John's Stuff - Personal Log 1278

April 25, 2024 - April 30, 2024

Last Updated: Sun. 11/03/2024

4-30-2024
Adapter Purchases. I wonder how many more posts like this we'll get: "So, I'm trying to find an adapter plug for my 2024 Prius Prime so that I can use public charging stations..." Seeing that is when know-your-audience becomes especially important. It is a problem early-adopters created. They were so adverse to discussing DC speed that just what a basic 62.5 kW charger could deliver was dismissed as unimportant. Focus was entirely on who was delivering the fastest. Consequently, newbies have no context... no idea how any of the actual technology works. So, even the fundamental difference of AC remains unknown. That's really unfortunate. I attempted to rectify the situation today with what will hopefully be understood in simple enough terms to be useful: No separate adapter is needed for level-2... since the EVSE is an adapter. That's just basic AC, like level-1 but twice the voltage, using a standard connection. The charger itself is in the vehicle. For DC, you need a system capable of accepting DC input directly. That's a lot of power intended for delivery to a large battery. Your Prius Prime is not equipped for that.

4-29-2024
Too Late For What? Gotta like this click-bait: "Is The Toyota BZ4X 2024 A Game-changer Or Too Late To The EV World?" It was the title of a video reviewing the rollout of bZ4X in Australia. Right away, the guide gave off vibes of Toyota dislike. A few minutes into the review, it was obvious he was simply paid to point & comment. There was no substance. There was no explanation of what that "too late" actually meant either. In the end, it was a basic review that avoided bias and concluded Toyota had caught up to the crowd. Some took the bait anyway. None could explain their assessment. It was the same old nonsense, but with a hint of panic. Toyota is supposed to remain behind. Catching up clearly scares them. In fact, that speed hints at having game-changer potential... hence being so vague, unwilling to explain anything. I recognize that pattern well. So, I chimed in with: Since EVs haven't reached mainstream yet (still dependent on subsidies and still building infrastructure) claims of late have no merit. It's like being late to a tailgate party; that has nothing to do with the game itself.

4-28-2024 Short Sighted. He did not like my answer, sharing that he's been in the tech field for 25 years: "I think it's kind of short sighted since most of those platforms are over 3 years old now. I will never understand not having that ability at this time, if it was 5 years ago, then I agree." Since I have been a software engineer for even longer and have been quite active with automotive tech, where patience is in an integral part of the business, there was much more I could share:

Seeing the market through eyes of an engineer is by far the most common barrier for enthusiasts. In fact, that is how Tesla ended up painting itself into a corner. Tesla left very little to look forward to. In fact, that is likely a big contributor now to Elon's waning interest.

To keep business viable, major improvements are saved for a release ordinary consumers who have not been paying attention will easily identify... like a new platform... an obvious upgrade clue in the form of a big styling change. For Toyota, we know that will be their next-gen bZ4X featuring a choice of batteries offering increased range and faster charging.

It is how sustainable profit is achieved. Their customer base must remain engaged. Some current owners will be drawn to the upgrade, which in turn contributes to used vehicles becoming available. Used sales are based upon proven reliability from an easy to follow history. That reduces OTA to only minor updates, leaving major updates for that next-gen offering.
Ironically, it's the opposite of being short-sighted. Holding back is indeed for long-term viability. Consider state of the market. Sales still have a dependence on tax-credits and are our infrastructure build-up has a heavy expectation for on-going subsidies. Those "teething" issues are a clear sign of not being ready for mainstream consumers yet.

4-28-2024 OTA Updates. There is an inherent desire for OTA (Over The Air) updates. People are told that is important, to look for it when EV shopping, but never really told why. That's how questions like this come about: "Hi, we are looking at the bZ4X as our Mustang Mach E's will be returned in late August. Has Toyota spoken about or provided any OTA updates yet?" That is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask about. I wanted to know what value he thought such a feature would provide. So, I replied asking:

How often and what types of OTA would you expect? When it comes to software, customer interest is focused on apps rather than the operating-system itself.

So for me as a bZ4X owner, my expectations have mostly been on getting continuous enhancements from Google for map and ABRP for route planning. From Toyota, updates will be extremely rare. We'll get a revision to the dashboard and charging-curve, perhaps pre-conditioning enablement, but that's it.

