John's Stuff - Personal Log 1304

December 27, 2024 - January 4, 2025

Last Updated: Weds. 6/25/2025

1-04-2025
Missing the Point. I especially liked reading this: "Why settle for 220-ish range in 2025?" Seeing how many new DC fast-charger locations that popped up last year, along the route I take up north, it provides some perspective. Today on the drive home from coffee, a location on the extreme south of the Twin Cities, I stopped at a new gas station being built. Since this is basically out in the country, just beyond the reaches of the suburbs, I was quite intrigued. Would such a massive investment not take DCFC into account? Turns out, they clearly did. There's a large open area beyond the side door of the building and the electric transformers on the other side of the pavement. It is exactly the size of the stations that brand (newly named: "Kwik Charge") has been building elsewhere. It wouldn't have made any sense not providing a location for future services. How long it will take is a topic of intrigue. Being so far away from anything else, it may get priority. Anywho, it added to the reason for my strengthening stance against the need for long-range batteries. Ordinary consumers rarely travel on lengthy trips and even my vehicle made it just fine up north even before the new locations being added. Now, I simply don't have to plan out the drive as carefully. There are several options now available. Needless to say, it was easy to reply with: 2025 is bringing about a lot more business-funded DCFC installs, in addition to NEVI-funded and NACS support. More miles makes less and less sense as time passes.

1-04-2025 How History Repeats. Fortunately, some actually see it: "Legacy auto is waffling in their initial BEV manufacturing plans and stepped back to "what the consumer wants". That came about from year-end sales results. GM sales were ok, but so much focus on short-term and limited-audience makes up a story of hope & hype rather than a reflection of reality. The website posting that article is an echo-chamber for enthusiasts. I tried to provide some perspective:

Well said. In fact, that's why I brought up Toyota... the legacy automaker standing out for being unwilling to give into want. They looked at the other markets and identified need. That's why range and charging speed weren't a priority. Things like being able to depend upon a cold battery in the dead of winter and having software so well refined prior to rollout OTA updates aren't required.

We all know that range is just a tap into emotion, exploiting anxiety rather than actually being a better choice. Less battery equates to a more affordable vehicle with reduced weight to deliver higher efficiency. That's why the electricity-guzzlers currently endorsed by enthusiasts focus on range rather than mi/kWh. It's much easier to squeeze in more battery than trying to promote a vehicle that will instead take advantage of infrastructure not built up yet.

Looking to Norway for insight & inspiration, we find charging options so common there range isn't deemed important. In fact, that could be a reason why bZ4X sells so well there... a nod to Toyota for focusing on need instead.

We've seen this before from GM. Long ago when the were trying to overcome Toyota's success, they offered Two-Mode. Focusing so much on size & power (want) that neglect of cost & efficiency (need), it became a major disaster. Attempts to move on from that is how Volt came about. Unfortunately, the same problem of want & need repeated.

Bolt was to be the a change of pattern, an attempt to overcome those misplaced priorities of the past. GM didn't waffle. In fact, GM did quite well. Problem was focus. GM targeted the wrong customers. Sales were conquest, buyers who had no interest in GM prior to that purchase. The result was another disaster... no business change.

Dealers continued pushing ICE, selling more guzzlers than ever to loyal shoppers. This is why an offering Equinox EV finally offers a glimmer of hope. Seeing current Equinox ICE owners purchase an Equinox EV as a replacement is real change... something to support the empty "all in" promises we got a few years ago.
This long post will likely just get blown off by those who are doomed to repeat history. Some never learn. Know your audience. For some perspective, read the comments posted about this article on Facebook. The sentiment there to the same content is quite different.

1-03-2025 EV Blinders. It's remarkable how history repeats: "Prologue and Equinox surpassed the Mach E in 4th quarter sales and one of them is likely to end 2025 as 2nd best selling crossover EV. And that is saying something considering Mach E had record quarterly sales. GM should be aiming for at least 175k sales next year with full year of Equinox plus cheaper version of the pickups and the Optiq which should surpass Lyriq in full year sales in 2025." Of course, too much focus on a single offering has even greater consequences now than in the past. Some never learn though. I pointed out:

GM falling into the same trap they did with both Volt and Bolt shouldn't be overlooked. Think about how many of the sales were conquest, rather than actual change to the status quo. How many Equinox ICE owners are buying Equinox BEV as a replacement? Odds are pretty good, that number is rather small still.

