Raising Doubt.  Here it comes: "I'm skeptical of Toyota's range claims for all it's U.S. market EVs except the smallest one given the marginal size of their batteries."  That's a switch.  Most of the time, it is just ignoring facts.  We get a lot of that while waiting for the first deliveries.  Dismissal is the stage that follows.  This is where the antagonists does everything possible to prevent others from accepting what those first owners share.  I find it confirmation, a sign that they see trouble coming.  Toyota actually delivered and they have no defense against positive results.  It sure is going to be fun post my warm season experiences.  Those range claims look pretty easy to achieve.  In the meantime, I have to settle for replies like this:  Raising doubt is a form of acknowledgement, drawing attention to something having changed.  Years ago, Toyota informed us they were working on a next-gen eAxle with Denso for their EVs.  The upgrade had a focus on power & efficiency improvement.  Turns out, that is exactly what got delivered.

We're Free!  That was the sentiment proclaimed this evening.  He went on to say: "With everything happening right now in the Middle East and oil markets getting unstable again, sooo glad we have EVs.  We're free.  We're free from the chaos.  But there are a few things people need to understand about gas prices."  Sure, people here (in my area) will notice the sudden jump from $2.89 per gallon to $3.19.  They'll likely fear it will easily climb another 20 cents too.  But that's not the right audience though.  People with gas guzzlers have learned to adjust or dismiss.  They cope.  EV owners haven't needed to.  They might now though.  I pointed out:

There will be chaos.  A sudden surge in demand for EVs will hit our unprepared infrastructure hard.  Limited quantities of transformers, charging stations and people to install them will impact existing EV owners.  Busier chargers and rising electricity prices is a realistic near-term outcome.

This is what the "all in" legacy automakers failed to recognize.  They thought they could flood the market with inventory and somehow charger need would magically keep pace.  We still haven't established NACS as the standard yet.  New installs still include CCS, which was part of the NEVI requirements.

We're looking at another 2-3 years before new home builders and existing landlords embrace overnight charging needs.  So, please add some patience to the sentiment being expressed.  The paradigm-shift has begun, but it will take longer to actually address than some will expect.

Video: Spring Preview.  This unexpectedly warm Minnesota winter day in late February presented a great opportunity to preview what efficiency gain spring temperatures will bring.  Buying the next-generation EV from Toyota in December left me with a sense of intrigue... and some impatience.  I was not disappointed!  Though, seeing others report 5.5 mi/kWh has made me a bit jealous.  Here in Minnesota, it is still winter.  However, the temperature briefly climbing into the 40's gave me a taste of the improved efficiency.  Clearly, my 2026 delivers an improvement on 2023.  What sweet upgrade!  Anywho, I filmed that drive to share when people question this next-gen bZ's efficiency when it's not warm out.  Here's the link..,  Spring Preview

Constructive Feedback.  I try to comment on propaganda articles by posting a reply to someone else, rather than just submitting something standalone.  That tends to stir participation.  It's that type of engagement which really makes a difference.  In this case, I got back: "I was actually unable to read it which is why i was asking.  Kept getting bombarded with a to continue pay for a subscription messages."  That's how assumptions come about.  Most people don't even bother to follow source.  But to the few that do, some give up due to barriers just like that.  It's a means of misleading without appearing to have those intentions.  Grrr.  I see a lot of that.  But rather than getting into that tangle mess, what antagonists hope for, I share real-world experiences instead.  That's a weapon they have no defense for.  Owner stories are a powerful means of overcoming the undermining efforts of those who want what you endorse to fail.  Knowing that, I shared:  I started with a plug-in hybrid back in 2012, then upgraded in 2017.  So, I'm well aware of how much opportunity charging can really pay off.  In my case, it was leave home in the morning with a full battery, then recharge while parked at work.  Nowadays with the much larger battery-packs, the recharge wouldn't be needed.  My entire commute could be entirely electric simply from only charging overnight.