This isn't like the early-adopter years when Tesla was using owners as data providers and updating their design of vehicle & charger based on those real-world observations. Vampire drains have been addressed, efficiency tweaks applied, and absence of physical buttons accommodated. Most of the hardware & software is mature at this point. In fact, that is how NACS was able to entice others for acceptance as the DC standard in North America.

OTA will be offered by Toyota on their next-gen platform, but some of that could be related to telematic & driver-assist enhancements... neither of which the current platform will ever exploit. So, there isn't much value added for a near-term purchase.
This is an infotainment update feature that is already OTA, but that's fairly basic. It worked just fine in my Prius Prime over the years. For vehicle operation though, bringing it into the dealer was still required.

4-27-2024
Wait For NACS. Advice like this is troubling: "In the US, don't buy any EV with a CCS1 charge port. Lease it and if you like it turn it in at the end of the lease and buy the NACS one." Like I have pointed out before, sometimes enthusiasts are their own worst enemy. My observations seem to implicate making assumptions as the cause. Many are poorly informed, just passing along hearsay without doing any research. Ugh. Oh well, that provides me an opportunity to pass along something useful... an implicit invitation I did not hesitate to accept today: The NACS adapter for Ford owners is free. For GM owners, it is $25. It works exactly like MagicDock... no big deal... no reason to not purchase now. It is small, convenient and lockable. We will see CCS locations for many years to come. They won't swap connections until cords/handles need replacement. New sites funded through NEVI will continue being built until new funds starting in 2027 are approved. CCS won't disappear for a very long time.

4-27-2024
Significant Disadvantage. Gotta like these comments: "The Toyota EV isn't really very good? It's a disaster." That was posted by the video guy who absolutely hates Toyota. Reading posts from each of his narrative & conspiracy videos can be informative. They also provide opportunity to reach an audience outside of any type of echo-chamber. Many of the participants are hostile. If you can crack their armor with a little bit of critical thinking, that influence can go a long way. I attempted such an outcome (knowing their reach for a wider audience is the greater objective) to the comment above, replying with: Not qualifying for the $7,500 tax-credit was the disaster. That left bZ4X at a severe disadvantage all the naysayers conveniently turn a blind-eye toward. It's difficult to get anyone to look at any other design trait when that vehicle was put in a situation with such a major disadvantage. That's why Toyota started with these great lease offers... since that makes their EV qualify.

4-27-2024
Estimating Range. Think about how many times we have seen this: "I have a 2023 AWD Limited model here in California. EPA estimate rating is 222miles, but I'm constantly by average 11% off from their advertised range when charged to 100%." Awareness of how efficiency translates to range became a really big deal 24 years ago, when Prius introduced a screen showing live data. Prior to that, some had a tiny number they rarely paid attention too. Driving a hybrid or plug-in profoundly changes that awareness. You become acutely in tune to what impacts efficiency... over time. Initially, you experience emotions contributing to anger, frustration and buyer's remorse. To today's such owner, I shared:

Our system of estimating range has been flawed for decades. Even the major revision a number of years ago didn't address shortcomings well. You want change, shoot the source... EPA... not the messenger... Toyota.

Those tests used don't reflect real-world driving well. You want more realistic, you'd have to force measurements for sustained high-speed driving and much colder conditions. It's that simple. All owners of efficiency vehicles become aware of this at some point. Power to change EPA criteria is determined is a monumental effort. Complaining to an individual automaker isn't enough.

Think about it. What exactly would you suggest for change? What MPH and for how long? What TEMPERATURE and for how long? Then how would those values be presented not to make the confusing system even more confusing? Ever notice how Europe has "Urban" and "Extra Urban" for estimates? Consider how stop & slow driving impacts efficiency.

Complaints fall on deaf ears. That's why so many automakers simply find a means of squeezing more battery into their vehicle rather than actually address the problem.