That's why there is so much resentment for Toyota... and automaker successfully phasing out ICE sales. 1,006,461 was their HEV/PHEV/BEV count for 2024 in North America, which was 43.1% of total sales. That's genuine progress pulling their dealers forward. 100% of Camry is now hybrid for 2025. An expectation of 100% of the next-gen RAV4 is realistic too. That's their 2 top-sellers.
How will GM reach their own loyal customers? Will there be a PHEV model of Equinox to help replace ICE sales? What about other models of Chevy? In other words, what expectations should we set for 2025?

1-01-2025
Dumb Nonsense. What a way to start the new year: "Stop with this dumb nonsense. So wait for 30 minutes until then I should be done for my charging session for it to hit peak speeds?? The car has been driven for over an hour!!! If there's pre-conditioning it should already be pre-conditioned after highway driving. The only reason it improves while you charge is charging in and of its self creates a lot of heat. That's not pre-conditioning." Comments like that are blatant evidence of dealing with someone who has made a number of incorrect assumptions. First, the vehicle must be told that conditioning is needed. You have to program in a destination. If that destination is too close, no pre-conditioning will take place. That's why we hear BEV owners who really want fast DC charging, like Ioniq 5, telling you to pick a destination far enough away. Most systems will avoid wasting energy to heat the battery if it truly isn't necessary. That work-around tricks the software. Toyota never saw the benefit. Why sacrifice electricity for the sake of faster results? Isn't the point to use less? Needless to say, assuming Toyota would not only have pre-conditioning but would also somehow magically know where & when you would stop to charge is absurd. I kept my reply to that, especially from a post with such attitude, brief: That's not how the system is designed. Always keeping the battery cool is given priority. Allowing heat to build up is a sign of not deeming longevity as important. For true pre-conditioning, the heater is invoked specifically for DCFC prep. That's why the feature is often tied to navigation.

1-01-2025
Video: Sunny Snow Commute. A typical commute for me in Minnesota after a fresh snow. It was a pleasant & uneventful drive to work, a nice opportunity to capture the bZ4X in action. This turned out to be a good detailed example to share what to expect when its below freezing but not horribly cold. Toyota bZ4X - Sunny Snow Commute

12-29-2024
Model Choices. When an automaker starts to offer choices, it is a sign of progress. That was the success Toyota enjoyed from Prius, when the technology was spread. We got to see a variety of vehicles offered as hybrids. Now, we're seeing the first choice of configuration. It dropped the price by 700,000 yen (about $4,450). An online friend of mine put it this way: "Toyota offered only a fully loaded Prius PHEV Z in Japan until recently, but now, they are offering a stripped-down Prius PHEV G." Not everyone wants the extras. I provided some perspective with: Sounds like an effective means of testing the waters for entry-level plug offerings. Radar, FTCA (Front Cross Traffic Alert), LCA (Lane Change Assist), BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) with active steering, power tailgate, heated steering-wheel, power driver's seat, wireless charger and a large screen are all unnecessary for basic transportation. When the industry turns ugly... which we can all see coming... they'll have some real-world feedback of what can be omitted without sacrificing anything related to plugging in.

12-29-2024 Delay Propaganda. The narrative to emerge from all the propaganda distracting from Toyota's effort to break the status quo became: "His belief is that investment in these platforms simply delays the inevitable transition to fully electric platforms. This was why Toyota opened up their hybrid patents, to delay the industry from going full EV." Reading that assessment about a supposed keyboard warrior is nothing new. Some absolutely hate Toyota's approach. Not believing in bottom-up is a problem. Some really do see change only possible top-down. That's a real problem. I pointed out what the reverse perspective has to offer:

Quite the opposite. By opening up that opportunity, it prevented legacy automakers from having an excuse to stick to ICE and only offer token EVs. They would begin mass producing electric-motors & invertors while also raising demand for battery-cells... pulling the entire market forward.

It never ceases to amaze me how early-adopters turned a blind-eye to the reality that mainstream consumers weren't actually getting anything. They just referred to the "EV market" as if that was representative of what was actually happening for the masses, when in reality the status quo didn't change.

In fact, we saw GM and Ford abandon sedans in favor of ICE that guzzler more gas while at the same time rollout EVs that guzzle electricity. Heck, even Tesla got in the electricity-guzzler game. It's quite embarrassing how they all lost their way focusing on range, power and speed instead of cost & efficiency.
That's why we are seeing this "road to hell" discussion. The day of reckoning has arrived. Wildly optimistic plans for EV sales feeding empty "all in" promises are showing signs of trouble already.

