John's Stuff - Personal Log 1287

July 3, 2024 - July 23, 2024

Last Updated: Mon. 11/04/2024

7-23-2024
That Second EV, dual. Countless early-adopters praised EV technology, but absolutely refused to address how it would be adopted by those with limited charging. It finally happened, a post from an owner trying to figure out how to deal with plugging in 2 vehicles. He asked about replacing his single charger with a dual unit. I asked: What do you see as the benefit of a dual device? We have two level-2 in our garage. That means there is never any issue with access. Both are by the door of the garage, so cords reach no matter where/when you park. We made that decision 7.5 years ago. It has worked out great.

7-23-2024
Tesla Ahead? It's fun to question statements like this: "Cybertruck's rear casting is a work of art. People don't realize how far ahead Tesla is in manufacturing." That's an assessment very much in the realm of subjective. It's an opinion based on vague observations. What does it actually equate to in terms of changing the status quo? How will this impact legacy auto sales? Since we don't see anything in terms of entry-level competition from Tesla, where is the benefit from casting? To make a difference, that technology must end up in the hands of consumers. Engineering excellence, innovation worthy of praise, only benefits society if they can use it. I put it this way: Ahead is a relative measure. Implementation for Cybertruck translates to delay for use by the masses. Tesla hasn't made sales in the low-profit vehicle market a priority. Others targeting entry-level offerings will find a way of being competitive.

7-22-2024
Called Out. He clearly didn't like me calling him out, showing readers what an absence of objectivity looks like. His claims of wanting to have a discussion to learn from was disingenuous. When the previous post started to blink and clicking on his avatar no longer worked, it was obvious. He made the choice to abandon ship by blocking me. Gotta love that head-in-sand response. That happened a lot with Volt. Each troublemaker would eventually stumble over their own words, then disappear. Making that decision to flee rather than fight was almost always the outcome. I found this instance especially amusing, since he had recently just changed his avatar to the *FIGHT* photo. How ironic that he didn't want to when the time came. That's why I always push for detail. When someone draws a conclusion, they should be willing to stand behind their reasons for doing so. He got called out for cherry-picking. Detail confirmed that selective data was intentional misleading... the opposite of learning.

7-22-2024
Fight! This was the comment posted on an article comparing bZ4X and Solterra that caught my attention: "Toyota claims 131 mpge however the real world tests show a disappointing 86 mpge. Nissan is 111. Win Nissan in efficiency." I replied asking for the source of such an obvious cherry-pick. He responded right away with a link stating that came from an 75 mph driving observation. Pointing out that was a cherry-pick, not a MPGe rating, resulted in this return: "If it were cherry picked, why would I post the results that favor Toyota?" Seeing his avatar was the *FIGHT* photo of our former president covered with blood from the assassination attempt along with a question of "Where is your aggression coming from?" was a sign to me to bring the exchange to an end. I was there to observe audience and look for change. Instead, all I'm just finding the rhetoric getting ratcheted up. Blah. This was my attempt to wrap things up: It's a teaching moment. Don't draw a conclusion on a single data point and not expect to be called out. Nissan was declared a win in efficiency, despite only using a solitary source from a single type of driving. That's a disservice to everyone.

7-21-2024
Expectations. As I turn my attention to other things, now that research is wrapping up, it's comments like this that make an interesting impression: "I will be overjoyed when Toyota uses its immense resources to deliver affordable, competitive EVs. Toyota has the ability. That's why the bee-zed forex is such a disappointment." There are some who expected Toyota to come out with a Tesla killer right from day one. They didn't consider history or current market state. It was always an expectation of the perfect set of criteria being achieved... all the boxes magically checked. Never taking time to consider how that level of excellence was achieved for hybrids is the problem. Prius was also rolled out in a series of upgrades. By the time it was finally noticed, the well refined design was assumed to be that way from the start... just a niche only enthusiasts had noticed initially. Coming to the realization that Toyota used those early years to analyze & adapt is beyond their grasp. They don't recognize the necessity for real-world data. Ordinary consumers are not predictable. It takes lots of observation to figure out what their needs truly are. It's why expectations are so difficult to set. What should they be? We see other automakers guessing, then having to heavily discount inventory piling up that doesn't fulfill requirements. Oops! I pointed out that evolution with: Toyota has no desire to play the loss leader game. With them, it's all about continuous improvement. Notice the upgrade for 2024? There's another planned for 2025.

