Presuming Audience.  It starts with beliefs like this: "Toyota's downfall is they think they know what consumers want.  That worked with internal combustion engine cars where people just wanted a reliable engine but that doesn't work on the target market for EVs.   EV buyers have a specific set of features they want.  And pretty much all EVs are reliable as Toyota engine cars.  Fewer parts that fail."  While the number of parts is less and the likelihood of needing repair is less, there's still the concern over battery longevity.  None of the reports from long-term ownership address ultra-fast DC charging.  Back then, charging was no faster than what enthusiasts complain about now from Toyota.  They say that is too slow, but at the same time endorse results from it.  I call them out on the conflict of objectivity.  They don't like for doing that.  I don't care.  That's why my focus is on audience.  Being enthusiasts, what difference do their priorities make anyway?  It's like trying to sell someone a coupe when they are looking for a minivan. Ugh.  Anywho, this is what I had to say about the particular comment posted today:  Enthusiasts believe "EV buyers" are like them, placing high priority on driving-range & charging-speed.  When we were in the early-adopter stage, that was indeed the case.  But now "EV buyer" shift to a mainstream audience, purchasing decisions are changing.  Attention shift to reliability & quality is again the focus.  Ordinary consumers want confidence in their purchase.  Instead of the engine being the center of attention, it is the battery.  Number of parts has nothing to do with that.

Understanding Efficiency.  This is an extremely common type of post: "I had one of these for a week and took it from Atlanta to Florida the ac EATS the range I wasn't even getting 200 miles with the ac on I ran the battery into the reserve so far out of all the ev I've driven it's good just the efficiency was horrible."  Overlooking obvious grammar challenges, there's a reoccurring theme of sighting distance in place of actual consumption.  Range has nothing whatsoever to do with how efficient the vehicle performs.  Think about it.  You'll get less range if you charge the battery less; yet, rate of electricity used will be the same regardless of charge-level.  That's a basic & fundamental concept clearly not understood in post after post.  Unfortunately, many convey a message of efficiency equating to range.  The more you get, supposedly the more efficient the vehicle is.  Ugh.  In most cases, I hope for something constructive in return by asking a simple question.  In this case, it was:  What mi/kWh do you consider efficient for a SUV of that size running A/C on the highway?

Catch Up.  There is one long-time member of the big Prius forum who repeatedly posts the same question.  I called him out, asking if that was a setup, him providing me the opportunity to post exposition.  Rather than the usual response, there was a type of silent nod.  That was interesting.  It's kind of like being an devil's advocate.  I can see how he would find that a comfortable position to navigate from, especially from the point of having replaced his Prius with a Volt then a Tesla many years ago.  Not liking the speed at which Toyota delivers the next step is maddening for an enthusiast, especially from one who would like to be a supporter.  But from the "behind" perspective, that simply isn't possible.  So today, he exclaimed: "I don't see how anyone can see Toyota as doing anything but scrambling to catch up."  I was more than happy to reply to his invitation:  That's easy.  Some see the race as a sprint.  Others see it as a marathon.  Know your audience.

Whine & Roll.  I found this telling: "What's Toyota done, other than whine and roll out a crap BEV?"  It played right into the narrative.  Pretending bZ4X (and Solterra) isn't a true SUV, a vehicle quite capable of the genuine challenges people claim to need their AWD for, is required.  Just like the focus on range & speed, there's a persistent effort to keep attention focused on distractions... not looking at the bigger picture.  No one asks what else is needed.  They tell you.  Ugh.  So when I ask about transition, those pushing the narrative get really upset.  I expect exactly that from today's post:  Unlike other automakers, Toyota focused on and delivered a viable transition plan.  The automakers claiming "all in" are really just hoping for the best.  As for rolling out crap, that's just rhetoric.  Driving 4X, it's obvious Toyota delivered a refined ride.  So what if DC charging is slow?  That's a software choice, not a hardware restriction.  Software can be changed.  Consider what VW and GM will end up having to do when demand for plug-in actually does hit the S-curve upward soar.  Toyota is setting their stage for PHEV and BEV taking the brunt of ICE fallout.  What will they do?

Market Challenges?  There are some long-time members of the big Prius forum who tend to save their replies to me for the topics of greater magnitude.  This is what those look like: "Scared of Toyota taking it slow?  Pretty sure that's not the case.  Annoyed, disappointed, angry, frustrated are more appropriate emotions.  Challenges?"  I was intrigued what stirred that particular question and what answering it would bring.  I had simply posted about market shortcomings.  So, I replied:  Since scared was never mentioned, not sure why it was injected.  As for the other emotions, that applies to the industry as a whole.  While Toyota is supposedly "kicking & screaming", we see others presenting a token effort to conceal their true dragging.  It's the classic "bait & switch" enthusiasts still haven't caught on to.  With regard to challenges, that's rather blatant.  Infrastructure isn't even enough to get a poor rating and political support remains a joke.  Just like we saw with hybrids, transition will be painfully slow.  Using Toyota as a scapegoat won't change any of that.  Read comments posted on EV articles written for ordinary consumers.  That should be a wake-up call about priorities.