Not The Same.  This was such an innocent comment on a post that was obviously propaganda to make PHEV (plug-in hybrids) appear bad: "My guess is their not charging the battery and using the vehicle to its fullest capacity thinking they'll save money using it as a regular hybrid when its not a regular hybrid."  I recognized the source.  I've done my research.  The long list of PHEV were half-hearted efforts.  No detail whatsoever was included either.  It was the generalization approach, lumping all offerings into a single category for easy misrepresentation.  Imagine the uproar that would come from an analysis doing the same with BEV, treating all as if their is no technology or design/configuration differences.  It's that "not the same" problem all over again.  I posted this in reply to that comment:  No, it's an article using a misleading source.  Not all plug-in hybrids are the same; yet, the article treats them that way.  Different markets have different purchase, charging and driving circumstances.  Notice how that data is from Europe.  Here in the United States, we have little in common with.  A well designed plug-in hybrid (lots more capacity with faster charging) will deliver much better results.  Notice how detail is missing.

C-HR and Highland becoming EV only will end up being a sucker-punch to other legacy automakers.  They were warned the race was a marathon, not a sprint.  The tortoise has passed the hares.

Sucker Punch, part 1.  Following years and years of pushing the "laggard" narrative, claiming Toyota was hopelessly "behind" everyone else, reviews of the new offerings are turning all that upside-down.  In this case, here's a comment posted about a C-HR review: "An AWD electric under $40k with power and decent range.  The extra dense battery is a good feature and the fact it's a Toyota will sway many people that trust the Toyota brand."  Turns out, the battery isn't actually extra dense.  Instead, the system itself is much more efficient.  In fact, competitors are in for a surprise as warm temperatures reveal that surprise.  It's Toyota quietly taking advantage of their past, turning the table on poor efficiency reviews due to winter rollout.  Those observations were never qualified, sighting the impact of cold.  The result was comments in the summer were used to misrepresent.  There was never any follow up.  This time, that is going to be far more difficult.  There's an awareness across the market about winter's efficiency hit and a lot of ordinary consumers empowered by the internet.  Cost at DC fast-chargers is starting to draw a lot of attention too.  Toyota's battery pack is 74.7 kWh.  Competitors delivering the same distance tend to be 85.1 kWh, so even larger.  That extra 10 kWh adds up when you're paying $0.55/kWh while traveling.  Sadly, I have seen $0.64/kWh in places now.  Anywho, that adds more to both the cost & time of fast-charging.  Better efficiency is the solution... which Toyota delivers.

Know your audience.

Missed PRO.  There were a few PROs and a few CONs in the article, each with some merit.  But the glaring omission really got to me... efficiency.  Coming from a writer who is driving a 15 year old traditional vehicle still, my frustration was higher than usual.  He gets paid to fill provide articles to publish.  He's a writer, not a journalist.  Knowing that really doesn't help though.  Fortunately, I try to focus my emotion into constructive feedback.  I hope he finds this objective & useful:  There's a PRO that got completely overlooked: efficiency.  The upgraded eAxle takes advantage of SiC semiconductors.  That's why range got improved so much with the new bZ despite only a tiny battery-capacity increase.  mi/kWh being a standout, that's a big deal.  Think about how much cost of gas comes into play for ICE vehicles.  The same is true for EVs.  And of course, if you need less electricity in the first place, charging time is reduced.  So even without class-leading kW rates, you still see a benefit.

MPG Matters.  I agreed with the sentiment and was delighted from the example: "MPG matters, and has for many, many decades.  Even as far back as the late 1940's, the sales literature from Chrysler touted a feature on certain vehicles called "free wheeling", which was basically unrestricted coasting, that Dodge stated would improve MPG."  Reading my personal logs, you'll find over 25 years of examples sharing similar types of promotion.  It really does come down to fuel cost.  That's why this administration is so desperately trying to misrepresent current gas prices as lower.  They aren't.  People don't pay attention though.  The psychology of forgetfulness is a protective mechanism being exploited.  Ugh.  Oh well.  Here's some constructive info:  The quest for highest profit will continue.  That equates to gas-guzzling beasts... which is normally a big draw.  But since administration has destroyed any supportive economic opportunity, people will be looking for alternatives.  That's when the EVs from China will find a way in.  Small, cheap and fast will overcome range-anxiety.  They'll start as secondary choices, easing pressure on domestic offerings.  That won't last long though.  In other words, the target for 2032 will remain active even without any mandate.  That much feared paradigm-shift is already underway.  Removing EPA barriers is nothing but a final fling to squeeze out profit while they still can.