7-18-2024
No Trip-Planner. Supposedly, that is not the deal-breaker for bZ4X sales. Isn't it amazing how the story changes over time? This was today's claim: "Sadly it's because Toyota didn't build in a trip-planner to the car." If you use an app like PlugShare or ABRP, it should be obvious why Toyota didn't focus on any type of mapping feature beyond the basics. People expect the apps to deliver live information, telling you how many stations are in service and how many are currently available. Knowing state of traffic at the moment (and if there is any road construction to be aware of) is a big deal too. Wanting accurate estimates of arrival-time & charge-level turns into a complicated matter. Not really wanting to get into all that, I replied with: I wouldn't want to have to settle for in-house resources of an automaker. That hasn't gone well for either VW or Google. Sometimes, you are better off with a third-party.

7-14-2024
Video: Commute with A/C. This is an example of a typical commute to work in my bZ4X (2023 AWD with 20" wheels). It's hot enough to require use of the A/C. So, this is the video to watch if you're curious about what the daily routine looks like during summer... Toyota bZ4X - Commute with A/C

7-11-2024
Sales Slump. With so many price drops, some type of market reaction was inevitable. Immediate reaction was concern about the impact that would have on used values. When you instantly find your loan underwater, there's going to be talk of change. Will this have long term impact or is there just an adjustment some automakers are forced to accept. Since this situation was quite predictable, upset about it not having much of an impact for Toyota is stirring. Just like with the first Prius, limited volume shielded monetary concerns. Profit simply wasn't a priority for Toyota. They will sell bZ4X at whatever price it will appeal to a wide audience. That provides useful real-world data... Toyota's priority. No one listens though. In fact, an article from last year is recirculating. Only now are some taking information related to sales seriously. Enthusiasts just assume strong growth won't ever encounter any hiccups... despite obvious new market entries. Drawing interest from those unwilling to entertain high-profit ventures becoming progressively more difficult as early-adopter purchases complete and competition builds. In other words, this is basic economics and stubborn denial at play. I simply posted to move on from situations already discussion, then dismissed as FUD: Notice that article was from last year. Turns out, demand did indeed plateau. It's a normal part of the adoption process enthusiasts have been in denial about. When a technology moves from early-adopter to mainstream, that new audience will bring about change which impedes sales while the market adjusts. In other words, Toyota was correct. Ramp up with needed adjustments cannot be avoided.

7-10-2024
Pulse & Glide. It is quite surreal to hear the term being brought up again. That's how audience works though. What you experienced years... or even decades... ago is new to them. Delay makes no difference. The point is to finally reach the unreachable. Time tends to overcome even the most difficult of barriers. The catch is, that distance reach will be to an audience who simply doesn't care. Sure, you'll get a few who take notice. Most won't though. In the case of that today, it was with how to most efficiency driver the 5th generation hybrid system in the new 2025 Camry. Discussion on that topic stirred reference to that old technique of exploiting motor & engine relation of the time. Back then, there wasn't the optimization possible now. If you were willing to disrupt traffic, you could indeed squeeze MPG to a questionable improvement. Overall, was there really a gain? Needless to say, that knowledge & experience was lost to audiences of the past. Today, I addressed those listening with: Way back when "Pulse & Glide" was coined, it resulted in "Just Drive It"... because unless you knew exactly how to do it, resulting MPG was less than if you had not tried.

7-06-2024
For Whom? Think about what this really tells us: "When one of our editors had a bZ4X recently, he got more questions about it than most other EVs he's driven. People really want good EVs from Toyota. Now imagine what they could pull off if they upped the specs on the bZ4X." What were the questions? Enthusiasts would naturally want more. That isn't necessarily a deal-maker for ordinary consumers though. More sometimes makes no difference. Speed is a great example of that. More kW will reduce time, but is that important? 10 minutes saved may not be worth the extra cost. That's why we need to ask for whom? That is also why I responded this way: Which specs? Focus is on cost reduction. That will enable battery-capacity to become a package choice. DC charging speed now peaks in the 140's and the next-gen offering will be faster. What else is there in terms of what this audience here deems important?

