Scandinavian journalists have tested the Toyota bZ4X, saying the vehicle could only travel half the advertised range.
This has prompted Toyota in Europe and Japan to open a joint investigation into the findings.
Danish magazine FDM tested the two-wheel and all-wheel variants of the electric SUV and found that they both failed to meet their advertised range capacities. The official range of the two-wheel-drive bZ4X is 504 km (WLTP), but only managed to travel 246 km before needing to be charged. That's just 49 percent of its claimed range.
The all-wheel-drive version did an even worse job of hitting its targeted range, which is advertised as being good for 461 km (WLTP), but it travelled just 215 km, 47 percent of the advertised range.
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Now, let's be clear. The test was carried out in Scandinavia in winter, clearly not ideal conditions for EV batteries.
A study conducted by Germany's ADAC found that EVs do use a hang of a lot more energy in cold conditions. The VW ID.3 consumed the most energy of vehicles tested, using 99 percent more energy on a 23 km trip at -7°C than it did at 14°C. Other vehicles tested, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Kona Electric, and Lexus UX300e, consumed between 46 and 59 percent more in colder temperatures.
But the Scandinavian test was done at 4°C, not sub-zero. And, the bZ4X fared worse than other electric vehicles tested by the magazine in similar conditions.
For example, a Tesla Model Y Long Range achieved 70 percent of its WLTP rated range, and the Mercedes EQA and Volkswagen ID.4 achieved 67 percent each.
In response to the findings, a Danish Toyota spokesman said that it could be down to how much “reserve” the SUV has in its battery pack when the dashboard started showing zero km. But, it's doubtful that the EV had a spare 200 km.