Propaganda Sources.  It is extremely difficult to kill an intentionally deceptive report.  Creation with the purpose to mislead is promoted in such a way that passing of the information is the problem, not the source itself.  That's how propaganda works.  It's an idea, not a set of verifiable facts.  That's why debunking it often makes no difference.  Anywho, that same old nonsense from years ago continues to be a problem.  The report claimed most plug-in hybrids were never plugged in.  Catch was, we had no idea how the survey was conducted, where or when.  Even the sample size itself remained a mystery for quite awhile.  But like any effort of that nature, detail is eventually uncovered.  It was clearly an attempt to mislead.  That made no difference.  We still hear about the conclusion it drew, even without any evidence or reference to source.  The claim is just presented as if it had been verified & validated.  Ugh.  All I can do is continue to rebut whenever it is brought up, as I did yet again today:  The study in Europe was outdated years ago when it was published, since it didn't include new PHEV offerings like RAV4 Prime.  Knowing there will be a next-gen system from Toyota in only a few months, whatever happened in the past is even less relevant.  Both cost & efficiency will be improved, raising the appeal to that growing audience of plug-in wannabees who have limited charging options.  PHEV unable to compete will give way to those that can.

Nailed It!  I had to look it up to be sure.  Range expectations for the next plug-in Prius has been an interesting topic.  With all the research I do and the history I have, understanding Toyota's priorities has become an easy pattern to recognize & follow.  In fact, back on August 16, 2019 my prediction was stated this way: "For gen-1 Prius PHV, that target was 20 km.  For gen-2 Prius PHV, that target was 40 km.  For gen-3 Prius PHV... knowing that affordable & reliable has been higher priorities than range... would put it at 60 km."  Turns out, that is indeed what Toyota targeted for this upcoming new Prius Prime.  Nailed it!

Face Reality.  It's a fascinating topic.  Will he ever figure it out?  I asked:  How many times would you like me to remind you to know your audience?  I repeat that for good reason, to share vital lesson learned from the past.  If you continue to promote your own priorities, assuming others share them, the outcome will be very disappointing.  Range simply isn't as important as you think.  Face reality, there will be a lot more people like myself... where our household will have a BEV and a PHEV.  For the rare long trip, you use some gas.  Otherwise, daily driving for both vehicles will be entirely electric.

Give it a watch...  Prius Prime - 5.6 miles/kWh and 30 miles of EV

Ending His Long Rant.  He went on and on about his precious Model Y, which he bragged about taking a trip to Vegas in.  It comes down to being a Tesla fanboy trolling Toyota supporters.  Thank goodness that isn't common.  But sadly, we have one that's an admin for the bZ4X group... which made his concluding sentence ending his long rant all the more ironic: "As to niches, since you've stayed with a hybrid, it seems a bit odd that you’d be here at all."  Why in the world is he there?  Rather than bothering to ask, I ended my own rant with:  Those are words of someone in denial, someone who refuses to accept a different approach.  Reality is, Toyota has been delivering EV drive for many years.  Prius evolved into a plug-in offering all-electric propulsion up to 135 km/h (84 mph) complete with heat-pump.  RAV4 carried that technology further by adding AWD and liquid cooling.  At the same time, we saw a model of Toyota (CH-R) and Lexus (UX300e) converted into BEV offerings.  Each of which contributed to the bZ family of vehicles we see emerging now.  Reading through the exchange here, it's quite clear the Tesla fanboy posts will continue.  People will grow tired of that nonsense.  They are in this for the long term and see that Toyota's approach will also be successful.  Too bad if you don't like that.

Range Argument.  When you have someone obsessed with range & speed, there's no convincing them of other priorities.  Sadly, it's a stereotype of Tesla fanboys that is common enough to be seen as a trait.  That's what the success they endorse was built upon.  Pointing out that other people have other factors of ownership more important falls on deaf ears.  They simply don't want to address mainstream objectives.  That's a sign of Innovator's Dilemma... they are finding out their appeal is really just a niche.  Not being a draw for the masses is a very big problem.  In Europe, we see that playing out with range.  Smaller capacity battery-packs are being offered.  That reduces both cost & weight, resulting in a lower priced vehicle that is also more efficient.  How do you sell such a option when the mission for years was to promote more.  Less is so counter-intuitive, they are lost.  Hearing about automakers doing that here is confusing & backward to them.  That's why I find pointing it out especially vindicating:  As for the range argument, it is interesting to watch a person back themself into a corner.  VW invested a massive amount into delivering an ID.4 with just 58 kWh of usable capacity.  That won't go very far at 75 mph either.  There is a place for lower range vehicles.

Unexpected Curiosity.  My pointing out of a massive dealer markup for bZ4X today stirred an interesting response: "Why do you like this car?  Tell us the positives!  I'd like to read those."  I suspect there are many such individuals who simply haven't had any reason to pay attention to Toyota.  With so many other market choices supposedly further along, it's easy to see speculation as a waste of time.  But now that there's enough demand to trigger prices well above MSRP, asking questions is worthwhile.  So, I jumped in with some answers:  Having driven a first-gen plug-in Prius for 5 years, then a second-gen plug-in Prius for 5.5 years, I know how well built the EV system is.  The thing has been bullet-proof throughout our crazy winters here, including the heat-pump.  Also, the friend who purchased my first-gen now owns a RAV4 plug-in hybrid as well.  That too has been rock solid.  Seeing Toyota take their EV tech (also found in a Lexus BEV available in Europe, UX300e) and improve it with AWD expertise from Subaru makes it a compelling choice.  There is also the business approach of having diversified battery type from day-1.  It looks like Toyota is taking the market seriously by quietly branching out to LFP like Tesla did.