7-05-2024
Energy Independence. Still quite annoyed, I wasn't done. That new anti-EV propaganda source is preying on those who are poorly informed. Posting false & outdated information on a regular basis, with lots of praise comments helps to legitimize it. This is nothing new. In fact, that kind of nonsense is to be expected. It serves as a gauge indicating how threatened those fighting to retain the status quo really are. Some of what I'm hearing now is especially hollow, obvious desperation. The clearest threat is on two fronts... lower cost EVs on the way and NEVI projects finally getting visibility. Both show trust & investment for plug-in vehicles. The fact that we already have issues & concerns related to electricity supply makes ignoring change difficult. Seeing solar farms popping up all over the country shows a move away from all sources of oil, both imported & domestic. That's not the type of messaging you want when portraying electricity use as bad. I capitalized on that by pointing out the contradiction coming into play: Ironically, that energy-independence argument backfires when consumption beyond just transportation is considered. We must build up electricity infrastructure anyway. Using solar & wind with sodium-ion battery storage will happen regardless of the automotive industry. It simply makes no sense further investing in oil & gas knowing renewable & storage is creating new jobs.

7-05-2024
Senseless Politics. Remember FUD of the past? It's back for the election cycle. We are being total that change will result in job loss, which is the opposite of reality. We are seeing growth from new opportunity. Fear of anything new is key. That messaging is emerging this time in the form of stability, posted as: "Total common sense. A vote for Trump is a vote for America's stability and a future for our children and grandchildren." That came from a new video the pro-ICE propaganda source released. Their anti-EV sentiment is getting quite intense. Audience there appears to be a bunch of mindless follows simply looking for validation. I try the best to poke where it hurts the most, on comments just like that. How can stability come from a non-renewable resource? That's illogical. I put it this way, turning around that senseless comment: Common sense is recognizing that we have a limited supply of oil and those deposits are lower quality with greater difficulty to reach. That's a terrible problem to leave for our children and grandchildren.

7-04-2024
GM Emission Violations. Today, GM was fined $145.8 million and agreed to retire approximately 50 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) credits. Spanning 6 years of CO2 violations, from 11 models, there were 1.3 million vehicles found to be emitting more than 10% higher than initial compliance reports claimed. That's a pretty big deal. Right away, some apologists jumped in to spin excuses. This particular one caught my attention: "None of those vehicles are new. Emissions control systems degrade over time." That is utter nonsense. To qualify for an emission category, the technology delivered must guarantee degradation does not happen within the certified timespan. It felt good to point that out too: Nope. Emission measure doesn't work that way. Degradation is not permitted. For ULEV, the emission system must retain specified levels of cleansing for 100,000 miles. For SULEV, required distance is increased to 120,000 miles. For PZEV, it is 150,000 miles.

7-04-2024
Sales Fluster. Apologists are working hard to spin sales growth numbers from Subaru too, posting replies revealing their flustered stance like: "Therein lies the 'rub'. Sales doubled (to) 1,236 from 618 last year. A microscopic blip on the screen of about 1.8 billion ICE automobiles World wide and comparing an actual sales of this particular model to that number of ICE vehicles still on the roads of the World is non-sequitur." I found that hysterically desperate, to an extreme. Rather than sighting annual sales for North America or the world, he pointed out the entire existence of every vehicle on the planet. How is that even the slightest bit constructive? Well aware of how much this individual has become an antagonists, yet another to emerge as hostile toward Toyota, I replied without holding back: No, it's that anyone can cherry-pick data. The real metric is actual change on the showroom floor. That's why GM failed so miserably with Volt . It was an amazing conquest vehicle, but did nothing to bring about change at dealerships. Sadly, the same thing repeated with Bolt. In fact, GM dealers went in the opposite direction favoring large guzzlers instead. Seeing Equinox finally emerge with some type of non-ICE offering provides perspective for Subaru, a much smaller automaker striving to enter a market the giant automaker struggled to make headway in. Seeing Solterra test the waters for what their own loyal customers may want to see more of is a big kudos for Subaru.