Why He Sold It.  There was an online EV personality who replaced his RAV4 Prime with a bZ4X.  That didn't go well.  He wasn't willing to wait for updates and takes long road-trips a few times each year.  So, he sold it.  That resulted in a discussion on the large Prius forum which summoned me: "Would be interesting to hear John's take."  Seeing that and already being quite familiar with the situation, I was happy to oblige:  It's the same old nonsense.  I find most reports incomplete & anecdotal.  My own long term and detail data collection has begun.  I'm working on video setup now for sharing what I discover.  So far, the common observed theme is an absence of recognition for how Toyota approaches problem-solving.  It is very familiar to Prius ages ago.  Enthusiasts are baffled, many failing to see the bigger picture.  The classic issue of want verses need is playing out as well.  4X will get updates as the effort to find balance progresses.  The crowd currently complaining would have moved on, just writing Toyota off as a competitor.  Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying what they found unimportant, stuck on the obsession with range & speed.  We all know Toyota takes it slow and is quite capable of adaptation.  That scares the others... those needing an antithesis to distract from their own challenges.

Got The Job Done.  This is the takeaway someone got from that narrative: "What I'm reading here is that Toyota's "too little, too late" with the bZ4X.  Unless you're a Toyota faithful, really no reason to even look at one of these.  Toyota decided to ignore the BEV market for the past decade, openly stated it wasn't going to work, and... well, now they're trying desperately to catch up, years behind on the R&D."  It's the same old nonsense.  Make sure readers remain unaware of how much of that technology is shared among the hybrids & plug-in hybrids to contribute to a BEV will well proven components & approach.  So what if the build takes more time and isn't as efficient.  That's the next step, after you have proven reliability... which those other offerings have already achieved.  You don't even have to look at the limited distribution BEV that Toyota has been producing for years for that either.  It's all about painting a false picture of still needing lots of R&D.  Finding out that research & development phase is over and it is now about refinement should be prevented at all costs.  Ugh.  Such desperation of enthusiasts tells a story of incorrect priorities.  Fortunately, they do actually recognize what the refinement stage involves... since that is what Tesla is in now.  But then again, Tesla has no experience dealing with tiny profit-margins like Toyota.  Tesla doesn't have experience dealing with a wide variety of offerings either.  Learning about what Toyota is really up against, as are the other legacy automakers, upsets the delicate nature of BEV promotion.  Enthusiasts don't just want to get the job done.  They want to flaunt & celebrate, crushing anything they deem unworthy.  Simply breaking the status quo is not enough... hence having to create spin tales of woe.  Ugh.  I put it this way:  That is exactly what the narrative hopes you will take-away from their effort to sour & distract.  They don't want to you to take a closer look, to discover how nice the build & drive quality really is.  This is a repeat of history.  In fact, we saw similar claims about acceleration.  Prius got the job done.  That's what ordinary consumers were looking for.  The fact that reviews state 0-60 times around 6.5 seconds as being slow & uncompetitive is quite telling.  That's an enthusiast want, not at all a reflection of actual need.  Those tactics reveal a hint of status quo disruption, where early-adopter values are beginning to show their lack of appeal for showroom shoppers.

Fundamentally Misleading.  I was quite pleased to encounter this: "Journalists want to work and get paid.  So, you get a bunch of fundamentally misleading articles like this."  I was also happy to contribute to that observation:  Indeed. It's not just written articles either.  I'm seeing a lot of videos pop-up that are clearly pushing misleading & false information for the sake of drawing attention.  They are feeding a narrative to make money.  It's the same nonsense we saw long ago with Prius.  Notice how well 4X is selling in Norway?  The assumption that a leading nation, with infrastructure built out already, would not embrace such a supposed shortcoming is a given.  Reality is, this BEV makes for an awesome complimentary choice.  For my household, we already have a PHEV which covers the daily commute.  Replacing the other PHEV with a BEV was an no-brainer decision.