LFP Confirmation?  A salesperson on the West Coast shared a video today.  It was a walk-around of the exact bZ4X model I want, including the color.  Heck, even the radiant heater was included.  With a cousin who lives very close to that dealership, it is crushing to see such an offering an let it slip by.  Transport would be a challenge and I really want to endorse my dealership here.  They have been a trustworthy source and I would like to have some location with reliable referral opportunity.  So, I wait.  In the meantime, I continue my quest for information.  I posted: "Sure wish you were closer, that's the exact configuration I'm looking for.  1,750 miles is too much...  Perhaps you can still help by answering the magic question for us.  What is the chemistry of that model's battery-pack?  Is it NMC or LFP?"  His answer to my question took me aback.  Was it really true.  He responded stating it was LFP.  That would be amazing.  Perhaps I can get a solid confirmation.  I asked by replying with:  If that is confirmable, you just made a lot of future owners happy.  I'm grateful for hearing that.  After so much study of the relationship of Toyota with CATL and the business objectives of both, it makes a lot of sense offering a less expensive and more robust choice.  Thanks for sharing the video.  It's really nice to get to see a walk-around like that.

None Whatsoever.  Exactly as anticipated, his response was one of a purist: "You've been driving a hybrid… one that has a gasoline tank, and when you run out of the short range of electricity, the gasoline engine continues on.  That's neither good, nor bad, in the context of discussions about the Toyota bZ4X, except an all electric vehicle doesn't rely on gasoline at all.  None whatsoever."  That attitude of absolutes has been a problem for a very, very long time.  We saw it first emerge with Volt enthusiasts.  Ultimately, that self-defeating approach got the best of them.  If not ever using any gas is the goal, why have an engine?  That's how the shift Bolt came about.  They backed themselves into a corner.  I'm quite curious how this situation will play out.  It's about being about to relate to the technology, not the technology itself.  Heck, with such a small battery-pack, I have much more of a heightened awareness of capacity.  It's very easy to take it for granted when you have a short drive with a large battery-pack.  What difference does routine driving, like a daily commute, matter if you have a range of 5 to 10 times that of what's needed?  In my case, a 222-mile range for a 38-mile commute (round trip) is effortless.  With only a 25-mile range, you absolutely must recharge to make the return trip home.  But even with heater use, the drive was all-electric on all but the extreme cold Minnesota winter days.  Anywho, I have lots of experience.  He can't stand that.  Wanting to be "vastly superior" is his priority.  Ugh.  I replied with the following:  In denial that any plug-in hybrid could ever be designed to be an BEV with an ICE backup... ugh.  And so what if range was short?  That will be changing with the next-gen rollout early next year anyway.  But when you already have 8 level-2 chargers available at work, commuting entirely with electricity is quite realistic.  I routinely drove back & forth without the gas-engine starting.  Claiming that doesn't count as EV experience is absurd.

Credibility Attacks.  Having seen this pattern repeat so many times now, it's almost surreal.  The same old tactics of cherry-picking examples and dismissing priorities is blatantly obvious, completely undeniable.  Yet, it happens over and over without any hint of objectively.  They just plain don't care.  In fact, it goes to the point of the person believing their own narrative.  Since I drive a plug-in hybrid, I have no background whatsoever on the topic.  Sound familiar?  It was the same nonsense 22 years ago.  There was no possible way I could have any knowledge of how hybrids worked because only he understood, because he had converted an ICE to a BEV.  That was a sheer act of desperation to get us to shut up.  It didn't work then and certainly won't work now.  I'm not letting this BEV owner push us around.  He hates all things Toyota and doesn't consider Prius Prime an EV, despite being able to drive it without ever starting the gas-engine.  Ugh.  Here's the latest attack, a desperate attempt to pretend I haven't already been through this with him (another antagonist tactic) by questioning my credibility: "So, just to be clear, you neither own or drive this car, nor do you apparently have ANY purely EV driving experience… not even the tiniest amount."  Like all antagonists, I try to keep replies brief.  Since he is a purist looking for a fight, it's especially challenging.  Here's how I replied:  I have been EV driving for 5.5 years now, in Minnesota.  My all-electric commutes using a heat-pump have provided lots of real-world experience.  Prior to the EV, it was commuting for 5 years with a PHV that lacked electric heating but had electric A/C.

What will ultimately happen is WLTP itself will fall under scrutiny for the way EV range is represented.

$19,995 Markup!  An advertisement for bZ4X popped up on my phone.  At first I thought it was a local dealer, since the name was the same.  Thankfully, it was not.  We do have a coalition of dealers against the adoption of EVs though.  They fought hard to prevent us from adopting California rules.  So seeing such a massive markup wouldn't be a surprise.  It is disappointing to see that anywhere, especially in a state where support for plugging in is strong.  Reality is, we'll meet resistance every step of the way from every imaginable source.  It is inevitable.  Fortunately, it isn't for another 13 months.  Enforcement of the must offer inventory provision doesn't begin here until January 1, 2024.  Until then, we need to scramble to promote as much as possible.  Getting my bZ4X and showing it at lots of events will do a great deal to help sway those who don't understand the technology or recognize the potential.  For now, it is just raising awareness within our EV owners group itself.  I shared that advertisement along with the following comment:  It begins... with Toyota joining the mix, we find out who the supportive dealers are and who simply want profit. $19,995 speaks for itself.  I sure hope those here in Minnesota are far better than this one in California.

As a final note, make sure tires are inflated to a minimum of the recommended 2.6 bar (38 psi).  They are almost certainly rated for higher, which will deliver higher efficiency at the tradeoff of noise & bumps.  Allowing them to get squishy will reduce efficiency.