7-04-2024 Q2 Sales. They are way up for bZ4X. Antagonists quickly had to spin something to defend their position: " *Nobody wants EVs* said Toyota over and over again. Once you start shipping them though, it turns out people do. Who woulda thought?" I was quite amused. Like most, his incredibly vague short-term perspective makes no sense long-term. It fails to recognize the bigger picture. How is an automaker supposed to transition? Anywho, I obviously have much to say on the topic... and I did:

Knowing how the anti-EV narrative was only for enthusiasts, those "people" made no difference. They are not the ones who break status quo.

Toyota's audience is showroom shoppers, their own loyal customers.... those who seek an established reputation for reliability. That's how popular vehicles like Sienna & Camry were able to become 100% hybrid, no more ICE models. Prius has begun its next step (currently playing out in Europe), moving from hybrid to only plug-in hybrid.

While at the same time, this first generation of bZ4X closely mimics Prius history. That first generation was also limited production, a very effective means of learning & positioning for a high-volume second generation that is competitive profitable from day one.
It's amazing how many "nobody wants EVs" sayers expect automakers to sustainably sell loss-leaders, turning a blind-eye to the message that sends to dealers and future customers.

7-03-2024
Not Following. A common theme for trolls is confuse the topic, claiming to not follow the logic presented. It's how they keep discussions endless. Being able to draw a conclusion ends their fun. Preventing that is their goal. For example today: "I'm not sure what this has to do with the new corolla..." Since I was directly replying to a post that clearly was related, he obviously didn't want the point I was making to be clearly seen. Ugh. I took the bait regardless, knowing the original commenter would appreciate a continuation: I was replying to battery production investment. Heavy investment in 4680 did not pay off. It took much, much longer to get to market and the flow of demand growth took a turn Tesla had not anticipated. 4680 fell short of goals as well. So despite LFP's lower energy-density, cold-temperature challenges, and slower charging, Tesla adopted it anyway. It is still a more robust battery that's far less likely to catch fire and offers many more charging cycles, as well as costing less. That's evidence of premature lock-in... exactly what I have been talking about for years. Toyota's audience favors the traits from LFP, so their effort to deliver a chemistry emulating that is well worth the wait. The fact that Corolla will fill in the gap with new engines is their portfolio balance, recognizing what is still required from battery advancements.