What Makes It Bad?  Rather than asking the question, you are told what appears to be an answer.  That is what we have been dealing with.  Those attacks on Toyota commonly appear just like this statement: "Bad EVs give all EVs a bad name, particularly when they come from the world's largest auto manufacturer."  That was the latest & greatest.  There was nothing about the quality of the drive or the capability of the motors.  It focused solely on slow charging and low range.  Ironically, neither of those supposedly vital traits are actually qualified though.  They know Bolt charges slow.  They know F-150 guzzles electricity.  Each has its place... not necessarily for the better, but they avoid discussing merits for those big legacy automakers.  In fact, talk related to GM & Ford is almost non-existent.  For that matter, we barely hear anything about VW too.  It's all about telling us how Toyota should have done better in the categories they deem most important.  Needless to say, it ain't over.  They'll keep on pushing a perspective rather than providing data so you can draw your own conclusions.  I pointed it out... to an audience of mostly those who simply don't care... with the hope of some lurker noticing their effort to spin a story:  Feeding a narrative, rather than focusing on strengths, shows where priorities are.  Notice how Leaf & Bolt owners are just fine using their vehicles?  Claims that a BEV must check all the boxes is the same nonsense we saw from enthusiasts when hybrids broke into the mainstream.  They absolutely demanded more, insisting anything not fulfilling every requirement would impede progress.  Notice how every range report leaves out actual efficiency information?  Absence of a mi/kWh value is a clear lack of objectivity, preventing useful comparisons.  That's how narratives work.

Only 180 Miles.  This was an interesting introduction from a new bZ4X owner: "This is my AWD limited.  It is a great car.  The only problem is that it only charges to 180 miles on 100% charge."  Like most, the assumption is that estimate is more than just an estimate.  It's very easy think that value won't change.  Coming from a the world of gas, where gauges were nothing but a simple analog needle, accuracy was never important.  For that matter, neither was a distance estimate.  Since it was so easy to refill the tank, why bother?  Stopping for fuel wasn't a big deal.  In fact, it was commonly prioritized by the need to use the bathroom and get food.  This paradigm-shift is new for those who never owned anything designed with an emphasis on efficiency.  So, you have to start by raising awareness of efficiency.  I asked:  180 miles assumes you are only getting 2.8 mi/kWh.  Are you?  My recent warm weather driving has averaged about 3.5 mi/kWh.  Knowing there is about 64 kWh available based on 100% charged, that comes to an estimate of 224 miles.

Setting Up.  Over the next few weeks, I'm hoping to give the DC fast-chargers from each brand a try.  Since there are a very limited number of them and I have to drive way out of my way to reach them, it will take time.  Ideally, I would run the battery down to a low level to get the most out of the experience.  But the point is to simply make sure I'm setup for when they are actually needed.  Eventually, they will be close too.  For now, just gaining the experience of seeing the various interfaces to be aware of what's in common and how some differ makes it worth the effort.  This evening, I went for a drive to seek out one I could encounter when outside the Twin Cities.  The one actually here is really nice and I'll be taking advantage of the free 1-year provided of use by Toyota.  It just happens to be along the route I travel anyone, once a month.  Anyone, this one I tried is fairly common in southern Minnesota.  It was only a 50 kW unit and the $5 connection fee wasn't what you'd hope for; however, there were 2 free level-2 chargers next to it.  Both are great for when using the bike trail.  I have been going there since the late 80's.  So, seeing something available to charge with was nice.  It worked fine too.  I can't wait to try others.

When using a commercial charger (public level-2 like you'd find at a retail store) the voltage is only 208.  That means the max is lower than the level-2 you'll see at home.  It will deliver a sustained 6.1 kW.

Recognizing Need.  Gotta like this: "I'm amazed that the bZ4X is selling well in Norway.  I guess they must be starved for EVs, as it's really a subpar EV in terms of charging speed and range."  I saw that as an invitation to sound off:  As an enthusiast, that revelation may be amazing.  As an ordinary consumer, the priority of speed and range is much lower.  Heck, some mainstream shoppers won't even care.  If it covers all their demands of typical driving, that's enough.  My own household is a good example, since we also have a PHEV, there is no compelling argument for the BEV to have the type of charging speed and EV range we see those here online obsessing over.  In fact, it is kind of a joke how out-of-touch some of their argument are.  Just like with Prius, we see bZ4X drawing interest from the in-person encounter.  When you can see the quality of the build and experience the refined ride, whatever supposed issue there becomes just another talking-point with little influence on the purchase decision.

Video Recording Setup.  I finally got my 2023 Toyota bZ4X and have started to setup the ODB-II reader app (Car Scanner Pro) with a useful configuration to go with video recording of various drives.  This is a sample of how far I was able to get today.  I'd like to find a practical graphic display for battery-draw, then add 2 other informative data flows.  So far, setup is looking good.  Here's the video:  setting up for recordings