DC Charging Speed.  No one knows what to expect yet.  Oddly, we haven't got any professional reviews yet.  Though, I don't hold those individuals in high regard.  Their reports are always anecdotal.  To my dismay, none actually look at battery temperature.  They go out of their way to take about preconditioning, but there is never any detail associated with it.  I'm not sure if they are totally clueless or just lazy.  Perhaps they want to keep things simple for their audience; however, too little information can lead to false assumptions and disenchantment.  Unfortunately, that's a difficult message to convey to owners.  They make the same type of observations without measure.  Ugh.  I keep trying to share that wisdom.  Currently, it's with my limited material.  When I get the 2026, being able to create in-depth documents & video will be very useful.  Until then, I post:  The magic will be revealed from ODB-II readings.  The passive warming system in the 2023 had an upper threshold of 35°C (95°F).  That's a far cry from aggressive systems, like Tesla, where it will target 50°C (122°F) prior to Supercharging.  Obviously that's electricity consumed that usually isn't tracked, but it's the precedent others have set and it does squeeze out more range from contiguous driving... especially in winter.

Delivery Expectations.  Yesterday morning, the deliver window start got bumped a day.  This morning, the same thing happened again.  In both cases, the window end has remained December 4.  While waiting, I stopped by my dealer to look at the 2026 they got.  It was nice, but only an XLE model and I wasn't allowed to start it.  That's fine.  I'll be getting mine soon enough.  I don't expect the estimate of next week to be accurate, but it is an indication of progress.  Deliver is getting closer.  After waiting so long already and originally not even planning to upgrade, this is a welcome test of character.  I can handle the wait... though with the weather now hinting at winter starting very soon, others having growing anticipation of my sharing of real-world observations.  Patience is required for everyone.

No Research?  This was another case of supposed remorse: "So basically this car wasn't meant for long distance.  It's a commuter car not designed to leave a 100 mile radius.  Wish I had done my research before getting this."  If that were true, the vehicle wouldn't have a DC fast-charger port.  Turns out, there were some models of Bolt that did indeed only have a level-2 port.  Having DC means being able to travel much further.  Heck, one stop along the way could easily stretch that travel radius from 100 to 300 miles.  You recharge fully before heading back home a few days later, you're good to go.  No big deal.  I live south of the Twin Cities and can reach the big tourist lake resort area just fine with my bZ4X.  So, the upgrade to a 2026 bZ will make the trip rather trivial.  I wonder how many antagonists will try to suppress that information, going to great lengths to keep the "behind" narrative alive.  Toyota wasn't ever expected to fulfill mainstream expectations so quickly.  I keep posting reminders of that status:  Priority for gen-1 was reliability & longevity.  Consuming energy for the sake of faster DC charging, at the tradeoff of higher production cost to ensure longevity, was postponed until the rest of everything else related to BEV sales could be established.  Noticed how the other legacy automakers took a different approach, but are no longer ahead as before?  The gen-2 now being sold addresses what you identified as gen-1 shortcomings.  Sorry you weren't aware of how an emerging market has challenges that are not resolved until years later.  For some perspective, look at how everyone is now scrambling to adopt NACS... both automakers and those attempting to provide DC fast-charging stations.

62 kW.  I appreciate the perspective, but get annoyed by the absolute: "Charging oddities that made a trip adventurous five years ago are now just annoying.  There are a lot of ChargePoint chargers and utility-owned clunkers along here that max out at 62 kw or so.  Great for my Bolt in 2020 but mostly useless now."  62kW is still very useful.  That's a full battery while you are at a restaurant eating.  Too many EV owners portray DC charging as a necessity to be as fast as possible, like a gas station where you stay parked in the spot at a minimum.  Going to shop or eat is not allowed.  You must be in the vehicle or just moments away at all times.  Why?  Fastest is not always best.  In fact, that's a limiting factor to how many chargers can be made available.  Spreading the same load across many more charging spots is far more practical at some places, like restaurants.  That's far from useless.

