Toyota bZ4X owner Craig Pay knew installing solar panels on the roof of his house would be a bright idea – and for more than a year he has been using some of the energy generated to recharge his Toyota electric vehicle.
This article is solely based on an independent account of a current Toyota bZ4X owner (since April 2023). All experiences expressed are personal and not to be taken as a broad customer experience. Any running cost price comparison in this article is subject to personal use and environment factors and shouldn’t be taken as a typical customer experience. Interview conducted: May 2024.
When Craig decided to buy a new car in the spring of 2023, the IT consultant from Wigan was already familiar with the Toyota brand. He felt the time was right to consider an electrified vehicle.
Why choose a battery electric vehicle?
“My wife, Jo, introduced me to Toyotas – she has owned four RAV4s which she has used for her dog training business,” says Craig. “I knew I wanted at least a hybrid vehicle. I’m on a bit of a green kick. I like to recycle and conserve energy.”
As Craig considered his new car options, he realised that in certain weathers his solar panels were producing plenty of electricity.
“I’d already installed solar panels on the roof. They’re hooked up to a battery in the garage,” he explains. “And when the battery is full, I need somewhere else to send excess power. What better place to put the power than into the battery of an electric vehicle?”
Becoming a Toyota bZ4X owner
Once Craig had decided to buy a car with an electrified powertrain, he sought assistance from the team at his local Toyota centre, HW Moon in Wigan.
“I didn’t know which electric vehicle to buy, but it had to be a decent size and comfortable,” he says. “The team at HW Moon are really chilled-out and welcoming – not snooty with snappy suits – just normal. I like normal. I tried the Toyota bZ4X – it was comfortable and already felt familiar to me because of Jo’s RAV4s.
“I bought the top-spec all-wheel-drive version with all the toys and gadgets. I’ve had it for more than a year now. The voice recognition system is amazing, as are the heated steering wheel and seats. I also really love the sound of it too – I’m a big sci-fi fan and it sounds like the cars from the films – we’re living in a sci-fi future today!” laughs Craig.
Life as a Toyota bZ4X owner
Craig attends Comic-Con events and often fills his Toyota bZ4X with sci-fi paraphernalia, including a full-size replica of the R2D2 droid from Star Wars, which he 3D printed and built himself. More often he and Jo use their Toyota electric vehicle for local journeys including going to Latin and ballroom dancing lessons and for their weekly shopping trips.
After more than one year of being a Toyota bZ4X owner, Craig can reflect on how effectively his electric vehicle charging operates during the different seasons.
“In the summer, from about 9.30am, they’re usually producing enough energy so I can go off-grid. Any excess power goes into recharging the car.
“The solar panels don’t generate as much during the winter – but I don’t drive the car as much then either. Despite that, even on Christmas Day last year I managed to top-up the car’s battery.
“I use an app on my phone to monitor the power generated by my solar panels and control everything. I can decide when to plug in my car to recharge and when to unplug it. I still physically plug the car into my HIVE charger.” [The charging point was fitted by British Gas, supported by Toyota].
Planning an electrified future
“I’d like to keep the car for at least ten years. When I’m asked about the electric driving range I say to people, ‘It’s enough for me’. I’ve driven my Toyota bZ4X to Birmingham a few times for work and we’ll be using it on an upcoming holiday for day trips. I rarely need to use public chargers.
“I’m a home-worker so having an electric vehicle really suits me. I’d advise other drivers to look at their driving patterns before going down the route of running an EV on solar. If they undertake lots of long journeys and need to recharge more frequently, then perhaps they might not enjoy the same benefits as I do.
“I love planning, and to run an electric vehicle on solar power you do need to be organised. It’s about changing your habits, but in my opinion the two technologies can work well together,” says our enthusiastic Toyota bZ4X owner.
Words and images by Rod Kirkpatrick.
As someone considering switching to an EV, it’s great to read stories like this. It shows how you can make the most of renewable energy for both your home and vehicle.
This is my third electric car, first MG second Kia but I needed a larger car due to extra dogs in family, the BZ4Z motion was my choice. Why ! Size,Comfort, Extra range ( recently went on 250 mile trip ) heater on etc no problem.
The build quality is super and so comfortable. And under £4.50 for 270 miles win win .