12-29-2024 Naming Distraction. Some never see the bigger picture, especially when impatience is such a common theme: "I think the system could've had a chance if they hadn't done that weird lower case/upper case thing, or if they hadn't abruptly cancelled just about all the North American bZ lineup after only producing the one model." It's telling when a point of trivia gets so much attention. Notice how obsessing with name prevents a consideration of the bigger picture, the long-term? It's the same rhetoric we saw in the past from Volt enthusiasts, who absolutely refused to acknowledge Toyota's potential and instead wasted so much opportunity. Ugh. To that same nonsense, I said:

It effectively served a purpose. You could immediately tell a reviewer was at a loss for actual review substance when they spent a long time talking about the name. Many are clueless about how to review a vehicle ultimately targeting the masses. We saw the same thing with Prius in the beginning, many would obsess with the shifter. Why focus so much on something that had nothing to do goals of reducing emissions & consumption... the point of Prius. At least with "bZ" you had a reminder of purpose in the name. After the hype dies down, owners get their voice. That's what really matters.

With regard to cancelling, that hasn't happened. Production is just delayed. With the struggle status of our market here now and it about to become chaotic as the new administration takes over, waiting is a prudent choice. It will work out well to better align with the next-gen RAV4 anyway. Seeing that follow Camry by going 100% hybrid sends a clear big-picture message about moving the fleet forward. It's much easier to sell plug-in vehicles when consumers see tradition ICE already phased out. It shows commitment to the future.
In other words, Toyota plays the long game. Many have difficulty seeing that, since much of our society is built around what happens in the short-term. They are playing checkers. Toyota is playing chess.

12-29-2024
Acknowledgement. How many years did it take for this to finally be said: "Prius Prime of the same era was lighter and more efficient, and it was also more useful with carrying people and luggage. However, the Volt had a longer EV range and was a better commuter, being much more fun to drive." I was all too happy to ensure that look back included the complete history, not just a portrayal of what was really taking place then. I posted in reply: There tends to be more to the story than enthusiasts want to see. That "however" made it too specialized, unprofitable and only ever reached a small audience. Meanwhile, Toyota took its tech and did what GM should have done all along... spread it across the fleet. Their count of PHEV models has grown to 5... Prius, RAV4, Crown, CH-R and Alphard. They also just announced a stripped down model of Prius PHEV in Japan, reducing its price by 700,000 yen (roughly $4,435). It's an effective means of leveraging a stop-gap (bridge technology) during a time when others struggle with limited options for the BEV transition. In other words, Volt focusing entirely on conquest sales never made sense. We now know why. SAIC owned most of the IP, restraining its progress. That's why GM is now scrambling to create a new PHEV offering, a fresh design not constrained by foreign control.

12-28-2024 Buy EV Now. It was this reply that got me to climb up on the soapbox: "Each group of early adopters adopted and paid the prices..." Such an oversimplification doesn't really tell us much. This was on the big Prius forum, where they are uncertain how to support BEV offerings from Toyota as well as both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models of Prius. So, I elaborated:

As we have seen, some continue to pay. Not learning from history makes this topic very interesting. It's a clash we seeing playing out today.

Before this forum was established, there was gen-1 Prius. It faced a relentless series of attacks from those opposing early-adopters. The catch was, those original owners split into factions... one side becoming enthusiasts, the other side supporters. Enthusiasts thrived on always pushing specs higher, the "more" mentality was their downfall. We've seen that pattern repeat many times over the decades. Supporters see what's best for the masses, recognizing need over want. Fortunately for us, gen-2 Prius stayed true to purpose, as did the generations to follow.

That same pattern is playing out with bZ4X now. Lower prices for the 2025 model, rather than higher specs is evidence of that. Toyota's target is clearly the masses. Just like with gen-2 of Prius, it is quite realistic to see the same type of mainstream configuration for bZ4X. True, choice of battery-pack type will alter that paradigm. But that's the nature of market change. Ordinary consumers are finally seeing beyond misconceptions that held back hybrids, the same of which benefit plug-ins.

It's unfortunate that conquest sales we saw with Volt & Bolt had the very outcome supporters predicted, no loyalty. Fortunately, GM seems to have learned that hard lesson. Tesla is still in the early stages of acknowledging a similar mistake though. Cybertruck has been a disaster and absence of any outlook in the entry-level category leaves the company with an uncertain future, nothing to draw loyal customers. There continues to be a "vastly superior" attitude.