Deliver Window.  It should be no surprise at all that the start-date shifted from 11/27 to 11/28.  What hasn't changed is the delivery-window end-date is still 12/4.  While I don't find that trustworthy, it is still encouraging.  It will definitely happen sometime in December.  Whether or not that will include any cash back offer remains a mystery.  But whatever the purchase circumstance, timing is great.  I will be able to take advantage of winter here in Minnesota.

Tesla Priorities.  We are at the "hater" stage we are at now.  Fortunately, some recognize & acknowledge it: "While Tesla certainly needs new models - and fast - this article serves to simply dispense the daily endorphin rush to those who..."  More fallout from parking problems at SuperChargers and upset from Cybertruck owners puts Tesla in a terrible position.  In fact, it is so terrible the trouble with Cybercab and FSD (full-self-drive) isn't getting much attention anymore.  Priority conflicts are obvious.  Hate is emerging from letdown, promises not keep.  Naturally, some media outlets stir that emotion for their own benefit.  This is what I had to say about the situation:

Tesla's absence of anything planned for the early-level market is really going to hurt in its own home market.  Both the new Leaf and the new Bolt are targeting that segment. It never made any sense having such grand plans for growth while disregarding such a large audience.

Tesla is gifting the opportunity to competitors.  Kudos to Nissan & GM for pursuing taking advantage.  Heck, we could see contenders from Ford later too.  For that matter, the upcoming C-HR from Toyota may be priced low enough to reach to the entry-level market as well.

Tesla has done everything it could to delay change.  Milking appeal of Model Y by removing as many features as possible is not competitive.  Keeping cords short at Superchargers isn't competitive either.

The Wait.  24 minutes before midnight, delivery-window start still said 11/26 (today).  First thing this morning, I checked and it had changed to 11/27.  Since we're currently dealing with our first snow storm of the season, tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I still thinking it is somewhere in the rail system anyway... the wait continues.  Patience.  It's going to be fun.  Winter is only beginning and that's the season where bZ4X was hammered.  Designed to favor overall lower energy consumption, warming the battery was minimalized.  That won't be the case for the 2026 bZ.  With the improvements to efficiency, added consumption by that warming will be offset.  So rather than a tradeoff, it was a wait to achieve balance... which is how patience comes into play.  It hasn't been just for my own delivery, it was for advances planned to make this next-generation better.  Those were spelled out by Toyota & Denso quite awhile ago for both what I'll be getting soon and what follows.

For Years.  This foretelling was not based on any history: "Just wish they had not messed up the naming convention, it will confuse for years to come."  I found it truly remarkable how people would trip over the naming Toyota used, but turned a blind-eye to the same thing from other automakers.  That wasn't being hypocritical.  It was cluelessness, proof they weren't actually paying attention.  Watching posts, you can confirm that pattern after awhile.  For years, everyone wanted the Toyota to stand out.  Blending into the crowd now is their worst nightmare.  Having an antagonist to distract was very effective, since their gen-1 experiences haven't lived up to expectations.  It's all a game to them.  That's why Toyota couldn't be treated as an equal.  Now, they'll have that name difference working against them too.  I sounded off, pointing out:  Actually, the naming is a gift in disguise.  It's just like what "Prius" was decades ago.  When you'd do a search, there was nothing but a minor Shakespeare reference.  It has since become overwhelmingly attributed to the Toyota hybrid.  Now for us, not only is there such a unique identifier to the Toyota vehicle, it also serves as a marker in time.  Use of just "bZ" is a clear indication of gen-2 specifically in the United States.  That's the opposite of confusion.  For historical reference, look to the confusion caused by gen-1 Prius data used to misrepresent gen-2 Prius.  It was an opportunity for antagonists to exploit assumptions, which they most certainly did.  Of course GM did that intentionally with Bolt.  The day its name was revealed, a few of us immediately predicted it would serve as a soft phaseout of Volt.  Muddling of names did indeed allow GM to milk the unfamiliar into familiar.  Still to this day I encounter mix-ups where the person had no idea there were differences.

