John's Stuff - Personal Log 1295

October 3, 2024 - October 8, 2024

Last Updated: Mon. 11/04/2024

10-08-2024
Video: Final Warm Commute (part 1). This was my final opportunity to capture a warm commute to work (part 2 is the drive back home). The cold fall introduces means EV efficiency will be reduced in a subtle manner. Come winter, the impact of lower temperatures will really become noticeable. This will serve as a nice basis of comparison, as well as a reminder of what will return with the arrival of spring... Toyota bZ4X - Final Warm Commute (part 1)

10-08-2024 However. Gotta like this contribution to the narrative: "When the Prius was first released, there were no mass market EVs. GM's EV1 was a limited release and no one actually owned one. Toyota was definitely ahead of the game with the Prius; however, they've now fallen way behind." I saw that as an invitation to climb up on the soapbox to share some history:

That "behind" narrative portrays Toyota as always at least 5 years behind. Antagonists failed to recognize how quickly the automaker had the ability to no only "catch up" but to learn from others, to avoid their mistakes.

The biggest mistake so far has been selling loss-leaders. Industry belief was that approach it would be required to establish the market & reputation. Turns out, that can easily sour to make the effort a financial nightmare... hence the huge markdowns now and sales hitting a plateau.

Toyota is doing the same thing they did with Prius, twice... both with initial hybrid rollout, then later again with their first generation PHEV model. They recognized their primary audience was loyal showroom shoppers. That meant proving their design was solid (while in the meantime, refining it for lower cost) with low-volume production first. A following generation would usher in a push for high-volume on a platform the market suggested as a result of those years of feedback.
In short, we now see others falling behind and Toyota positioning for profitable sustained sales.

10-06-2024
Video: Heavy Traffic. As my quest for higher quality captures continues, new content related to bZ4X driving to share comes to mind. This was a great example of that. From the ramp I park at for work, I needed to head north to meet a friend rather than south for home. It was during the time when traffic would be most heavy. That was too good of an opportunity to miss getting on video. The footage turned out great. Presented at 10X speed, my hope is you'll find it entertaining as well as informative... Toyota bZ4X - Heavy Traffic

10-06-2024 Buy In. The comment was made about businesses showing "buy in" for new technology. Supporting new endeavors with a financial commitment typically does show belief in that future, but not always. We've seen weak promises in the past... lots of bark, very little bite. Fortunately for me, I have a promising tale playing out right now here. This is what I shared about it:

In Minnesota, we had Circle K (who purchased all the Holiday gas stations) fund these DCFC install locations on their own...

- Alexandria
- Baxter
- Hastings
- Jordan
- Monticello
- Pine City (1)
- Plymouth
- Rochester
- St. Cloud

That effort, distribution and proven success (here and nationally) made them good candidates for NEVI funding. Round 1 picks were awarded to 5 of their other Minnesota locations...

- Forest Lake
- Moorhead
- Pine City (2)
- Proctor
- Sauk Centre
Just 2 years ago when I was shopping for a BEV, all we had in the metro area was a single Electrify America station. Nothing else. Now, there's a variety of choices. But seeing the spread of DCFC to so many Circle K is what will really catch people's attention. They'll see stations available when pumping gas and recognize investment in change.

10-06-2024 EV Mandate. That terrible person running for president continues to spread the lie of there being a requirement for EV sales. That is a blatant effort to mislead. Shilling oil is bad enough, but to send a message of fear is quite different. Scaring people by claiming they will be forced to change is just plain wrong. Fortunately, there are some standing up to that nonsense. Today, it was this on that discussion about Toyota phasing out ICE choices: "There's no EV mandate. You don't have to buy one or own one. This is purely more FUD to use against feeble minded conservatives who's politicians want to paint our federal government as a villain while claiming to love America." Attracting trolls to that topic was inevitable. I joined in on that, sounding off with some real-world experience & observations to share:

Here in Minnesota... the first & only Midwest state to adopt California rules... we are finally starting to see evidence of business support turning that villain portrayal upside-down. It's awesome!