That brings us to the "Buy EV Now" topic. It depends upon audience. Showroom shoppers are the true indicator of status quo changing. With infrastructure so limited (few DCFC along highways and most apartments & condos not offering any type of recharge support) and most homeowners uncertain of being able to support level-2 charging, we are clearly still in the early-adopter phase. Now is reasonable if you recognize the technology is well proven but usage is somewhat constrained currently.

For me, I have seen 9 more DCFC locations (public CSS) open up this year along my route to Northern Minnesota... Burnsville, Edina, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Rogers, Albertville, St. Cloud and Monticello and Baxter. Sometime next year, 2 from NEVI funding will be added... St. Michael and St. Cloud. That makes those trips pretty easy now, without even considering NACS adoption. No need for a long stop at the level-2 for a burger anymore; though, I did rather enjoy that. No need for level-1 at my destination anymore either.
Needless to say, there was a lot to say about the history and there will be little in the next few years. Purchase of an EV won't be that big of a deal.

12-27-2024 Used Buyer's Guide. One was published today, specifically for Volt. After countless years of constantly reminding everyone of efficiency importance, it is still omitted from stuff exactly like that. No where was there even a hint of anything related to consumption. Enthusiasts still don't care. Back when Volt was new, all that mattered to them was using electricity instead of gas. That obviously became a problem when marketing a plug-in hybrid against electric-only vehicles. In fact, that's how Bolt ultimately won. It was their own blindness that contributed to the failure to find appeal beyond enthusiasts. Anywho, that's what this buyer's guide was attempting to do know. So, I asked:

How can a buying guide leave out vital information like efficiency? Isn't the point to get the most bang for your buck?

Turns out, Volt did not thrive in that category. It fact, that's why it has an extensive history of focusing on EV range instead. This article did the same. 42 MPG from such a small car is not impressive. 31.8 kWh/100mi is not either. Comparing it a similar offering, Prius Prime, you get 48 MPG and 29.6 kWh/100mi.
Think about it. The typical daily drive is less than 40 miles. Since both vehicles deliver that many EV miles, it makes sense to draw attention to efficiency. That information is curiously missing though. People will want to know how much those miles will cost.

