I’m excited about the 2026 Toyota bZ and what it means for EVs

Toyota, if you weren’t aware, has been pretty lethargic about embracing electric cars. While it was the first to popularize hybrids by way of the Prius — first launched in 1997 — the company has largely avoided full EVs. Before the bZ4X, its first major attempt was an electric RAV4, which premiered in 1996. That was way ahead of its time, and conspicuously killed off by a patent infringement lawsuit from Chevron. The oil and gas industry has often sought to undermine the spread and appeal of electric cars, and sadly, that’s a pretty well-known fact.