Economic Benefit.  This comment about the deregulation taking place stirred me up: "The question is, will US automakers keep improving cars that people outside US will want to buy, or obey a moronic diktat from Trump?"  So what if EPA no longer restricts emission levels or requires efficiency minimums?  There is a reality of being competitive.  This is where the let-the-market-decide actually comes into play.  Under normal circumstances, that never happens.  But when being desperate for survival, cutting corners can be costly.  Making rash decisions can have dire financial consequences that are not obvious until years later.  Remember what happened with VW years ago?  I attempted to provide some perspective on the matter, asking:  Who?  Toyota already stated their ICE development is wrapping up and no more model updates are planned.  They intend to treat near-term rollouts at final releases.  The hybrids will get better batteries and the BEV will continue to evolve & expand.  Ford & GM have no effective means of competing.  Even removing emission equipment won't allow them to match MPG efficiency Toyota already has in place.  The reduced cost would undercut their own BEV efforts too.  So, dropping of mandates & regulations really doesn't equate to economic benefit.

Resale Value.  The topic always throws me.  I'm not sure how much people really take resale value into account.  Do people really part with their vehicle as soon as the typical 5-year loan expires?  That's the duration implied.  With a national average of 12,000 miles annually, that's only 60,000 miles.  Huh?  That seems counter-intuitive, losing value by selling so soon.  What the heck?  Regardless, we routinely get questions like this: "Can someone help me understand how well this value might hold up down the road if I decide to sell or trade in in the next 5 or so years?  Thanks!"  Under normal circumstances, asking that without context is almost pointless.  But now that we are well into an undeniable transition stage, it doesn't make sense.  So, I posted this in response:  Value of any vehicle of any type 5 years from now is just a wild guess, at best.  Odds are decent that there will be a paradigm-shift, where even an older EV will hold value better than any ICE vehicle.  Think about charger availability 5 years from now.  Common changes the ownership equation.

Resale Rant.  I was annoyed.  He went on and on.  So, I did too:  Sorry, but claiming lack of respect for bZ in a rant about resale value is a complete absence of critical thinking.  bZ has only been out a few months in a rapidly evolving market.  Drawing a conclusion so quickly isn't constructive in any regard.   All first-gen offerings go through growing pains. That's quite normal and very predictable.  It is exactly why mainstream consumers have a "wait until the bugs are worked out" purchase delay.  For those do buy gen-1 and consider a gen-2 trade, there's going to be a big depreciation hit.  Again, this is a rapidly evolving market.  Look at the pain Ford & GM are experiencing.  That means you have to play the game.  In my case, I was banking on the $5000 cash back, a $1300 rebate from my credit-card, and saving roughly $1200 from not having to replace tires before the sale.  That helped soften impact of depreciation.

Goodbye Frunk.  Turns out, there were many who weren't actually using it.  So to cut vehicle cost, Ford is changing it to a $495 option.  Enthusiasts are upset.  I am amused.  This is the comment published that I used to express my opinion: "The frunk is a nice place to put charging cables and adapters."  It was too good of an invitation to pass up.  I replied:  Mine are under the false floor in back, nicely tucked away under the power lift gate.  Having to instead go into the front, which is more effort to open than just using the kick-sensor and could potentially be wet or covered with snow simply makes no sense.  I don't understand the obsession with such an option.

Repeat Advice.  Makes me wonder how many times I'll end up posting this same thing or something similar:  240 volts * 48 amps = 11.5 kW.  To deliver that, sustained draw can only be 80% of line capacity.  That means you need a 60-amp breaker.  The catch is, you should plan household capacity.  If you will later be charging a second vehicle at the same time, don't use up service-panel availability for just one EVSE.  In our case, we installed 2 lines 9 years ago, each 40-amp.  That turned out to be a great decision.  Both deliver up to 7.6 amps at the same time, which is more than enough for overnight charging.