4-26-2024
Gas Savings Blindness. That new hybrid system has stirred comments like: "It's disappointing that Toyota didn't focus on efficiency, because the trivial improvements in fuel economy of just one or two miles per gallon hardly seem to offer much environmental benefit and certainly don't translate to fuel savings for the customer." Such a sentiment comes from long ago, when carbon & smog emissions weren't given any value whatsoever. You were told the benefit of a hybrid was exclusively based upon MPG increase. The higher the number, the more money you would save. That of course backfired with regard to large vehicles. Even when that number doesn't change much, it can equate to a huge gas savings. But since our system is backward.... miles per gallon... rather than how many miles you can travel over a specific distance, we doomed to misunderstandings related to efficiency. This is why the rest of the world measures efficiency based upon how much fuel it takes to travel 100 miles or 100 kilometers. This is also why even using "kWh/100mi" has been such a challenge. BEV haven't cared. They regard "efficiency" as a measure of how far you can travel per charge. That is so stupid, I was blown away to find how many reviewers pushed that belief. They don't recognize the problem, passing that distorted reality onto their viewers. Ugh. Fortunately, that isn't a vital aspect of the stage of change we are at anyway. Phew! I pointed out what needs to be focused on now: Don't overlook the greater purpose... to carry their dealers forward. With the entire fleet using some type of battery-pack, it is far easier getting both salesperson & customer to consider plug-in offerings. Misconceptions about reliability, durability and replacement fade away when 100% of the vehicles are leveraging electricity for propulsion.

4-26-2024
i-Force Max. In the new Tacoma pickup, Toyota will be using a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It is a hybrid, but with a fundamentally different approach. As an executive stated about the system: "It helps us with our peak torque and then of course, when our turbo efficiency starts to fall off, it can come back in and assist." Despite an article pointing that out, assumptions still emerge. No matter how much of an emphasis is made to enable readers to recognize its purpose & operation as different, some don't bother using their brain. Almost immediately a comment was posted about how BMW had done the same thing 2 or 3 years ago. Ugh. I was annoyed and fired back with this does of reality: This is not an integrated starter-generator setup for minor efficiency & emissions improvement... a mild hybrid. Toyota will use a 1.9 kWh battery-pack delivering around 200 volts of electricity sent through an invertor ramping it up to 600 volts, resulting in an additional 48-horsepower of assist. That rapid electric torque will supplement the system, enabling a small turbocharged gas-engine to be used without any efficiency or power sacrifice.

4-25-2024
Skepticism. We are getting news of Toyota's next BEV for the US. Thoughts have been that it will be called Highlander rather than bZ5X... but those waters just got muddied. bZ5X will be produced in Kentucky. There is also a new investment in an all-electric SUV to be produced in Indiana. It seems reasonable to hypothesize that becomes a RAV4 electric and bZ4X simply being phased out. After all, that upcoming switch to a new platform with new batteries would make that switch very easy. In the meantime, we still have to deal with nonsense like this: "Color me skeptical but the bz4x is just so lackluster that it would have been competitive with the technology from 6 or 8 years ago. Its existence now it seems like it's designed specifically to discourage BEV sales and to motivate customers to buy something else off the lot." Think about where we were 6 years ago. That was 2018. Volt was still in production, gen-2 Leaf had just rolled out, and Model 3 was finally overcoming production hell. Go back 8 years, the plug-in market was still basically just conquest sales and full of hype. Claiming competitive is baseless rhetoric. That's how they keep narratives alive... feeding them with vague, unsupported claims. I find them annoying to deal with, but recognize their anti-Toyota noise will fade. It becomes easier to see purpose & priorities over time. Until then, I continue to convey some fundamentals: Lackluster is an assessment only from those who place range and fast-charging as their highest priority, in today's market. That isn't Toyota's focus, which is spreading & improving their tech prior to going all in. 2024 model got battery-heater & circulation-system upgrades to address fast-charging speed. Increased range will follow, as noted in their battery roadmap. Skepticism basically comes not recognizing Toyota's continuous improvement approach.

