You can lease a Toyota bZ4X for next to nothing right now
Toyota is now leasing its one all-electric car, the bZ4X, for just $129/mo and $2k down.
Toyota has been dipping its toe into the EV water, mostly focusing on hybrids rather than electric cars.
Its first EV, the bZ4X, hasn’t been a huge success, perhaps due to focus on hybrids. It also faced a rocky launch with an early recall, though that has all been sorted out by now.
So in a market with lots of great EVs, the bZ4X hasn’t attracted a whole lot of attention.
Last quarter, Toyota only sold 1,897 copies of the bZ4X in the US, a 9% increase over the previous year but only accounting for .4% of Toyota’s total US sales, and much less than the number of EV sales from much smaller companies.
As a result, Toyota has resorted to deep discounts on its electric crossover, making it one of the cheapest cars you can lease right now.
The steepest deal is on last year’s 2023 bZ4X base “XLE” trim, which is available for just $129/mo with $1,999 due at signing, at least here in Southern California. We also saw a deal for $119/mo and $4k down in New York. This is by far the lowest monthly price we’ve seen for the bZ4X yet, and one of the lowest we’ve seen for any EV – not just now, but ever.
The lease deal in question has a limit of 12,000 miles per year, close to the average mileage for a US driver, and a little more than the ~10,000 mile limits that are common on a lot of leases. This specific offer expires April 30th, though something similar could be extended after the month ends.
The 2024 model is just $169/mo (and $2k down), still a low price though not as eye-wateringly low as the 2023 model. Toyota made relatively minor changes for the 2024 model, including a mobile L1/L2 charging cord and standard power liftgate and 8-way power driver’s seat, along with some software changes.
Both of these are extremely low lease prices for a car with suggested retail price of $44,845 (2024 model). For example, a RAV4 LE is $369/mo with $3k down, much more than the bZ4X lease price despite that car being ~$15k cheaper than the bZ4X.
Part of the reason for these lease offers is due to the Inflation Reduction Act’s EV tax credit, which is also available (and in fact, even easier to get) on a lease. In this case, the automaker files for the credit and offers lower lease payments to the customer.
But that doesn’t cover all of the discount – the lease deal accounts for a whopping $16,250 in cash from Toyota ($17,750 on the 2023 model).
If you find this deal appealing, you can use our affiliate link to contact local dealers and see if they have this lease deal near you.
Electrek’s Take
This is certainly getting down into the “insane deal” category, even with my general distaste for how Toyota has managed the EV transition.
It reminds me somewhat of the deals on the original Fiat 500e back in 2015 or so. At the time, Fiat’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne was one of the loudest voices against electrification. He famously admitted admitted that the 500e was a compliance car (by claiming that Fiat loses money on every sale – thus suggesting that Fiat only sold them because California said so), but Fiat also leased the 500e for just $69/mo at the time.
A lot of Californians, even those who already had nice cars, decided that having a cheap runaround with extremely low fueling costs would be worthwhile, and snatched one up. Given that $69/mo is less than half of what the average Californian driver would spend on gas per month, these cars were basically free.
Now we have a similar situation with Toyota, a company that is quite openly anti-EV, but which is offering one of the cheapest EV deals we’ve seen.
I can’t say I love the bZ4X – it’s pretty middling in terms of specs, and while I’ve only driven it for a short time, it didn’t really do much to thrill me right out of the gates. I liked its cousin the Lexus RZ better, but still, neither would go anywhere near my list of top EVs.
But if your goal is to get a car with Toyota quality, aren’t particularly planning on road-tripping (one thing the bZ4X does poorly at is quick-charging performance, especially on roadtrips), and are a fan of getting good deals, well, the bZ4X might be for you right now.
If you’d like, you can use our affiliate link to contact your local dealers about the 2023 or 2024 Toyota bZ4X, and see what kind of lease deals are available in your area. Deal is subject to availability and participation, so contact your local dealer if you’re interested in a cheap bZ4X.
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On today’s exciting episode of Quick Charge, we don’t even mention “you know who,” focusing instead on EV news from Rivian, Lucid, Nissan, Ford, and what it takes to make a MAN in the heavy truck space. Check it out!
Sure, Nissan is pushing back production estimates on its yet-to-begin-production Nissan LEAF and Ford’s EV sales were down significantly in Q2, but there’s more to the story than the “Faux News” crowd would have you believe. Plus: some new electric success stories from Porsche and a disappointing (but still cool) dive into some new home backup battery tech.
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he 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Battery electric cars sold today in Europe produce 73% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than gas cars, even when factoring in production, according to new research from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That’s a big improvement from 2021, when the gap was 59%.