7-23-2024	That Second EV, dual. Countless early-adopters praised EV technology, but absolutely refused to address how it would be adopted by those with limited charging. It finally happened, a post from an owner trying to figure out how to deal with plugging in 2 vehicles. He asked about replacing his single charger with a dual unit. I asked: What do you see as the benefit of a dual device? We have two level-2 in our garage. That means there is never any issue with access. Both are by the door of the garage, so cords reach no matter where/when you park. We made that decision 7.5 years ago. It has worked out great.
7-23-2024	Tesla Ahead? It's fun to question statements like this: "Cybertruck's rear casting is a work of art. People don't realize how far ahead Tesla is in manufacturing." That's an assessment very much in the realm of subjective. It's an opinion based on vague observations. What does it actually equate to in terms of changing the status quo? How will this impact legacy auto sales? Since we don't see anything in terms of entry-level competition from Tesla, where is the benefit from casting? To make a difference, that technology must end up in the hands of consumers. Engineering excellence, innovation worthy of praise, only benefits society if they can use it. I put it this way: Ahead is a relative measure. Implementation for Cybertruck translates to delay for use by the masses. Tesla hasn't made sales in the low-profit vehicle market a priority. Others targeting entry-level offerings will find a way of being competitive.
7-22-2024	Called Out. He clearly didn't like me calling him out, showing readers what an absence of objectivity looks like. His claims of wanting to have a discussion to learn from was disingenuous. When the previous post started to blink and clicking on his avatar no longer worked, it was obvious. He made the choice to abandon ship by blocking me. Gotta love that head-in-sand response. That happened a lot with Volt. Each troublemaker would eventually stumble over their own words, then disappear. Making that decision to flee rather than fight was almost always the outcome. I found this instance especially amusing, since he had recently just changed his avatar to the FIGHT photo. How ironic that he didn't want to when the time came. That's why I always push for detail. When someone draws a conclusion, they should be willing to stand behind their reasons for doing so. He got called out for cherry-picking. Detail confirmed that selective data was intentional misleading... the opposite of learning.
7-22-2024	Fight! This was the comment posted on an article comparing bZ4X and Solterra that caught my attention: "Toyota claims 131 mpge however the real world tests show a disappointing 86 mpge. Nissan is 111. Win Nissan in efficiency." I replied asking for the source of such an obvious cherry-pick. He responded right away with a link stating that came from an 75 mph driving observation. Pointing out that was a cherry-pick, not a MPGe rating, resulted in this return: "If it were cherry picked, why would I post the results that favor Toyota?" Seeing his avatar was the FIGHT photo of our former president covered with blood from the assassination attempt along with a question of "Where is your aggression coming from?" was a sign to me to bring the exchange to an end. I was there to observe audience and look for change. Instead, all I'm just finding the rhetoric getting ratcheted up. Blah. This was my attempt to wrap things up: It's a teaching moment. Don't draw a conclusion on a single data point and not expect to be called out. Nissan was declared a win in efficiency, despite only using a solitary source from a single type of driving. That's a disservice to everyone.
7-21-2024	Expectations. As I turn my attention to other things, now that research is wrapping up, it's comments like this that make an interesting impression: "I will be overjoyed when Toyota uses its immense resources to deliver affordable, competitive EVs. Toyota has the ability. That's why the bee-zed forex is such a disappointment." There are some who expected Toyota to come out with a Tesla killer right from day one. They didn't consider history or current market state. It was always an expectation of the perfect set of criteria being achieved... all the boxes magically checked. Never taking time to consider how that level of excellence was achieved for hybrids is the problem. Prius was also rolled out in a series of upgrades. By the time it was finally noticed, the well refined design was assumed to be that way from the start... just a niche only enthusiasts had noticed initially. Coming to the realization that Toyota used those early years to analyze & adapt is beyond their grasp. They don't recognize the necessity for real-world data. Ordinary consumers are not predictable. It takes lots of observation to figure out what their needs truly are. It's why expectations are so difficult to set. What should they be? We see other automakers guessing, then having to heavily discount inventory piling up that doesn't fulfill requirements. Oops! I pointed out that evolution with: Toyota has no desire to play the loss leader game. With them, it's all about continuous improvement. Notice the upgrade for 2024? There's another planned for 2025.
7-18-2024	No Trip-Planner. Supposedly, that is not the deal-breaker for bZ4X sales. Isn't it amazing how the story changes over time? This was today's claim: "Sadly it's because Toyota didn't build in a trip-planner to the car." If you use an app like PlugShare or ABRP, it should be obvious why Toyota didn't focus on any type of mapping feature beyond the basics. People expect the apps to deliver live information, telling you how many stations are in service and how many are currently available. Knowing state of traffic at the moment (and if there is any road construction to be aware of) is a big deal too. Wanting accurate estimates of arrival-time & charge-level turns into a complicated matter. Not really wanting to get into all that, I replied with: I wouldn't want to have to settle for in-house resources of an automaker. That hasn't gone well for either VW or Google. Sometimes, you are better off with a third-party.