1-04-2025	Missing the Point. I especially liked reading this: "Why settle for 220-ish range in 2025?" Seeing how many new DC fast-charger locations that popped up last year, along the route I take up north, it provides some perspective. Today on the drive home from coffee, a location on the extreme south of the Twin Cities, I stopped at a new gas station being built. Since this is basically out in the country, just beyond the reaches of the suburbs, I was quite intrigued. Would such a massive investment not take DCFC into account? Turns out, they clearly did. There's a large open area beyond the side door of the building and the electric transformers on the other side of the pavement. It is exactly the size of the stations that brand (newly named: "Kwik Charge") has been building elsewhere. It wouldn't have made any sense not providing a location for future services. How long it will take is a topic of intrigue. Being so far away from anything else, it may get priority. Anywho, it added to the reason for my strengthening stance against the need for long-range batteries. Ordinary consumers rarely travel on lengthy trips and even my vehicle made it just fine up north even before the new locations being added. Now, I simply don't have to plan out the drive as carefully. There are several options now available. Needless to say, it was easy to reply with: 2025 is bringing about a lot more business-funded DCFC installs, in addition to NEVI-funded and NACS support. More miles makes less and less sense as time passes.
1-04-2025	How History Repeats. Fortunately, some actually see it: "Legacy auto is waffling in their initial BEV manufacturing plans and stepped back to "what the consumer wants". That came about from year-end sales results. GM sales were ok, but so much focus on short-term and limited-audience makes up a story of hope & hype rather than a reflection of reality. The website posting that article is an echo-chamber for enthusiasts. I tried to provide some perspective: Well said. In fact, that's why I brought up Toyota... the legacy automaker standing out for being unwilling to give into want. They looked at the other markets and identified need. That's why range and charging speed weren't a priority. Things like being able to depend upon a cold battery in the dead of winter and having software so well refined prior to rollout OTA updates aren't required. We all know that range is just a tap into emotion, exploiting anxiety rather than actually being a better choice. Less battery equates to a more affordable vehicle with reduced weight to deliver higher efficiency. That's why the electricity-guzzlers currently endorsed by enthusiasts focus on range rather than mi/kWh. It's much easier to squeeze in more battery than trying to promote a vehicle that will instead take advantage of infrastructure not built up yet. Looking to Norway for insight & inspiration, we find charging options so common there range isn't deemed important. In fact, that could be a reason why bZ4X sells so well there... a nod to Toyota for focusing on need instead. We've seen this before from GM. Long ago when the were trying to overcome Toyota's success, they offered Two-Mode. Focusing so much on size & power (want) that neglect of cost & efficiency (need), it became a major disaster. Attempts to move on from that is how Volt came about. Unfortunately, the same problem of want & need repeated. Bolt was to be the a change of pattern, an attempt to overcome those misplaced priorities of the past. GM didn't waffle. In fact, GM did quite well. Problem was focus. GM targeted the wrong customers. Sales were conquest, buyers who had no interest in GM prior to that purchase. The result was another disaster... no business change. Dealers continued pushing ICE, selling more guzzlers than ever to loyal shoppers. This is why an offering Equinox EV finally offers a glimmer of hope. Seeing current Equinox ICE owners purchase an Equinox EV as a replacement is real change... something to support the empty "all in" promises we got a few years ago. This long post will likely just get blown off by those who are doomed to repeat history. Some never learn. Know your audience. For some perspective, read the comments posted about this article on Facebook. The sentiment there to the same content is quite different.
1-03-2025	EV Blinders. It's remarkable how history repeats: "Prologue and Equinox surpassed the Mach E in 4th quarter sales and one of them is likely to end 2025 as 2nd best selling crossover EV. And that is saying something considering Mach E had record quarterly sales. GM should be aiming for at least 175k sales next year with full year of Equinox plus cheaper version of the pickups and the Optiq which should surpass Lyriq in full year sales in 2025." Of course, too much focus on a single offering has even greater consequences now than in the past. Some never learn though. I pointed out: GM falling into the same trap they did with both Volt and Bolt shouldn't be overlooked. Think about how many of the sales were conquest, rather than actual change to the status quo. How many Equinox ICE owners are buying Equinox BEV as a replacement? Odds are pretty good, that number is rather small still. That's why there is so much resentment for Toyota... and automaker successfully phasing out ICE sales. 1,006,461 was their HEV/PHEV/BEV count for 2024 in North America, which was 43.1% of total sales. That's genuine progress pulling their dealers forward. 100% of Camry is now hybrid for 2025. An expectation of 100% of the next-gen RAV4 is realistic too. That's their 2 top-sellers. How will GM reach their own loyal customers? Will there be a PHEV model of Equinox to help replace ICE sales? What about other models of Chevy? In other words, what expectations should we set for 2025?
