Toyota is really trying to cover all of the bases with its recent pivot to battery electric vehicles, and its new bZ Woodland BEV is further evidence of this. With increased ground clearance, specific trail configurations, and AWD standard, the EV certainly has a bit of an off-roading focus.
X-MODE with Grip Control uses braking and power delivery to maintain traction, even in difficult conditions. This means you can maintain a higher speed than you would otherwise in difficult weather or on less-than-ideal terrain. With 8.4 inches of ground clearance, the bZ Woodland BEV isn’t going to cruise over boulders, but it does have enough to handle most mild to medium off-roading trails.
“Multi-Terrain Monitor” is also handy, as it lets you avoid obstacles that are too tall for your clearance. Using the vehicle’s multiple cameras, you can keep a close eye on the terrain around you and adjust your line as needed. Then there are the all-terrain tires, which are an optional extra on the Toyota bZ Woodland BEV.
In terms of performance, the vehicle is built around a 375-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain. It boasts a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds, and a 281-mile range (though all-terrain tires will reduce that range by over 20 miles). It is fitted with a NACS charging port, and is capable of DC fast charging. Which means you can put around 70% charge into the battery in as little as 30 minutes.
When it comes to practicality, the Woodland takes things a little further than the BZ. It’s six inches longer and offers up to 74.3 cubic feet of storage space with the seats down and 33.8 cubic feet of space with those seats up. Towing capacity caps out at 3,500 pounds.
Safety tech package “Toyota Safety Sense 3.0” comes as standard, so you won’t have to take an extra hit for features like blind spot monitoring, lane assist, or a pre-collision system. You also get a 14-inch central touchscreen in the cab. If you want to push the boat out, a “premium” version of the SUV, which adds a JBL audio system, ventilated front seats, and a panoramic moonroof, is available.
Is it an absolute beast of an off-roader that can conquer the worst the wilderness could possibly throw at it? Absolutely not. It can likely handle some fun trails, and maybe some slightly difficult ones as well. There’s no shame in that either, as standard factory vehicles do have a bit of a hard cap on off-roading capability. Plus, there’s a bit of a debate around whether off-roading with an EV is even a smart idea in the first place.
Is off-roading in EVs like the Toyota bZ Woodland a bad idea?
There are some valid concerns many people have about off-roading in EVs. There are also plenty of EVs designed for off-roading. The Toyota bZ Woodland BEV is just the latest name on the list.
Weight is one of the problems BEVs struggle with off-road. Many standard off-road vehicles, like a Jeep Gladiator or Ford Bronco, are pretty hefty. But the battery pack that comes with an EV makes those traditional vehicles look like utter lightweights. The weight technically adds to the struggle of getting up gradients, though the insane torque offered by electric motors does tend to balance this out. Where BEVs really struggle is on loose or wet surfaces. More weight means a greater chance of getting stuck in the mud or a sand dune.
Then there’s the battery pack itself. Even with shielding, things can take some pretty heavy knocks off-road. If that battery pack gets punctured or damaged to the point of malfunction, you have a major issue. At best, it will stop working, leaving you stranded. At worst, it’s a significant fire you have no chance of putting out (unless a fire truck with specialist equipment also happens to be out in the wilderness with you). Better shielding has mitigated this, but it remains a worry to many.
Finally, there’s range. Off-roading is extremely tough on a vehicle, and you can go through more fuel than expected on a particularly difficult route. This is actually worse for ICE vehicles than for EVs, as an ICE car spends most of its time in low gear while the engine is running at high RPM. This is the exact opposite of what gives you good fuel economy. An electric motor has an advantage in this regard. First, there’s the increased and instantly accessible torque, which helps haul the vehicle over obstacles. Then there’s the fact that batteries don’t do gears.
The biggest issue is the consequences of running out of fuel (or power cells). In a gas-powered vehicle, it’s a pain, but someone can turn up with a jerry can or two, and you’ll be on your way within minutes of them arriving. Packing extra fuel is also pretty easy. This isn’t the case with an EV. If you run out of juice off-road, someone either has to turn up with a second EV that has enough spare battery to charge you and get back itself, or some gas and a generator. Either way, you’ll be waiting around for a while. Some off-road focused EVs solve this problem with “range extenders,” which are just built-in gas generators with a positive spin on the name. It creates a kind of reverse-hybrid system that can massively increase the distance your EV can travel off-road. The Toyota bZ Woodland does not have one of these, so plan any overlanding trips accordingly.
Toyota has stated that the starting MSRP for the upcoming bZ Woodland is $45,300. The “Premium” trim comes in at $47,400. Prices are exclusive of destination fee and any other extra charges.
