Toyota's bZ Woodland Signals a Cautious Automaker Finally Ready to Compete in EVs

On a winding stretch of road outside Ojai, California, a bronze Toyota bZ Woodland hummed quietly through switchbacks that would have tested any internal-combustion SUV. The scene would have been unremarkable were it not for the badge on the hood: this is a Toyota, the automaker that spent the better part of a decade telling anyone who would listen that the world was not ready for battery-electric vehicles Looks a lot like an electric station wagon: the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodlandarstechnica.com·SecondaryWhen you think about what makes a perfect single-car garage—occupied solely by a vehicle that can do it all—you probably think of some crossover or SUV like the Toyota RAV4 or BMW X5. Something that can handle the snow and weekend camping trips with a decent-sized cargo capacity. If you’re European, you might gravitate towards a wagon like any of the Volvo Cross Country models or an Allroad from Audi..

The bZ Woodland, unveiled on Monday with a full specification sheet and first-drive reviews from The Verge and Ars Technica, is the second new EV Toyota has launched in as many weeks — the Highlander EV debuted just days ago — and together they represent the most aggressive electric push in the company's history . Starting at $46,750 including destination charges, the Woodland arrives at US dealerships in March 2026 and targets buyers who want a rugged, wagon-shaped crossover that can handle dirt trails and daily commutes alike Looks a lot like an electric station wagon: the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodlandarstechnica.com·SecondaryWhen you think about what makes a perfect single-car garage—occupied solely by a vehicle that can do it all—you probably think of some crossover or SUV like the Toyota RAV4 or BMW X5. Something that can handle the snow and weekend camping trips with a decent-sized cargo capacity. If you’re European, you might gravitate towards a wagon like any of the Volvo Cross Country models or an Allroad from Audi..

The specifications tell a story of competence rather than revolution. A dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain produces 375 horsepower and propels the Woodland from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds . The 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery delivers an EPA-estimated 281 miles of range on standard all-season tires, dropping to 260 miles with the optional all-terrain rubber that reviewers say barely adds road noise Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. A NACS charging port grants access to Tesla's Supercharger network, and Toyota claims a 10-to-80-percent fast charge in approximately 30 minutes at up to 150 kilowatts Looks a lot like an electric station wagon: the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodlandarstechnica.com·SecondaryWhen you think about what makes a perfect single-car garage—occupied solely by a vehicle that can do it all—you probably think of some crossover or SUV like the Toyota RAV4 or BMW X5. Something that can handle the snow and weekend camping trips with a decent-sized cargo capacity. If you’re European, you might gravitate towards a wagon like any of the Volvo Cross Country models or an Allroad from Audi..

Physically, the Woodland stretches nearly six inches longer than the standard bZ compact SUV — the vehicle formerly known as the unloved bZ4X — and gains an extra inch of rear height, creating 74.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row folded . Ground clearance sits at 8.4 inches, and the vehicle can tow up to 3,500 pounds, matching some pricier RAV4 trims Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. Ars Technica's reviewer called it "the nearly perfect single-car solution for the electric age," praising the soft ride quality as a pleasant departure from the stiff suspensions common among battery-heavy EVs Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X..

Yet the elephant in the showroom is price. The bZ Woodland costs approximately $5,300 more than the Subaru Trailseeker, a vehicle built on the same platform at the same Subaru factory with largely the same hardware . Toyota and Subaru co-develop their EVs, and in Europe the Trailseeker is simply called the E-Outback — a name that underlines how thin the differentiation is Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. For cost-conscious buyers weighing the two vehicles, the value proposition is far from obvious — though Toyota argues that the Woodland's standard feature set matches the Trailseeker's higher-priced Limited trim Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X..