4-25-2024
Your Type. Elsewhere on the internet, we have this nonsense: "I could care less about how you view it all. You drive a Toyota, so I already know you and your type. You will defend your actions/purchases at all costs and everyone else will be wrong." That is what I got when calling out someone, asking what he meant by "lackluster" when describing bZ4X. I provided a detail description of my road-trip last August, removing the possibility of assumptions or misleading. It was the same old tactic of being vague to undermine. That works quite well the first year, when there is little to no real-world data available. But now in year-2, that's difficult to get away with. So, any antagonist getting caught doing that will turn around whatever you say and make it personal. In this case, it was dismissal on a presumed stereotype. Since I was drawing attention to his obvious attempt to make bZ4X appear inefficient, providing my own experience really hurt. I had observed an outcome invalidating his portrayal. So, he attacked me personally. Ugh. Oh well, that is clear confirmation of his disingenuous intent. Fortunate for me, I'm well aware how that doesn't make any difference and fired back with: Making it personal doesn't change anything. It has always been about the bigger market... mainstream shoppers... ordinary consumers who Toyota is targeting. The fact some enthusiasts label that as "lackluster" is their problem. This is why cars like Corolla & Camry have sold in such great volume. Transition from early-adopter to something for the masses breaks the niche enthusiasts had enjoyed. Using me as a scapegoat won't alter that outcome.

4-25-2024
Online Comments. The big EV blog sight was really struggling with change. Status quo has been broken. PHEV are becoming a major contributor to plug-in acceptance, promoting BEV rather than hindering it. That has really upset enthusiasts. Their leader has fallen at the same time. Those recent attacks on me didn't even need mention of Cybertruck for them to know things are not going well. So much attention is being stirred in the entry-level market, those die-hard defenders are getting desperate. Toyota offering bZ4X leases at clearance prices (keep in mind, that includes the $7,500 tax-credit) has made the situation even worse... by taking away a strong argument point. That's no big deal for Toyota, since they were operating within a quota anyway. Allocations were limited to stay within planned expenses. They budgeted accordingly and will in valuable real-world data in return. Online comments reflected a strong resentment for Toyota's plans proceeding as hope. Toyota is supposed to suffer. The narrative made them up to be anti-EV. Having major success with hybrids will fund plug-in efforts. Camry becoming 100% ended all hope for them working the antithesis angle. How do you portray an automaker as not planning for the future when they have successfully phased out ICE offerings? Other legacy automakers still offering them poses a very big problem... which is how we got to today's change of the online comment system. It looks like that interface will be much easier for moderators to manage this transition to where BEV is no the only viable offering and Tesla is no longer king. I'm quite intrigued by how this will influence attitude & participation. Other groups were moderators have forced commenting change ended up experiencing a paradigm shift. Many of the troublemakers vanished as a result of losing the venue they has once dominated. They lost both their voice and their audience.