I just got back from a trip up to Northern Minnesota (the Brainerd area) with my BEV. A lot has changed since this time last year. One of the dealers (Nissan) there installed a 300-amp DCFC with two CCS cords and was welcoming anyone to use it. A nearby gas station (CircleK) has two 400-amp DCFC installs (four CCS) in progress. Along the drive up, I passed 2 new EVgo stations at McDonald's and a large new Electrify America at the outlet mall. I also drove past a two NEVI awarded sites (construction hasn't begun at either yet) and another CircleK with DCFC installed (four CCS) but not activated yet. South of my exit on the way home, the first local GM/Pilot site (Flying J) with DCFC (four CCS) is under construction.
In other words, attempts to scare people by claiming there's an EV mandate will lose impact as time progresses. There's little to fear from government when people see support from businesses.

10-06-2024 Talking Points. Commonly used claims fall apart after awhile. I like how the "matter of time" is ironically used in this: "Hybrids are the worst of both worlds: terrible EV range combined with the maintenance hassle and expense of internal combustion. Hybrid owners will learn this basic truth from their experience and the experiences of their friends and family members with real EVs. It's just a matter of time." The more people are exposed to hybrids, the more they come to recognize information intended to mislead. Most don't care why either. The just understand the benefit. Anywho, this is how I dealt with that nonsense:

Worst of both worlds has been a talking point proven false by those who notice not all hybrids are designed the same way. Hoping there are still enough people to make a no difference assumption is rather desperate act at this point... and Toyota knows that.

Toyota eliminated several traditional components. No longer having a starter, steering-fluid, a belt driven coolant-pump, or any shifting gears reduces cost and improves reliability. Stress on the adapted ICE does too, by primarily relying on the electric-motors to take the brunt of power demands.

Evolution of Toyota hybrid design over the decades has resulted in a vehicle more profitable than a traditional ICE-only vehicle that's only much more clean & efficient, making their fleet far more competitive than the competition... as well as bridging their loyal customers to plug-in offerings.
With regard to trying convince readers that 42 miles of EV from RAV4 Prime and 44 miles of EV from Prius Prime is terrible, the average driver won't come to that conclusion. Their daily driving is covered entirely by that EV range and recharging it overnight is possible entirely using a standard 120-volt outlet.

10-05-2024 Deceptive Messaging. It started with: "Since 2001 Toyota has sold millions and millions of the Prius. A hybrid efficient little car with great gas mileage that is very lightweight. Since 2008 Tesla has sold millions and millions of insanely fast, unique, over powered electric cars. The Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in the world." Then after some nonsense about Cybertruck being vastly superior, it concluded with: "Toyota has spent 20 years telling the world that Hybrid = good little car with good gas mileage. Tesla has spent 14 years telling the world that electric cars are fast and cool and they are the future and hybrids aren't." I found that very amusing and fired back:

Camry is now only available as a hybrid, it isn't small. Neither is RAV, which is going down the same path of inevitability to become hybrid only. Crown is already that way. Both RAV4 and Crown have PHEV models. CH-R does too. Prius is now PHEV only in Europe. There are larger hybrids too... Highlander, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra and Land Cruiser. Let's not forget Sienna, Corolla or Corolla Cross either.

There are the BEV offerings as well. In this market we have bZ4X, which is on the continuous improvement path. It got an upgrade in this year's model and is expected to for next year's too, followed by a next-gen with much improved battery choices. At the same time, we hear Toyota telling us about efforts to build a large 3-row BEV in the United States, something to compete with EV9.
In other words, the 20 years of messaging leaves out what has happened recently. It is a narrative created by omission. Remember, Prius sales began in December 1997.

10-05-2024 Ending ICE. I really liked seeing this posted on an article about Toyota considering the end of ICE production: "Behind the curve? Exactly what curve are you looking at? I'm not happy about it but due to a number of factors manufacturers that went aggressively after EVs are now desperately unwinding their timelines." That is critical thinking. In the past, we had enthusiasts just taking automakers at their word, accepting bold promises without question. Ugh. What really caught my attention was a reply to that: "Rather obvious. Producing good BEV options today. That's the comparison." That comment was anything but. I jumped into the discussion at that point with:

Obvious? What is a "good" option? The definition we read about here is a stark contrast to some of the popular sellers in China.