Supposed Remorse.  Claiming buyer's remorse 2 years later doesn't make sense.  Watching the obnoxious video made it clear she was really just looking for an excuse to get out of her loan so she could purchase a large guzzler instead.  Most people won't notice that.  They'll get fixated on some negative about electric vehicles instead.  I remember what the market was like back then.  I was carefully planning my journey up north, trying to make the few slow DC chargers available useful.  There wasn't a mix of CCS availability like there is now.  Heck, even Tesla Superchargers were quite spread apart then.  So her decision to purchase wouldn't have focused on travel.  It was about cheaper commuting... which she did for 2 years.  Ranting now meant something changed.  I read through the comments posted and found a few replies from her.  My interest was how she would frame her dilemma.  This is how I replied in an article about that video:  Most ordinary consumers wait a few years until the kinks are worked out before considering the purchase of anything that's uniquely new.  She bought a vehicle still on its first generation, based on the allure of 0% financing and cheap at-home charging.  The Mach-E clearly fulfilled her commute needs, but now she doesn't care about gas expenses and wants out.  Even with established technology... computer... television... phone... each generation gets significantly better.  Her own comment posted on the video confirms a recognition of status: "I hate that the market is pushing for EVs, but the market isn't ready for it."  Looking at the dealers lot in 2023, there were few (if any) EVs available for immediate purchase.  How did a supposed push come about?  In the end, this is pretty much just a rant about making a few bad assumptions.

Port Location.  It's becoming a hot topic again: "After studying all the information about high-speed charging, I have come to the conclusion that on my next EV I will be looking for a car with the charging port on the right front fender for ease of parking and compatibility with Tesla parking stalls.  I think that having a CCS charging port with a NACS adapter would be the best as it will all work with the home charger I already have and it will still give me the max charging speed available."  It's something that never will truly get resolved.  Having it in the back corner, where some swear by, allows the cord to protrude in a vulnerable location.  It could much more easily get bumped.  That part of my vehicle is often quite dirty from snow, sand and salt accumulation during the winter.  So, I suspect those making the claim that location is best don't have practical experience.  I like the idea of where Toyota moved it to, since driving into a stall is more practical.  Again, that comes from experience.  It's difficult enough sometimes to get make sure you are next at the charger.  Having to turn around when its your turn can be a challenge.  Anywho, this is how I posted in today's discussion:  Within the next 2-3 weeks, I'll be getting a new EV, switching from CCS on the driver-front to NACS on the passenger-front.  It will be a welcome improvement.  At Superchargers, I will be able to plug in only taking a single stall... while carrying bikes on back, something apparently even a Tesla can't do.  Street charging will be much easier too.  The purchase includes both CSS and J1772 adapters, so I'm covered for compatibility.  $36 for an extra J1722 at home is no big deal.  And when out & about, there is already Ionna and a Blink station here (Minnesota) that offer a mix of types.  So the adapter won't always be needed.  One of the EVgo stations has already swapped out a CCS plug for NACS too.

Desperate Analogies.  I'm surprised some keep trying: "It's like Kodak deciding to build more film cameras."  That came from an effort to undermine the attention Toyota is getting for investing so heavily in ICE phaseout.  Antagonists always believed the jump straight to BEV was going to happen, that somehow everything would magically fall into place.  It was a serious fight to prevent hybrids and plug-in hybrids from ever getting any investment.  They feel the audience doesn't need any type of transition and will just naturally understand all the nuisances.  That so naive, I don't even know where to begin.  Dealing with such blind optimism is very difficult.  There are challenges every step of the way... and it is a mighty long stretch from ICE to BEV.  Some apparently are seeing that now.  They recognize the "all in" pledges simply are not possible... wisdom they refused to consider years ago.  That reminds me of Volt.  Right away, some of us called out "over promise, under deliver" concerns.  We saw their rose-colored glasses were preventing them from seeing challenges to come.  Those ended up become impassible barriers... much like they have encountered now.  Admitting some type of transitory technology is necessary comes at too high of a cost though, since it would means recognition of Toyota's approach being a viable choice.... which works so much better than magic.  Ugh.  In that regard, I pointed out:  Except Toyota is also rolling out gen-2 of their current EV, rolling out with an EV that's larger and an EV that's smaller next year, then following up with a 3-row EV after that.  Of course, EV owners still stop at gas stations.  That's where many DC fast-chargers are being built.  You end up stopping for a cold beverage and snack anyway.