4-30-2024	Adapter Purchases. I wonder how many more posts like this we'll get: "So, I'm trying to find an adapter plug for my 2024 Prius Prime so that I can use public charging stations..." Seeing that is when know-your-audience becomes especially important. It is a problem early-adopters created. They were so adverse to discussing DC speed that just what a basic 62.5 kW charger could deliver was dismissed as unimportant. Focus was entirely on who was delivering the fastest. Consequently, newbies have no context... no idea how any of the actual technology works. So, even the fundamental difference of AC remains unknown. That's really unfortunate. I attempted to rectify the situation today with what will hopefully be understood in simple enough terms to be useful: No separate adapter is needed for level-2... since the EVSE is an adapter. That's just basic AC, like level-1 but twice the voltage, using a standard connection. The charger itself is in the vehicle. For DC, you need a system capable of accepting DC input directly. That's a lot of power intended for delivery to a large battery. Your Prius Prime is not equipped for that.
4-29-2024	Too Late For What? Gotta like this click-bait: "Is The Toyota BZ4X 2024 A Game-changer Or Too Late To The EV World?" It was the title of a video reviewing the rollout of bZ4X in Australia. Right away, the guide gave off vibes of Toyota dislike. A few minutes into the review, it was obvious he was simply paid to point & comment. There was no substance. There was no explanation of what that "too late" actually meant either. In the end, it was a basic review that avoided bias and concluded Toyota had caught up to the crowd. Some took the bait anyway. None could explain their assessment. It was the same old nonsense, but with a hint of panic. Toyota is supposed to remain behind. Catching up clearly scares them. In fact, that speed hints at having game-changer potential... hence being so vague, unwilling to explain anything. I recognize that pattern well. So, I chimed in with: Since EVs haven't reached mainstream yet (still dependent on subsidies and still building infrastructure) claims of late have no merit. It's like being late to a tailgate party; that has nothing to do with the game itself.
4-28-2024	Short Sighted. He did not like my answer, sharing that he's been in the tech field for 25 years: "I think it's kind of short sighted since most of those platforms are over 3 years old now. I will never understand not having that ability at this time, if it was 5 years ago, then I agree." Since I have been a software engineer for even longer and have been quite active with automotive tech, where patience is in an integral part of the business, there was much more I could share: Seeing the market through eyes of an engineer is by far the most common barrier for enthusiasts. In fact, that is how Tesla ended up painting itself into a corner. Tesla left very little to look forward to. In fact, that is likely a big contributor now to Elon's waning interest. To keep business viable, major improvements are saved for a release ordinary consumers who have not been paying attention will easily identify... like a new platform... an obvious upgrade clue in the form of a big styling change. For Toyota, we know that will be their next-gen bZ4X featuring a choice of batteries offering increased range and faster charging. It is how sustainable profit is achieved. Their customer base must remain engaged. Some current owners will be drawn to the upgrade, which in turn contributes to used vehicles becoming available. Used sales are based upon proven reliability from an easy to follow history. That reduces OTA to only minor updates, leaving major updates for that next-gen offering. Ironically, it's the opposite of being short-sighted. Holding back is indeed for long-term viability. Consider state of the market. Sales still have a dependence on tax-credits and are our infrastructure build-up has a heavy expectation for on-going subsidies. Those "teething" issues are a clear sign of not being ready for mainstream consumers yet.
4-28-2024	OTA Updates. There is an inherent desire for OTA (Over The Air) updates. People are told that is important, to look for it when EV shopping, but never really told why. That's how questions like this come about: "Hi, we are looking at the bZ4X as our Mustang Mach E's will be returned in late August. Has Toyota spoken about or provided any OTA updates yet?" That is a perfectly reasonable thing to ask about. I wanted to know what value he thought such a feature would provide. So, I replied asking: How often and what types of OTA would you expect? When it comes to software, customer interest is focused on apps rather than the operating-system itself. So for me as a bZ4X owner, my expectations have mostly been on getting continuous enhancements from Google for map and ABRP for route planning. From Toyota, updates will be extremely rare. We'll get a revision to the dashboard and charging-curve, perhaps pre-conditioning enablement, but that's it. This isn't like the early-adopter years when Tesla was using owners as data providers and updating their design of vehicle & charger based on those real-world observations. Vampire drains have been addressed, efficiency tweaks applied, and absence of physical buttons accommodated. Most of the hardware & software is mature at this point. In fact, that is how NACS was able to entice others for acceptance as the DC standard in North America. OTA will be offered by Toyota on their next-gen platform, but some of that could be related to telematic & driver-assist enhancements... neither of which the current platform will ever exploit. So, there isn't much value added for a near-term purchase. This is an infotainment update feature that is already OTA, but that's fairly basic. It worked just fine in my Prius Prime over the years. For vehicle operation though, bringing it into the dealer was still required.