Look no further than the mess Tesla, our supposed leader, is in now. Absolutely refusing to offer a small vehicle, instead delivering an expensive beast. Depending too heavily on income from those, carbon-credits, and the promise of self-driving reveals losing sight of priorities.

Legacy automakers are finding out following that approach was a terrible choice. The market is not well represented by Tesla owners. GM always knew Volt never appealed to their own showroom shoppers. SAIC owned that intellectual property though, so an Equinox PHEV here could not happen. LG owned the intellectual property for Bolt. So, GM had no choice but to start over with Ultium batteries & platform. That meant no transition option.

Ford has always recognized opportunity Toyota had with hybrids, using them as a bridge in many regards to BEV. It has been a struggle to abandon ways of the past though. That's why we see Hyundai/Kia & Honda doing better pursuing the same path. It's not as glorifying as an "all in" pledge though, which both Ford & GM are now backing down from.

That brings us to Toyota... who is testing the waters with PHEV offerings. They already have Prius, RAV4, Crown and CH-R. That seems like a next logical step with Camry, now that the ICE model is gone. That catch is, what does "good" actually equate to? How much power & battery is really needed? For that matter, how few ICE variants can sustain non-BEV offerings?

The obvious part of this situation is that sales would plateau as a result of early offerings saturating the market. Those BEV were not configured to appeal to showroom shoppers, those who just want affordable & reliable transportation with a worry-free driving experience. That means waiting for infrastructure to become established... a stage we clearly haven't reached yet.
In the meantime, advancements with battery-chemistry and semi-conductors will help usher in the next generation of BEV. That's when BEV sales will take off and more phaseout of ICE will really payoff. Until then, it's just a bunch of keyboard warriors posting online commentary.

10-04-2024
Range Concern. Reading posts like this becomes more and more compelling as I take more road trips: "My only concern is I have a 200 mile round trip I do twice a month, and I am 90% sure it won’t make that in anything but ideal conditions." It's sharing real-world experience that draws in the skeptical audience. So, when presented the opportunity I take advantage. Today, it was: Just finished a 475 mile round trip with my 2023 AWD. It was mostly highway, overall averaging 3.6 mi/kWh. Traveling 200 miles means having to make one stop somewhere along the way, for around 25 minutes if you want a comfortable buffer. With so many DC fast-charger locations being planned, that's becoming no big deal. My trip (from the Twin Cities to Northern Minnesota) it's already much easier to find a place to charge than it was last year. I use PlugShare to find chargers and ABRP (which integrates wonderfully with the vehicle) for estimates & navigation.

10-03-2024 EV Publication. What got an article today from a writer summarizing what he learned over the past year. The standout statement was: "People just want affordable cars. Period." There's a recognition by the industry that people won't just show up wanting to purchase an EV. They know dealer are a big part of the problem too. Software has been a major issue and no good reasons have been provided to abandon gas, but that could make a big difference. Fortunately, advancements are happening at crazy speeds. At least there's a recognition of "better all the time" from most looking at the situation. Unfortunately as a writer, keeping up with misinformation can feel impossible. I totally understand that. Here's what I contributed as thoughts about the topic in the comments:

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE is what I have learned from 25 years of actively participating in the emission/efficiency crusade. Enthusiasts tend to be well informed & unintimidated, seeing the market from an engineering perspective. That meant time after time they would fail to understand real-world business barriers for legacy automakers.

The now classic example of that is Volt. It was great engineering, earning high praise from enthusiasts but missed the mark entirely for the masses. The overkill design resulted in only conquest sales. Showroom shoppers were not interested. Enthusiasts encouraged GM to stay the course though, rather than consider watered down specs to achieve an affordable & profitable price.

We're seeing the same problem now with the obsession for range & speed. Again, there is engineer blindness to what is really necessary to appeal to ordinary consumers. Remember, dealers are also part of the audience. This is why Toyota's pursuit to phaseout ICE in favor of hybrids has been so successful. Rather than focus on an end goal at great expense, the approach has been continuous improvement... small steps.
In other words, we see an audience willing to accept change if it doesn't disrupt the status quo in any noticeable manner. That means find a way of making subtle differences very impactful.