7-14-2024	Video: Commute with A/C. This is an example of a typical commute to work in my bZ4X (2023 AWD with 20" wheels). It's hot enough to require use of the A/C. So, this is the video to watch if you're curious about what the daily routine looks like during summer... Toyota bZ4X - Commute with A/C
7-11-2024	Sales Slump. With so many price drops, some type of market reaction was inevitable. Immediate reaction was concern about the impact that would have on used values. When you instantly find your loan underwater, there's going to be talk of change. Will this have long term impact or is there just an adjustment some automakers are forced to accept. Since this situation was quite predictable, upset about it not having much of an impact for Toyota is stirring. Just like with the first Prius, limited volume shielded monetary concerns. Profit simply wasn't a priority for Toyota. They will sell bZ4X at whatever price it will appeal to a wide audience. That provides useful real-world data... Toyota's priority. No one listens though. In fact, an article from last year is recirculating. Only now are some taking information related to sales seriously. Enthusiasts just assume strong growth won't ever encounter any hiccups... despite obvious new market entries. Drawing interest from those unwilling to entertain high-profit ventures becoming progressively more difficult as early-adopter purchases complete and competition builds. In other words, this is basic economics and stubborn denial at play. I simply posted to move on from situations already discussion, then dismissed as FUD: Notice that article was from last year. Turns out, demand did indeed plateau. It's a normal part of the adoption process enthusiasts have been in denial about. When a technology moves from early-adopter to mainstream, that new audience will bring about change which impedes sales while the market adjusts. In other words, Toyota was correct. Ramp up with needed adjustments cannot be avoided.
7-10-2024	Pulse & Glide. It is quite surreal to hear the term being brought up again. That's how audience works though. What you experienced years... or even decades... ago is new to them. Delay makes no difference. The point is to finally reach the unreachable. Time tends to overcome even the most difficult of barriers. The catch is, that distance reach will be to an audience who simply doesn't care. Sure, you'll get a few who take notice. Most won't though. In the case of that today, it was with how to most efficiency driver the 5th generation hybrid system in the new 2025 Camry. Discussion on that topic stirred reference to that old technique of exploiting motor & engine relation of the time. Back then, there wasn't the optimization possible now. If you were willing to disrupt traffic, you could indeed squeeze MPG to a questionable improvement. Overall, was there really a gain? Needless to say, that knowledge & experience was lost to audiences of the past. Today, I addressed those listening with: Way back when "Pulse & Glide" was coined, it resulted in "Just Drive It"... because unless you knew exactly how to do it, resulting MPG was less than if you had not tried.
7-06-2024	For Whom? Think about what this really tells us: "When one of our editors had a bZ4X recently, he got more questions about it than most other EVs he's driven. People really want good EVs from Toyota. Now imagine what they could pull off if they upped the specs on the bZ4X." What were the questions? Enthusiasts would naturally want more. That isn't necessarily a deal-maker for ordinary consumers though. More sometimes makes no difference. Speed is a great example of that. More kW will reduce time, but is that important? 10 minutes saved may not be worth the extra cost. That's why we need to ask for whom? That is also why I responded this way: Which specs? Focus is on cost reduction. That will enable battery-capacity to become a package choice. DC charging speed now peaks in the 140's and the next-gen offering will be faster. What else is there in terms of what this audience here deems important?
7-05-2024	Energy Independence. Still quite annoyed, I wasn't done. That new anti-EV propaganda source is preying on those who are poorly informed. Posting false & outdated information on a regular basis, with lots of praise comments helps to legitimize it. This is nothing new. In fact, that kind of nonsense is to be expected. It serves as a gauge indicating how threatened those fighting to retain the status quo really are. Some of what I'm hearing now is especially hollow, obvious desperation. The clearest threat is on two fronts... lower cost EVs on the way and NEVI projects finally getting visibility. Both show trust & investment for plug-in vehicles. The fact that we already have issues & concerns related to electricity supply makes ignoring change difficult. Seeing solar farms popping up all over the country shows a move away from all sources of oil, both imported & domestic. That's not the type of messaging you want when portraying electricity use as bad. I capitalized on that by pointing out the contradiction coming into play: Ironically, that energy-independence argument backfires when consumption beyond just transportation is considered. We must build up electricity infrastructure anyway. Using solar & wind with sodium-ion battery storage will happen regardless of the automotive industry. It simply makes no sense further investing in oil & gas knowing renewable & storage is creating new jobs.