4-27-2024	Wait For NACS. Advice like this is troubling: "In the US, don't buy any EV with a CCS1 charge port. Lease it and if you like it turn it in at the end of the lease and buy the NACS one." Like I have pointed out before, sometimes enthusiasts are their own worst enemy. My observations seem to implicate making assumptions as the cause. Many are poorly informed, just passing along hearsay without doing any research. Ugh. Oh well, that provides me an opportunity to pass along something useful... an implicit invitation I did not hesitate to accept today: The NACS adapter for Ford owners is free. For GM owners, it is $25. It works exactly like MagicDock... no big deal... no reason to not purchase now. It is small, convenient and lockable. We will see CCS locations for many years to come. They won't swap connections until cords/handles need replacement. New sites funded through NEVI will continue being built until new funds starting in 2027 are approved. CCS won't disappear for a very long time.
4-27-2024	Significant Disadvantage. Gotta like these comments: "The Toyota EV isn't really very good? It's a disaster." That was posted by the video guy who absolutely hates Toyota. Reading posts from each of his narrative & conspiracy videos can be informative. They also provide opportunity to reach an audience outside of any type of echo-chamber. Many of the participants are hostile. If you can crack their armor with a little bit of critical thinking, that influence can go a long way. I attempted such an outcome (knowing their reach for a wider audience is the greater objective) to the comment above, replying with: Not qualifying for the $7,500 tax-credit was the disaster. That left bZ4X at a severe disadvantage all the naysayers conveniently turn a blind-eye toward. It's difficult to get anyone to look at any other design trait when that vehicle was put in a situation with such a major disadvantage. That's why Toyota started with these great lease offers... since that makes their EV qualify.
4-27-2024	Estimating Range. Think about how many times we have seen this: "I have a 2023 AWD Limited model here in California. EPA estimate rating is 222miles, but I'm constantly by average 11% off from their advertised range when charged to 100%." Awareness of how efficiency translates to range became a really big deal 24 years ago, when Prius introduced a screen showing live data. Prior to that, some had a tiny number they rarely paid attention too. Driving a hybrid or plug-in profoundly changes that awareness. You become acutely in tune to what impacts efficiency... over time. Initially, you experience emotions contributing to anger, frustration and buyer's remorse. To today's such owner, I shared: Our system of estimating range has been flawed for decades. Even the major revision a number of years ago didn't address shortcomings well. You want change, shoot the source... EPA... not the messenger... Toyota. Those tests used don't reflect real-world driving well. You want more realistic, you'd have to force measurements for sustained high-speed driving and much colder conditions. It's that simple. All owners of efficiency vehicles become aware of this at some point. Power to change EPA criteria is determined is a monumental effort. Complaining to an individual automaker isn't enough. Think about it. What exactly would you suggest for change? What MPH and for how long? What TEMPERATURE and for how long? Then how would those values be presented not to make the confusing system even more confusing? Ever notice how Europe has "Urban" and "Extra Urban" for estimates? Consider how stop & slow driving impacts efficiency. Complaints fall on deaf ears. That's why so many automakers simply find a means of squeezing more battery into their vehicle rather than actually address the problem.
4-26-2024	Gas Savings Blindness. That new hybrid system has stirred comments like: "It's disappointing that Toyota didn't focus on efficiency, because the trivial improvements in fuel economy of just one or two miles per gallon hardly seem to offer much environmental benefit and certainly don't translate to fuel savings for the customer." Such a sentiment comes from long ago, when carbon & smog emissions weren't given any value whatsoever. You were told the benefit of a hybrid was exclusively based upon MPG increase. The higher the number, the more money you would save. That of course backfired with regard to large vehicles. Even when that number doesn't change much, it can equate to a huge gas savings. But since our system is backward.... miles per gallon... rather than how many miles you can travel over a specific distance, we doomed to misunderstandings related to efficiency. This is why the rest of the world measures efficiency based upon how much fuel it takes to travel 100 miles or 100 kilometers. This is also why even using "kWh/100mi" has been such a challenge. BEV haven't cared. They regard "efficiency" as a measure of how far you can travel per charge. That is so stupid, I was blown away to find how many reviewers pushed that belief. They don't recognize the problem, passing that distorted reality onto their viewers. Ugh. Fortunately, that isn't a vital aspect of the stage of change we are at anyway. Phew! I pointed out what needs to be focused on now: Don't overlook the greater purpose... to carry their dealers forward. With the entire fleet using some type of battery-pack, it is far easier getting both salesperson & customer to consider plug-in offerings. Misconceptions about reliability, durability and replacement fade away when 100% of the vehicles are leveraging electricity for propulsion.