10-03-2024 Back To The Narrative. There are some who cannot stand the idea of progress being made, that there may be a chance others will notice shortcomings or conflicts with their claims. That's how we end up getting this in the middle of a constructive exchange: "They will make almost none, with terrible range, terrible charging speed, claim there is no demand, and push customers to Highlander instead. But not a highlander prime, those don't exist." That nonsense deserved an ugh. I replied with:

That narrative is rather weak. Range in the 200's and speed in peak in the 140's being supposedly terrible is just an opinion of enthusiasts. That is a complete non-issue for commuting. Ordinary consumers who are just weekend warriors traveling to the cabin won't care either.

As for claims of no demand, that's just spin. We all see the current market plateau and impending wave of cheap EVs from China. It was an inevitable disruption requiring a rethink which enthusiasts have been in denial about.

Toyota's new battery production setup in North Carolina continues as well as plans to offer a variety of battery choices for gen-2 of bZ4X, in addition to a next-gen PHEV model of RAV4. Their hybrids are expected to get a chemistry upgrade for their batteries too.
In other works, portrayal of Toyota not advancing forward is baseless. Some just don't agree with the approach.

10-03-2024 They See. I continued with that previous comment, by adding another post:

Toyota had no desire to sell loss-leaders. While others have been reluctantly marking down prices to cut into anticipated profit, Toyota's low volume meant a predictable budget could be maintained. Losses on only a small number of vehicles equates to reaching a wide audience without having to make any sacrifice. No production had to be stopped. By staying in the shallows, Toyota could play in the water without chance of drowning.

Meanwhile, Toyota has been aggressively phasing out ICE vehicles... exactly as they had planned. Their TNGA platform reduced cost, ultimately enabling hybrids to deliver more of a profit. So, it makes sense new seeing Camry entirely hybrid and an expectation for RAV4 to do the same. It positions Toyota well financially to weather the storm from BEV market hesitation.
They are not idiots, despite what the narrative attempts portray. They see the struggle we are having with DCFC and apartment/condo charging. For that matter, they see how many BEV owners go for shared dryer-outlet (24-amp) or just settle for 120-volt charging. They also see just how dire the threat from China really is, how we haven't been taking that seriously.

