Toyota self-driving EV to rival Tesla FSD before new bZ4X lands with LFP battery for 40% cost reduction

Toyota this week announced that it will launch a new electric SUV, called the Bozhi 3X, as part of its joint venture with GAC as early as 2025, according to Reuters. Part of this launch will also see Toyota introduce an autonomous driving system that it claims will be able to navigate driving on highways and urban settings, as well as provide parking assistance.

Momenta has previously proven its autonomous driving chops with Mercedes-Benz, who recently announced its Level 3 ADAS suite on certain US roads. Currently, Tesla's FSD Supervised is rated as a Level 2 self-driving solution, meaning drivers still need to pay full attention to the road while the car drives itself.

Much like Tesla, Momenta uses AI and the data generated by vehicle interactions to improve its autonomous driving software. At launch, the Bozhi 3X and its ADAS will only launch in China, but it will likely make it overseas in a Toyota vehicle thereafter.

While GAC Toyota's upcoming Bozhi 3X SUV will be the first EV to feature the self-driving tech, making it a more exciting announcement, Toyota has also promised an update to its current EV line-up. Toyota's bZ4X electric crossover will receive an update between 2026 and 2027, and Toyota says that it is working on an LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) EV battery that could cut the production cost of the bZ4X by as much as 40%.

Whether Toyota passes the savings of the LFP battery on to the consumer is another story entirely, but at least the Japanese carmaker seems to be taking EVs more seriously now.

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