Meanwhile, hybrids and plug-in hybrids haven’t made much progress. The study confirms what clean transportation advocates have been saying for years: If Europe wants to seriously slash emissions from its dirtiest mode of transport – ICE passenger cars, which pump out nearly 75% of the sector’s pollution – it needs to go all-in on battery EVs.
“Battery electric cars in Europe are getting cleaner faster than we expected and outperform all other technologies, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” said ICCT researcher Dr. Marta Negri. Credit the continent’s rapid shift to renewables and the higher energy efficiency of EVs.
The makeup of the EU’s power grid is changing fast. By 2025, renewables are expected to generate 56% of Europe’s electricity, up from 38% in 2020. And that’s just the beginning: the share could hit 86% by 2045. Since cars bought today could still be on the road two decades from now, the growing use of clean electricity will only boost EVs’ climate benefits over time.
Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, will stay mostly tied to fossil fuels as the cost and availability of biofuels and e-fuels are still uncertain.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids only cut lifetime emissions by 20% and 30%, respectively, compared to gas cars. That’s partly because plug-in hybrids tend to run on gas more than expected. So while hybrids aren’t useless, they’re just not good enough if we’re serious about climate goals.
Countering EV myths with hard data
There’s been a lot of noise lately about whether EVs are really that green. The ICCT study takes aim at the bad data and misleading claims floating around, like ignoring how the grid gets cleaner over time or using unrealistic gas mileage figures.
It’s true that manufacturing EVs creates more emissions upfront – about 40% more than making a gas car, mostly due to the battery. But EVs make up for it quickly: that extra emissions load is usually wiped out after about 17,000 km (10,563 miles) of driving, which most drivers hit in a year or two.
“We’ve recently seen auto industry leaders misrepresenting the emissions math on hybrids,” said Dr. Georg Bieker, senior researcher at the ICCT. “But life-cycle analysis is not a choose-your-own-adventure exercise.”
ICCT’s new analysis includes emissions from vehicle and battery production and recycling, fuel and electricity production, and fuel consumption and maintenance. It even adjusts for how the electricity mix will change in the coming years – a key detail when measuring plug-in hybrid performance.
Read more: Volkswagen’s 47% BEV sales jump includes a 24% boost in the US
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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![Here's our closest look at the Kia EV2 caught testing in the Alps [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Kia-EV2-closest-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The EV2 may be Kia’s smallest electric vehicle, but it has a big presence on the road. Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re inside, thanks to clever storage and flexible seating. After a prototype was spotted testing in the Alps, we are getting our closest look at the Kia EV2 so far.
Kia EV2 spotted in the Alps offers our closest look yet
Kia first unveiled the Concept EV2 during its 2025 EV Day event (see our recap of the event) in April, a preview of its upcoming entry-level electric SUV.
Despite its small size, Kia claims it will “redefine urban electric mobility” with new innovative features and more. Kia has yet to say exactly how big it will be, but given it will sit below the EV3, it’s expected to be around 4,000 mm (157″) in length. The EV3 is 4,300 mm (169.3″) in length.
Looking at it from the side, it sits much higher than you’d expect, similar to Kia’s larger EV9. During an exclusive event at Milan Design Week in April, Kia gave a sneak peek of the interior.
Kia said the interior is inspired by a “picnic in the city,” or in other words, a retreat from the busy city life. With a flat-floor design and flexible seating, you can quite literally have a picnic in the city.
Although we’ve seen the EV2 out in public testing a few times, a new video provides the closest look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV.
The video, courtesy of CarSpyMedia, shows an EV2 prototype testing in the Alps with European license plates. There’s also a “Testfahrt” sticker on the back, which translates to “Test Car” in German.
As the prototype drives by, you can get a good look at it from all angles. Like in past sightings, the front features stacked vertical headlights with Kia’s signature Star Map lighting. Even the rear lights appear to be identical to those of the concept.
The interior will feature Kia’s next-gen ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ instrument clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. Depending on the model, it could also include an added 5.3″ climate control screen.
Last month, a crossover coupe-like model was spotted on a car carrier in Korea, hinting at a new variant. The new model featured a design similar to that of the Genesis GV60.
Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, also recently told Autocar that a smaller, more affordable EV was in the works to sit below the EV2. Song said the new EV, priced under €25,000 ($30,000), was “one area we are studying and developing.”
With the EV4 and EV5 launching this year, followed by the EV2 in 2026, it could be closer toward the end of the decade before we see it hit the market. Next-gen EV6 and EV9 models are also due out around then.
The Kia EV2 is set to launch in Europe and other global regions in 2026. Unfortunately, it’s not expected to make the trip to the US.
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