10-08-2024	Video: Final Warm Commute (part 1). This was my final opportunity to capture a warm commute to work (part 2 is the drive back home). The cold fall introduces means EV efficiency will be reduced in a subtle manner. Come winter, the impact of lower temperatures will really become noticeable. This will serve as a nice basis of comparison, as well as a reminder of what will return with the arrival of spring... Toyota bZ4X - Final Warm Commute (part 1)
10-08-2024	However. Gotta like this contribution to the narrative: "When the Prius was first released, there were no mass market EVs. GM's EV1 was a limited release and no one actually owned one. Toyota was definitely ahead of the game with the Prius; however, they've now fallen way behind." I saw that as an invitation to climb up on the soapbox to share some history: That "behind" narrative portrays Toyota as always at least 5 years behind. Antagonists failed to recognize how quickly the automaker had the ability to no only "catch up" but to learn from others, to avoid their mistakes. The biggest mistake so far has been selling loss-leaders. Industry belief was that approach it would be required to establish the market & reputation. Turns out, that can easily sour to make the effort a financial nightmare... hence the huge markdowns now and sales hitting a plateau. Toyota is doing the same thing they did with Prius, twice... both with initial hybrid rollout, then later again with their first generation PHEV model. They recognized their primary audience was loyal showroom shoppers. That meant proving their design was solid (while in the meantime, refining it for lower cost) with low-volume production first. A following generation would usher in a push for high-volume on a platform the market suggested as a result of those years of feedback. In short, we now see others falling behind and Toyota positioning for profitable sustained sales.
10-06-2024	Video: Heavy Traffic. As my quest for higher quality captures continues, new content related to bZ4X driving to share comes to mind. This was a great example of that. From the ramp I park at for work, I needed to head north to meet a friend rather than south for home. It was during the time when traffic would be most heavy. That was too good of an opportunity to miss getting on video. The footage turned out great. Presented at 10X speed, my hope is you'll find it entertaining as well as informative... Toyota bZ4X - Heavy Traffic
10-06-2024	Buy In. The comment was made about businesses showing "buy in" for new technology. Supporting new endeavors with a financial commitment typically does show belief in that future, but not always. We've seen weak promises in the past... lots of bark, very little bite. Fortunately for me, I have a promising tale playing out right now here. This is what I shared about it: In Minnesota, we had Circle K (who purchased all the Holiday gas stations) fund these DCFC install locations on their own... - Alexandria - Baxter - Hastings - Jordan - Monticello - Pine City (1) - Plymouth - Rochester - St. Cloud That effort, distribution and proven success (here and nationally) made them good candidates for NEVI funding. Round 1 picks were awarded to 5 of their other Minnesota locations... - Forest Lake - Moorhead - Pine City (2) - Proctor - Sauk Centre Just 2 years ago when I was shopping for a BEV, all we had in the metro area was a single Electrify America station. Nothing else. Now, there's a variety of choices. But seeing the spread of DCFC to so many Circle K is what will really catch people's attention. They'll see stations available when pumping gas and recognize investment in change.
10-06-2024	EV Mandate. That terrible person running for president continues to spread the lie of there being a requirement for EV sales. That is a blatant effort to mislead. Shilling oil is bad enough, but to send a message of fear is quite different. Scaring people by claiming they will be forced to change is just plain wrong. Fortunately, there are some standing up to that nonsense. Today, it was this on that discussion about Toyota phasing out ICE choices: "There's no EV mandate. You don't have to buy one or own one. This is purely more FUD to use against feeble minded conservatives who's politicians want to paint our federal government as a villain while claiming to love America." Attracting trolls to that topic was inevitable. I joined in on that, sounding off with some real-world experience & observations to share: Here in Minnesota... the first & only Midwest state to adopt California rules... we are finally starting to see evidence of business support turning that villain portrayal upside-down. It's awesome! I just got back from a trip up to Northern Minnesota (the Brainerd area) with my BEV. A lot has changed since this time last year. One of the dealers (Nissan) there installed a 300-amp DCFC with two CCS cords and was welcoming anyone to use it. A nearby gas station (CircleK) has two 400-amp DCFC installs (four CCS) in progress. Along the drive up, I passed 2 new EVgo stations at McDonald's and a large new Electrify America at the outlet mall. I also drove past a two NEVI awarded sites (construction hasn't begun at either yet) and another CircleK with DCFC installed (four CCS) but not activated yet. South of my exit on the way home, the first local GM/Pilot site (Flying J) with DCFC (four CCS) is under construction. In other words, attempts to scare people by claiming there's an EV mandate will lose impact as time progresses. There's little to fear from government when people see support from businesses.