Forgetting.  Antagonists have run out of arguments: "I forget to plug in my phone at night, what happens when I go to leave for work and realize I forgot to plug in my car?  lol.  Sorry boss, I'm going to be late?"  Cars aren't like phones.  You'll rarely see the range in an EV low enough to trigger a warning and it certainly won't come as a surprise.  Everyday driving doesn't use anywhere near the capacity of the pack.  But on one of those situations where you have been unexpectedly driving a lot and do indeed forget, it's still not a problem.  That's what DC fast-charging is for.  It doesn't need to be used exclusively for long trips.  I pointed that out:  Forgetting to plug in would be a complete non-issue unless you just got back from a long trip or had not charged for many days.  In that case, you'd have to stop to DC fast-charge somewhere for a few minutes.  The catch is, you're more likely to get caught low on gas rather than low on electricity, simply because plugging in every night when you get home is a simple routine you'll get into.

Monetizing Hate.  Some aspects of moving beyond "newbie" status is becoming aware of market forces.  Negative press is  a big one.  Toyota is a giant.  Using them as a scapegoat by holding them to a higher standard draws lots of attention.  People thrive on the commenting opportunity those articles present and published profit handsomely from the revenue that generates.  It's a win for consumers and a win for the media, with a penalty for Toyota.  Their was an expectation built around Toyota's first mass EV being perfect, better than everyone else.  The definition of "better" was subjective though.  That's the catch.  By focusing on opinion, you can leverage hate and most people don't catch up to the scam.  Ugh.  When the topic came up today, I pointed out:  There was an EV guy on YouTube who discovered he could make a lot of money posting anti-Toyota sentiment.  So, he abandoned his old channel favoring Toyota and created a new one for that audience seeking validation to hate Toyota.  He's been thriving on the rhetoric ever since.  Monetizing hate is an unfortunate reality we have to deal with.  Sadly, many have no idea they are being used in that manner.

Production Cost.  How long it takes some to catch on to what you've known for decades is fascinating.  Not paying attention is common.  Of course, choosing to isolate is too.  At some point though, something will get their attention.  For example: "I recently heard John McElroy (Autoline) talk about the elephant in the EV room: production cost.  As soon as the EV powertrain becomes cheaper to manufacture than the combustion powertrain, the EV will dominate and push combustion engines into oblivion."  That will indeed be the tipping point.  Batteries are expensive, but those have a massive third-party presence.  So, they are not the heart of production efforts.  Manufacturing of propulsion systems & platform are.  I pointed that out with:

Toyota started rolling out architecture changes years ago to make hybrids more profitable than ICE.  Few noticed.  That long, subtle effort has paid off in spades.  The same is happening with stuff like the eAxle & inverter upgrades.   Being able to squeeze out more miles with almost no battery capacity increase is evidence of that progress.

When that tipping point is reached, PHEV are what will help reduce phaseout pain... especially since parts are shared with BEV.  Those automakers unable to bridge the transition (nothing profitable to compete with) will be in a world of hurt.

In short, we can see Toyota is actually pulling ahead of the legacy crowd in terms of preparing.  Anyone notice this week's news...

• More jobs, investments in Toyota's West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee plants
• Hybrid-electric Corollas coming to Mississippi