1-01-2025	Dumb Nonsense. What a way to start the new year: "Stop with this dumb nonsense. So wait for 30 minutes until then I should be done for my charging session for it to hit peak speeds?? The car has been driven for over an hour!!! If there's pre-conditioning it should already be pre-conditioned after highway driving. The only reason it improves while you charge is charging in and of its self creates a lot of heat. That's not pre-conditioning." Comments like that are blatant evidence of dealing with someone who has made a number of incorrect assumptions. First, the vehicle must be told that conditioning is needed. You have to program in a destination. If that destination is too close, no pre-conditioning will take place. That's why we hear BEV owners who really want fast DC charging, like Ioniq 5, telling you to pick a destination far enough away. Most systems will avoid wasting energy to heat the battery if it truly isn't necessary. That work-around tricks the software. Toyota never saw the benefit. Why sacrifice electricity for the sake of faster results? Isn't the point to use less? Needless to say, assuming Toyota would not only have pre-conditioning but would also somehow magically know where & when you would stop to charge is absurd. I kept my reply to that, especially from a post with such attitude, brief: That's not how the system is designed. Always keeping the battery cool is given priority. Allowing heat to build up is a sign of not deeming longevity as important. For true pre-conditioning, the heater is invoked specifically for DCFC prep. That's why the feature is often tied to navigation.
1-01-2025	Video: Sunny Snow Commute. A typical commute for me in Minnesota after a fresh snow. It was a pleasant & uneventful drive to work, a nice opportunity to capture the bZ4X in action. This turned out to be a good detailed example to share what to expect when its below freezing but not horribly cold. Toyota bZ4X - Sunny Snow Commute
12-29-2024	Model Choices. When an automaker starts to offer choices, it is a sign of progress. That was the success Toyota enjoyed from Prius, when the technology was spread. We got to see a variety of vehicles offered as hybrids. Now, we're seeing the first choice of configuration. It dropped the price by 700,000 yen (about $4,450). An online friend of mine put it this way: "Toyota offered only a fully loaded Prius PHEV Z in Japan until recently, but now, they are offering a stripped-down Prius PHEV G." Not everyone wants the extras. I provided some perspective with: Sounds like an effective means of testing the waters for entry-level plug offerings. Radar, FTCA (Front Cross Traffic Alert), LCA (Lane Change Assist), BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) with active steering, power tailgate, heated steering-wheel, power driver's seat, wireless charger and a large screen are all unnecessary for basic transportation. When the industry turns ugly... which we can all see coming... they'll have some real-world feedback of what can be omitted without sacrificing anything related to plugging in.
12-29-2024	Delay Propaganda. The narrative to emerge from all the propaganda distracting from Toyota's effort to break the status quo became: "His belief is that investment in these platforms simply delays the inevitable transition to fully electric platforms. This was why Toyota opened up their hybrid patents, to delay the industry from going full EV." Reading that assessment about a supposed keyboard warrior is nothing new. Some absolutely hate Toyota's approach. Not believing in bottom-up is a problem. Some really do see change only possible top-down. That's a real problem. I pointed out what the reverse perspective has to offer: Quite the opposite. By opening up that opportunity, it prevented legacy automakers from having an excuse to stick to ICE and only offer token EVs. They would begin mass producing electric-motors & invertors while also raising demand for battery-cells... pulling the entire market forward. It never ceases to amaze me how early-adopters turned a blind-eye to the reality that mainstream consumers weren't actually getting anything. They just referred to the "EV market" as if that was representative of what was actually happening for the masses, when in reality the status quo didn't change. In fact, we saw GM and Ford abandon sedans in favor of ICE that guzzler more gas while at the same time rollout EVs that guzzle electricity. Heck, even Tesla got in the electricity-guzzler game. It's quite embarrassing how they all lost their way focusing on range, power and speed instead of cost & efficiency. That's why we are seeing this "road to hell" discussion. The day of reckoning has arrived. Wildly optimistic plans for EV sales feeding empty "all in" promises are showing signs of trouble already.
12-29-2024	Naming Distraction. Some never see the bigger picture, especially when impatience is such a common theme: "I think the system could've had a chance if they hadn't done that weird lower case/upper case thing, or if they hadn't abruptly cancelled just about all the North American bZ lineup after only producing the one model." It's telling when a point of trivia gets so much attention. Notice how obsessing with name prevents a consideration of the bigger picture, the long-term? It's the same rhetoric we saw in the past from Volt enthusiasts, who absolutely refused to acknowledge Toyota's potential and instead wasted so much opportunity. Ugh. To that same nonsense, I said: It effectively served a purpose. You could immediately tell a reviewer was at a loss for actual review substance when they spent a long time talking about the name. Many are clueless about how to review a vehicle ultimately targeting the masses. We saw the same thing with Prius in the beginning, many would obsess with the shifter. Why focus so much on something that had nothing to do goals of reducing emissions & consumption... the point of Prius. At least with "bZ" you had a reminder of purpose in the name. After the hype dies down, owners get their voice. That's what really matters. With regard to cancelling, that hasn't happened. Production is just delayed. With the struggle status of our market here now and it about to become chaotic as the new administration takes over, waiting is a prudent choice. It will work out well to better align with the next-gen RAV4 anyway. Seeing that follow Camry by going 100% hybrid sends a clear big-picture message about moving the fleet forward. It's much easier to sell plug-in vehicles when consumers see tradition ICE already phased out. It shows commitment to the future. In other words, Toyota plays the long game. Many have difficulty seeing that, since much of our society is built around what happens in the short-term. They are playing checkers. Toyota is playing chess.