10-06-2024	Talking Points. Commonly used claims fall apart after awhile. I like how the "matter of time" is ironically used in this: "Hybrids are the worst of both worlds: terrible EV range combined with the maintenance hassle and expense of internal combustion. Hybrid owners will learn this basic truth from their experience and the experiences of their friends and family members with real EVs. It's just a matter of time." The more people are exposed to hybrids, the more they come to recognize information intended to mislead. Most don't care why either. The just understand the benefit. Anywho, this is how I dealt with that nonsense: Worst of both worlds has been a talking point proven false by those who notice not all hybrids are designed the same way. Hoping there are still enough people to make a no difference assumption is rather desperate act at this point... and Toyota knows that. Toyota eliminated several traditional components. No longer having a starter, steering-fluid, a belt driven coolant-pump, or any shifting gears reduces cost and improves reliability. Stress on the adapted ICE does too, by primarily relying on the electric-motors to take the brunt of power demands. Evolution of Toyota hybrid design over the decades has resulted in a vehicle more profitable than a traditional ICE-only vehicle that's only much more clean & efficient, making their fleet far more competitive than the competition... as well as bridging their loyal customers to plug-in offerings. With regard to trying convince readers that 42 miles of EV from RAV4 Prime and 44 miles of EV from Prius Prime is terrible, the average driver won't come to that conclusion. Their daily driving is covered entirely by that EV range and recharging it overnight is possible entirely using a standard 120-volt outlet.
10-05-2024	Deceptive Messaging. It started with: "Since 2001 Toyota has sold millions and millions of the Prius. A hybrid efficient little car with great gas mileage that is very lightweight. Since 2008 Tesla has sold millions and millions of insanely fast, unique, over powered electric cars. The Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in the world." Then after some nonsense about Cybertruck being vastly superior, it concluded with: "Toyota has spent 20 years telling the world that Hybrid = good little car with good gas mileage. Tesla has spent 14 years telling the world that electric cars are fast and cool and they are the future and hybrids aren't." I found that very amusing and fired back: Camry is now only available as a hybrid, it isn't small. Neither is RAV, which is going down the same path of inevitability to become hybrid only. Crown is already that way. Both RAV4 and Crown have PHEV models. CH-R does too. Prius is now PHEV only in Europe. There are larger hybrids too... Highlander, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra and Land Cruiser. Let's not forget Sienna, Corolla or Corolla Cross either. There are the BEV offerings as well. In this market we have bZ4X, which is on the continuous improvement path. It got an upgrade in this year's model and is expected to for next year's too, followed by a next-gen with much improved battery choices. At the same time, we hear Toyota telling us about efforts to build a large 3-row BEV in the United States, something to compete with EV9. In other words, the 20 years of messaging leaves out what has happened recently. It is a narrative created by omission. Remember, Prius sales began in December 1997.
10-05-2024	Ending ICE. I really liked seeing this posted on an article about Toyota considering the end of ICE production: "Behind the curve? Exactly what curve are you looking at? I'm not happy about it but due to a number of factors manufacturers that went aggressively after EVs are now desperately unwinding their timelines." That is critical thinking. In the past, we had enthusiasts just taking automakers at their word, accepting bold promises without question. Ugh. What really caught my attention was a reply to that: "Rather obvious. Producing good BEV options today. That's the comparison." That comment was anything but. I jumped into the discussion at that point with: Obvious? What is a "good" option? The definition we read about here is a stark contrast to some of the popular sellers in China. Look no further than the mess Tesla, our supposed leader, is in now. Absolutely refusing to offer a small vehicle, instead delivering an expensive beast. Depending too heavily on income from those, carbon-credits, and the promise of self-driving reveals losing sight of priorities. Legacy automakers are finding out following that approach was a terrible choice. The market is not well represented by Tesla owners. GM always knew Volt never appealed to their own showroom shoppers. SAIC owned that intellectual property though, so an Equinox PHEV here could not happen. LG owned the intellectual property for Bolt. So, GM had no choice but to start over with Ultium batteries & platform. That meant no transition option. Ford has always recognized opportunity Toyota had with hybrids, using them as a bridge in many regards to BEV. It has been a struggle to abandon ways of the past though. That's why we see Hyundai/Kia & Honda doing better pursuing the same path. It's not as glorifying as an "all in" pledge though, which both Ford & GM are now backing down from. That brings us to Toyota... who is testing the waters with PHEV offerings. They already have Prius, RAV4, Crown and CH-R. That seems like a next logical step with Camry, now that the ICE model is gone. That catch is, what does "good" actually equate to? How much power & battery is really needed? For that matter, how few ICE variants can sustain non-BEV offerings? The obvious part of this situation is that sales would plateau as a result of early offerings saturating the market. Those BEV were not configured to appeal to showroom shoppers, those who just want affordable & reliable transportation with a worry-free driving experience. That means waiting for infrastructure to become established... a stage we clearly haven't reached yet. In the meantime, advancements with battery-chemistry and semi-conductors will help usher in the next generation of BEV. That's when BEV sales will take off and more phaseout of ICE will really payoff. Until then, it's just a bunch of keyboard warriors posting online commentary.
