fuelling this further is the fact that construction DC-type fast-chargers were sighted on the premises of UMWT’s headquarters in Shah Alam.

No word yet on when exactly UMWT will officially introduce the BZ4X locally, but all signs point towards sometime in 2023, perhaps in the early parts of the second half.