7-05-2024	Senseless Politics. Remember FUD of the past? It's back for the election cycle. We are being total that change will result in job loss, which is the opposite of reality. We are seeing growth from new opportunity. Fear of anything new is key. That messaging is emerging this time in the form of stability, posted as: "Total common sense. A vote for Trump is a vote for America's stability and a future for our children and grandchildren." That came from a new video the pro-ICE propaganda source released. Their anti-EV sentiment is getting quite intense. Audience there appears to be a bunch of mindless follows simply looking for validation. I try the best to poke where it hurts the most, on comments just like that. How can stability come from a non-renewable resource? That's illogical. I put it this way, turning around that senseless comment: Common sense is recognizing that we have a limited supply of oil and those deposits are lower quality with greater difficulty to reach. That's a terrible problem to leave for our children and grandchildren.
7-04-2024	GM Emission Violations. Today, GM was fined $145.8 million and agreed to retire approximately 50 million metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) credits. Spanning 6 years of CO2 violations, from 11 models, there were 1.3 million vehicles found to be emitting more than 10% higher than initial compliance reports claimed. That's a pretty big deal. Right away, some apologists jumped in to spin excuses. This particular one caught my attention: "None of those vehicles are new. Emissions control systems degrade over time." That is utter nonsense. To qualify for an emission category, the technology delivered must guarantee degradation does not happen within the certified timespan. It felt good to point that out too: Nope. Emission measure doesn't work that way. Degradation is not permitted. For ULEV, the emission system must retain specified levels of cleansing for 100,000 miles. For SULEV, required distance is increased to 120,000 miles. For PZEV, it is 150,000 miles.
7-04-2024	Sales Fluster. Apologists are working hard to spin sales growth numbers from Subaru too, posting replies revealing their flustered stance like: "Therein lies the 'rub'. Sales doubled (to) 1,236 from 618 last year. A microscopic blip on the screen of about 1.8 billion ICE automobiles World wide and comparing an actual sales of this particular model to that number of ICE vehicles still on the roads of the World is non-sequitur." I found that hysterically desperate, to an extreme. Rather than sighting annual sales for North America or the world, he pointed out the entire existence of every vehicle on the planet. How is that even the slightest bit constructive? Well aware of how much this individual has become an antagonists, yet another to emerge as hostile toward Toyota, I replied without holding back: No, it's that anyone can cherry-pick data. The real metric is actual change on the showroom floor. That's why GM failed so miserably with Volt . It was an amazing conquest vehicle, but did nothing to bring about change at dealerships. Sadly, the same thing repeated with Bolt. In fact, GM dealers went in the opposite direction favoring large guzzlers instead. Seeing Equinox finally emerge with some type of non-ICE offering provides perspective for Subaru, a much smaller automaker striving to enter a market the giant automaker struggled to make headway in. Seeing Solterra test the waters for what their own loyal customers may want to see more of is a big kudos for Subaru.
7-04-2024	Q2 Sales. They are way up for bZ4X. Antagonists quickly had to spin something to defend their position: " Nobody wants EVs said Toyota over and over again. Once you start shipping them though, it turns out people do. Who woulda thought?" I was quite amused. Like most, his incredibly vague short-term perspective makes no sense long-term. It fails to recognize the bigger picture. How is an automaker supposed to transition? Anywho, I obviously have much to say on the topic... and I did: Knowing how the anti-EV narrative was only for enthusiasts, those "people" made no difference. They are not the ones who break status quo. Toyota's audience is showroom shoppers, their own loyal customers.... those who seek an established reputation for reliability. That's how popular vehicles like Sienna & Camry were able to become 100% hybrid, no more ICE models. Prius has begun its next step (currently playing out in Europe), moving from hybrid to only plug-in hybrid. While at the same time, this first generation of bZ4X closely mimics Prius history. That first generation was also limited production, a very effective means of learning & positioning for a high-volume second generation that is competitive profitable from day one. It's amazing how many "nobody wants EVs" sayers expect automakers to sustainably sell loss-leaders, turning a blind-eye to the message that sends to dealers and future customers.
7-03-2024	Not Following. A common theme for trolls is confuse the topic, claiming to not follow the logic presented. It's how they keep discussions endless. Being able to draw a conclusion ends their fun. Preventing that is their goal. For example today: "I'm not sure what this has to do with the new corolla..." Since I was directly replying to a post that clearly was related, he obviously didn't want the point I was making to be clearly seen. Ugh. I took the bait regardless, knowing the original commenter would appreciate a continuation: I was replying to battery production investment. Heavy investment in 4680 did not pay off. It took much, much longer to get to market and the flow of demand growth took a turn Tesla had not anticipated. 4680 fell short of goals as well. So despite LFP's lower energy-density, cold-temperature challenges, and slower charging, Tesla adopted it anyway. It is still a more robust battery that's far less likely to catch fire and offers many more charging cycles, as well as costing less. That's evidence of premature lock-in... exactly what I have been talking about for years. Toyota's audience favors the traits from LFP, so their effort to deliver a chemistry emulating that is well worth the wait. The fact that Corolla will fill in the gap with new engines is their portfolio balance, recognizing what is still required from battery advancements.