4-26-2024	i-Force Max. In the new Tacoma pickup, Toyota will be using a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It is a hybrid, but with a fundamentally different approach. As an executive stated about the system: "It helps us with our peak torque and then of course, when our turbo efficiency starts to fall off, it can come back in and assist." Despite an article pointing that out, assumptions still emerge. No matter how much of an emphasis is made to enable readers to recognize its purpose & operation as different, some don't bother using their brain. Almost immediately a comment was posted about how BMW had done the same thing 2 or 3 years ago. Ugh. I was annoyed and fired back with this does of reality: This is not an integrated starter-generator setup for minor efficiency & emissions improvement... a mild hybrid. Toyota will use a 1.9 kWh battery-pack delivering around 200 volts of electricity sent through an invertor ramping it up to 600 volts, resulting in an additional 48-horsepower of assist. That rapid electric torque will supplement the system, enabling a small turbocharged gas-engine to be used without any efficiency or power sacrifice.
4-25-2024	Skepticism. We are getting news of Toyota's next BEV for the US. Thoughts have been that it will be called Highlander rather than bZ5X... but those waters just got muddied. bZ5X will be produced in Kentucky. There is also a new investment in an all-electric SUV to be produced in Indiana. It seems reasonable to hypothesize that becomes a RAV4 electric and bZ4X simply being phased out. After all, that upcoming switch to a new platform with new batteries would make that switch very easy. In the meantime, we still have to deal with nonsense like this: "Color me skeptical but the bz4x is just so lackluster that it would have been competitive with the technology from 6 or 8 years ago. Its existence now it seems like it's designed specifically to discourage BEV sales and to motivate customers to buy something else off the lot." Think about where we were 6 years ago. That was 2018. Volt was still in production, gen-2 Leaf had just rolled out, and Model 3 was finally overcoming production hell. Go back 8 years, the plug-in market was still basically just conquest sales and full of hype. Claiming competitive is baseless rhetoric. That's how they keep narratives alive... feeding them with vague, unsupported claims. I find them annoying to deal with, but recognize their anti-Toyota noise will fade. It becomes easier to see purpose & priorities over time. Until then, I continue to convey some fundamentals: Lackluster is an assessment only from those who place range and fast-charging as their highest priority, in today's market. That isn't Toyota's focus, which is spreading & improving their tech prior to going all in. 2024 model got battery-heater & circulation-system upgrades to address fast-charging speed. Increased range will follow, as noted in their battery roadmap. Skepticism basically comes not recognizing Toyota's continuous improvement approach.
4-25-2024	Your Type. Elsewhere on the internet, we have this nonsense: "I could care less about how you view it all. You drive a Toyota, so I already know you and your type. You will defend your actions/purchases at all costs and everyone else will be wrong." That is what I got when calling out someone, asking what he meant by "lackluster" when describing bZ4X. I provided a detail description of my road-trip last August, removing the possibility of assumptions or misleading. It was the same old tactic of being vague to undermine. That works quite well the first year, when there is little to no real-world data available. But now in year-2, that's difficult to get away with. So, any antagonist getting caught doing that will turn around whatever you say and make it personal. In this case, it was dismissal on a presumed stereotype. Since I was drawing attention to his obvious attempt to make bZ4X appear inefficient, providing my own experience really hurt. I had observed an outcome invalidating his portrayal. So, he attacked me personally. Ugh. Oh well, that is clear confirmation of his disingenuous intent. Fortunate for me, I'm well aware how that doesn't make any difference and fired back with: Making it personal doesn't change anything. It has always been about the bigger market... mainstream shoppers... ordinary consumers who Toyota is targeting. The fact some enthusiasts label that as "lackluster" is their problem. This is why cars like Corolla & Camry have sold in such great volume. Transition from early-adopter to something for the masses breaks the niche enthusiasts had enjoyed. Using me as a scapegoat won't alter that outcome.
4-25-2024	Online Comments. The big EV blog sight was really struggling with change. Status quo has been broken. PHEV are becoming a major contributor to plug-in acceptance, promoting BEV rather than hindering it. That has really upset enthusiasts. Their leader has fallen at the same time. Those recent attacks on me didn't even need mention of Cybertruck for them to know things are not going well. So much attention is being stirred in the entry-level market, those die-hard defenders are getting desperate. Toyota offering bZ4X leases at clearance prices (keep in mind, that includes the $7,500 tax-credit) has made the situation even worse... by taking away a strong argument point. That's no big deal for Toyota, since they were operating within a quota anyway. Allocations were limited to stay within planned expenses. They budgeted accordingly and will in valuable real-world data in return. Online comments reflected a strong resentment for Toyota's plans proceeding as hope. Toyota is supposed to suffer. The narrative made them up to be anti-EV. Having major success with hybrids will fund plug-in efforts. Camry becoming 100% ended all hope for them working the antithesis angle. How do you portray an automaker as not planning for the future when they have successfully phased out ICE offerings? Other legacy automakers still offering them poses a very big problem... which is how we got to today's change of the online comment system. It looks like that interface will be much easier for moderators to manage this transition to where BEV is no the only viable offering and Tesla is no longer king. I'm quite intrigued by how this will influence attitude & participation. Other groups were moderators have forced commenting change ended up experiencing a paradigm shift. Many of the troublemakers vanished as a result of losing the venue they has once dominated. They lost both their voice and their audience.