Critics of the pricing point out that this pattern is not new for Toyota. The original bZ4X launched in 2022 at a price that undercut few competitors and offered fewer miles of range than most, earning middling reviews and sluggish sales. The company spent years defending its hybrid-first strategy while rivals like Hyundai, Kia, and Tesla gobbled up market share Looks a lot like an electric station wagon: the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodlandarstechnica.com·SecondaryWhen you think about what makes a perfect single-car garage—occupied solely by a vehicle that can do it all—you probably think of some crossover or SUV like the Toyota RAV4 or BMW X5. Something that can handle the snow and weekend camping trips with a decent-sized cargo capacity. If you’re European, you might gravitate towards a wagon like any of the Volvo Cross Country models or an Allroad from Audi.. Toyota's defenders counter that patience has its rewards: as governments rolled back EV incentives and sales growth slowed industrywide, the Japanese giant's caution looked increasingly prescient Looks a lot like an electric station wagon: the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodlandarstechnica.com·SecondaryWhen you think about what makes a perfect single-car garage—occupied solely by a vehicle that can do it all—you probably think of some crossover or SUV like the Toyota RAV4 or BMW X5. Something that can handle the snow and weekend camping trips with a decent-sized cargo capacity. If you’re European, you might gravitate towards a wagon like any of the Volvo Cross Country models or an Allroad from Audi.. The company avoided the massive write-downs that plagued several competitors' electric divisions, and its hybrid lineup continued to print money.

That strategic tension is visible in the bZ Woodland's technology choices. The vehicle uses a 400-volt electrical architecture rather than the 800-volt systems appearing in newer Korean and German competitors, meaning slower peak charging speeds Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. The infotainment system is not Toyota's latest unit — the one debuting in the new RAV4 — and the instrument cluster retains the high-mounted design that many reviewers have found awkward since the bZ4X era Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. These are not deal-breakers, but they suggest Toyota is still rolling out EVs on a budget rather than swinging for the technological fences.

The off-road capability, however, is genuinely compelling. Toyota's X-Mode system offers multiple terrain settings, and new for the Woodland is Grip Control — essentially off-road cruise control that lets the driver set a speed while onboard computers manage traction across dirt, mud, and snow Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. Standard roof rails and available all-terrain tires complete the adventure-ready package. Ars Technica reported that the Woodland handled ruts and holes on a two-track mountain trail as capably as purpose-built off-road vehicles like a Ford Raptor, adding that the instant torque of electric motors made for an entertaining drive to any campsite or ski lodge Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X..

The broader context matters as much as the vehicle itself. Toyota's EV push comes at a peculiar moment for the American auto market. The Trump administration has signaled skepticism toward EV mandates, and several states are reconsidering their adoption timelines. Yet consumer interest in electric crossovers and SUVs — the segment the bZ Woodland targets — continues to grow, driven less by policy than by falling battery costs and expanding charging infrastructure. Toyota is betting that there is a large, underserved audience of practical-minded buyers who were never going to be first adopters but are now ready to make the switch, especially if the vehicle looks and drives like something familiar.

For the company's skeptics, two new EVs in two weeks is still modest compared with the pace set by rivals. Hyundai's Ioniq lineup now spans four models, and even Ford — despite billions in electric-vehicle losses — continues to invest in a new ground-up EV platform. Toyota's total US battery-electric lineup remains small, and the company has yet to announce a dedicated EV factory on American soil.

Still, the bZ Woodland may be the first Toyota EV that stands on its own merits rather than being graded on a curve. Multiple reviewers described it as the first battery-electric Toyota they would recommend without reservations Toyota fills out its skimpy EV lineup with the bZ Woodland SUVtheverge.com·SecondaryThe automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. The automaker’s off-road crossover SUV joins the recently revamped Highlander EV. For years, Toyota was criticized for sitting on the sidelines while the EV revolution swept through the auto industry. Instead of riding the wave, the Japanese auto giant doubled down on hybrids, while rolling out only one pure EV for the US market, the poorly reviewed bZ4X.. Whether that enthusiasm translates into sales will depend on how many buyers are willing to pay a Toyota premium for a vehicle that is, under the skin, a Subaru — and whether Toyota can maintain momentum beyond a two-week launch blitz. The answer will say as much about the state of the American EV market as it does about the world's largest automaker.