12-29-2024	Acknowledgement. How many years did it take for this to finally be said: "Prius Prime of the same era was lighter and more efficient, and it was also more useful with carrying people and luggage. However, the Volt had a longer EV range and was a better commuter, being much more fun to drive." I was all too happy to ensure that look back included the complete history, not just a portrayal of what was really taking place then. I posted in reply: There tends to be more to the story than enthusiasts want to see. That "however" made it too specialized, unprofitable and only ever reached a small audience. Meanwhile, Toyota took its tech and did what GM should have done all along... spread it across the fleet. Their count of PHEV models has grown to 5... Prius, RAV4, Crown, CH-R and Alphard. They also just announced a stripped down model of Prius PHEV in Japan, reducing its price by 700,000 yen (roughly $4,435). It's an effective means of leveraging a stop-gap (bridge technology) during a time when others struggle with limited options for the BEV transition. In other words, Volt focusing entirely on conquest sales never made sense. We now know why. SAIC owned most of the IP, restraining its progress. That's why GM is now scrambling to create a new PHEV offering, a fresh design not constrained by foreign control.
12-28-2024	Buy EV Now. It was this reply that got me to climb up on the soapbox: "Each group of early adopters adopted and paid the prices..." Such an oversimplification doesn't really tell us much. This was on the big Prius forum, where they are uncertain how to support BEV offerings from Toyota as well as both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid models of Prius. So, I elaborated: As we have seen, some continue to pay. Not learning from history makes this topic very interesting. It's a clash we seeing playing out today. Before this forum was established, there was gen-1 Prius. It faced a relentless series of attacks from those opposing early-adopters. The catch was, those original owners split into factions... one side becoming enthusiasts, the other side supporters. Enthusiasts thrived on always pushing specs higher, the "more" mentality was their downfall. We've seen that pattern repeat many times over the decades. Supporters see what's best for the masses, recognizing need over want. Fortunately for us, gen-2 Prius stayed true to purpose, as did the generations to follow. That same pattern is playing out with bZ4X now. Lower prices for the 2025 model, rather than higher specs is evidence of that. Toyota's target is clearly the masses. Just like with gen-2 of Prius, it is quite realistic to see the same type of mainstream configuration for bZ4X. True, choice of battery-pack type will alter that paradigm. But that's the nature of market change. Ordinary consumers are finally seeing beyond misconceptions that held back hybrids, the same of which benefit plug-ins. It's unfortunate that conquest sales we saw with Volt & Bolt had the very outcome supporters predicted, no loyalty. Fortunately, GM seems to have learned that hard lesson. Tesla is still in the early stages of acknowledging a similar mistake though. Cybertruck has been a disaster and absence of any outlook in the entry-level category leaves the company with an uncertain future, nothing to draw loyal customers. There continues to be a "vastly superior" attitude. That brings us to the "Buy EV Now" topic. It depends upon audience. Showroom shoppers are the true indicator of status quo changing. With infrastructure so limited (few DCFC along highways and most apartments & condos not offering any type of recharge support) and most homeowners uncertain of being able to support level-2 charging, we are clearly still in the early-adopter phase. Now is reasonable if you recognize the technology is well proven but usage is somewhat constrained currently. For me, I have seen 9 more DCFC locations (public CSS) open up this year along my route to Northern Minnesota... Burnsville, Edina, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Rogers, Albertville, St. Cloud and Monticello and Baxter. Sometime next year, 2 from NEVI funding will be added... St. Michael and St. Cloud. That makes those trips pretty easy now, without even considering NACS adoption. No need for a long stop at the level-2 for a burger anymore; though, I did rather enjoy that. No need for level-1 at my destination anymore either. Needless to say, there was a lot to say about the history and there will be little in the next few years. Purchase of an EV won't be that big of a deal.
12-27-2024	Used Buyer's Guide. One was published today, specifically for Volt. After countless years of constantly reminding everyone of efficiency importance, it is still omitted from stuff exactly like that. No where was there even a hint of anything related to consumption. Enthusiasts still don't care. Back when Volt was new, all that mattered to them was using electricity instead of gas. That obviously became a problem when marketing a plug-in hybrid against electric-only vehicles. In fact, that's how Bolt ultimately won. It was their own blindness that contributed to the failure to find appeal beyond enthusiasts. Anywho, that's what this buyer's guide was attempting to do know. So, I asked: How can a buying guide leave out vital information like efficiency? Isn't the point to get the most bang for your buck? Turns out, Volt did not thrive in that category. It fact, that's why it has an extensive history of focusing on EV range instead. This article did the same. 42 MPG from such a small car is not impressive. 31.8 kWh/100mi is not either. Comparing it a similar offering, Prius Prime, you get 48 MPG and 29.6 kWh/100mi. Think about it. The typical daily drive is less than 40 miles. Since both vehicles deliver that many EV miles, it makes sense to draw attention to efficiency. That information is curiously missing though. People will want to know how much those miles will cost.