Toyota Improves Charging Experience for New and Existing bZ, bZ4X Owners

Key Points

• Owners of the model-year 2023-25 Toyota bZ4X can order a complimentary North American Charging Standard adapter from Toyota dealerships beginning in November.
• The 2026 Toyota bZ now benefits from Plug & Charge capability, which will simplify the charging experience for owners.
• All Toyota electric vehicles can now use Apple Maps EV Routing through an Apple CarPlay

Toyota updated the all-electric bZ SUV for the 2026 model year with substantial increases in range for most configurations. While that in no way benefits existing owners of the model-year 2023-25 bZ4X, their public-charging experience is about to improve dramatically.

Related: 2026 Toyota bZ Quick Spin: Now, Doesn’t That Feel Better?

More Chargers and a Simplified Search

The model-year 2023-25 bZ4X has a Combined Charging System charge port that is incompatible with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard plugs. Starting in November, however, complimentary adapters will be available at Toyota dealerships for owners of its EV, which will allow them to use more than 25,000 Tesla Superchargers nationwide. (The 2026 bZ is built with an NACS port and includes an adapter to use CCS fast-charging and J1772 Level 2 plugs.)

Additionally, Toyota has integrated Apple Maps EV Routing into CarPlay. While Apple Maps functions the same in any vehicle a user’s phone is connected to, EV Routing incorporates information about the electric vehicle and its battery charge into its route planning. This allows the app to predict remaining range upon arrival at a destination or, if the vehicle will need a charge en route, to suggest the most convenient options. EV Routing also incorporates real-time information about charger availability, reducing the likelihood that drivers arrive at a charging station to find every plug occupied.

Shorter Stops

While Apple Maps will ease route planning for existing bZ4X owners as well as buyers of the 2026 model, only the 2026 bZ benefits from the newly introduced Plug & Charge capability. Plug & Charge allows precisely what its name says: Drivers simply plug their vehicle in at a public charger and charging starts. There’s no need to fiddle with apps or credit cards to initiate the session. If this sounds like minimal hassle, it’s not. In last year’s Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study, analytics firm J.D. Power found that convoluted payment processes added seven to eight minutes — or nearly 30% — to the average charging stop.

Tesla’s Superchargers are the first network to be enabled through Toyota’s Plug & Charge system, with Ionna (the OEM-backed effort from seven automakers, including Toyota), ChargePoint and EVgo to be added later. Unfortunately for owners of the 2023-25 bZ4X, Plug & Charge requires software and hardware changes within the vehicle, so Toyota will not be adding the capability to the earlier EVs.

Read More About the Toyota bZ and bZ4X:

• How Much Is the 2026 Toyota bZ?
• 2023 Toyota bZ4X DC Fast-Charging Test: Don’t Rely On It
• Here Are the 11 Cheapest Electric Vehicles You Can Buy
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2023 Toyota bZ4X?
• Toyota Drops bZ4X Price Almost $6,000, Adds Nightshade Trim

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