10-04-2024	Range Concern. Reading posts like this becomes more and more compelling as I take more road trips: "My only concern is I have a 200 mile round trip I do twice a month, and I am 90% sure it won’t make that in anything but ideal conditions." It's sharing real-world experience that draws in the skeptical audience. So, when presented the opportunity I take advantage. Today, it was: Just finished a 475 mile round trip with my 2023 AWD. It was mostly highway, overall averaging 3.6 mi/kWh. Traveling 200 miles means having to make one stop somewhere along the way, for around 25 minutes if you want a comfortable buffer. With so many DC fast-charger locations being planned, that's becoming no big deal. My trip (from the Twin Cities to Northern Minnesota) it's already much easier to find a place to charge than it was last year. I use PlugShare to find chargers and ABRP (which integrates wonderfully with the vehicle) for estimates & navigation.
10-03-2024	EV Publication. What got an article today from a writer summarizing what he learned over the past year. The standout statement was: "People just want affordable cars. Period." There's a recognition by the industry that people won't just show up wanting to purchase an EV. They know dealer are a big part of the problem too. Software has been a major issue and no good reasons have been provided to abandon gas, but that could make a big difference. Fortunately, advancements are happening at crazy speeds. At least there's a recognition of "better all the time" from most looking at the situation. Unfortunately as a writer, keeping up with misinformation can feel impossible. I totally understand that. Here's what I contributed as thoughts about the topic in the comments: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE is what I have learned from 25 years of actively participating in the emission/efficiency crusade. Enthusiasts tend to be well informed & unintimidated, seeing the market from an engineering perspective. That meant time after time they would fail to understand real-world business barriers for legacy automakers. The now classic example of that is Volt. It was great engineering, earning high praise from enthusiasts but missed the mark entirely for the masses. The overkill design resulted in only conquest sales. Showroom shoppers were not interested. Enthusiasts encouraged GM to stay the course though, rather than consider watered down specs to achieve an affordable & profitable price. We're seeing the same problem now with the obsession for range & speed. Again, there is engineer blindness to what is really necessary to appeal to ordinary consumers. Remember, dealers are also part of the audience. This is why Toyota's pursuit to phaseout ICE in favor of hybrids has been so successful. Rather than focus on an end goal at great expense, the approach has been continuous improvement... small steps. In other words, we see an audience willing to accept change if it doesn't disrupt the status quo in any noticeable manner. That means find a way of making subtle differences very impactful.
10-03-2024	Back To The Narrative. There are some who cannot stand the idea of progress being made, that there may be a chance others will notice shortcomings or conflicts with their claims. That's how we end up getting this in the middle of a constructive exchange: "They will make almost none, with terrible range, terrible charging speed, claim there is no demand, and push customers to Highlander instead. But not a highlander prime, those don't exist." That nonsense deserved an ugh. I replied with: That narrative is rather weak. Range in the 200's and speed in peak in the 140's being supposedly terrible is just an opinion of enthusiasts. That is a complete non-issue for commuting. Ordinary consumers who are just weekend warriors traveling to the cabin won't care either. As for claims of no demand, that's just spin. We all see the current market plateau and impending wave of cheap EVs from China. It was an inevitable disruption requiring a rethink which enthusiasts have been in denial about. Toyota's new battery production setup in North Carolina continues as well as plans to offer a variety of battery choices for gen-2 of bZ4X, in addition to a next-gen PHEV model of RAV4. Their hybrids are expected to get a chemistry upgrade for their batteries too. In other works, portrayal of Toyota not advancing forward is baseless. Some just don't agree with the approach.
10-03-2024	They See. I continued with that previous comment, by adding another post: Toyota had no desire to sell loss-leaders. While others have been reluctantly marking down prices to cut into anticipated profit, Toyota's low volume meant a predictable budget could be maintained. Losses on only a small number of vehicles equates to reaching a wide audience without having to make any sacrifice. No production had to be stopped. By staying in the shallows, Toyota could play in the water without chance of drowning. Meanwhile, Toyota has been aggressively phasing out ICE vehicles... exactly as they had planned. Their TNGA platform reduced cost, ultimately enabling hybrids to deliver more of a profit. So, it makes sense new seeing Camry entirely hybrid and an expectation for RAV4 to do the same. It positions Toyota well financially to weather the storm from BEV market hesitation. They are not idiots, despite what the narrative attempts portray. They see the struggle we are having with DCFC and apartment/condo charging. For that matter, they see how many BEV owners go for shared dryer-outlet (24-amp) or just settle for 120-volt charging. They also see just how dire the threat from China really is, how we haven't been taking that seriously.