Accountability.  It's never good enough when judging Toyota: "My point is they need to actually get serious, not pretend that a 33% EV mix in 2030 is getting serious."  Yet, there's nothing to measure seriousness of others beyond just saying they are going 100%.  How many times have we been burned by empty promises of the past?  So, I had to ask:  Other legacy automakers pretending to go "all in" is what?  It only takes a few moments of critical thinking to see that their supposed 100% pledge is without milestones or penalty.  They make a good effort with a handful of vehicles and are given a free pass to continue with the rest of their production as status quo.  It's quite remarkable how those focusing on Toyota continue to overlook such an obvious absence of accountability.

Clearly, the Toyota app is recognizing charging losses (about 5%) and efficiency displayed reflects vehicle consumption.

None of those specs stand out.  That's a good thing.  When targeting mainstream consumers, delivering more means paying a premium price.  When the goal is to deliver something affordable, competitive and profitable, focus must be on finding a middle offering.  A nice mix of traits is vital.  That means aspects of EV are not top priority.  Some of the delay coming from GM may actually be a hint of that being taken seriously.  It's very important.  Enthusiasts don't want to hear that though.  So, I focus on facts they don't want to hear instead... somewhat tangible evidence of things not quite going as they hope.  In this case, it was a dose of reality to help tame their taunts on the Kia discussion:  Equinox EV was promised for "spring 2023" on the television commercial last aired countless times back in November.  The timeline now is "spring 2024" for the 3LT model.  So don't realistically expect any lower-priced models to follow until well after that.  The SS model of Blazer is expected for this fall.  But since it is a higher class of vehicle than Equinox, don't expect it to ever be in the same category as Niro/Kona.

That subtle reputation build-up scares the crap out of other legacy automakers, leaving each in a scramble to figure out how to address the giant juggernaut about to awake.

Turning the spotlight onto Toyota is exactly what they want.  It takes attention off of them.  You are playing into their subterfuge to distract from their absence of a transition plan.

How Far?  Remember how I responded with that question a week ago, asking "180 miles assumes you are only getting 2.8 mi/kWh. Are you?"  He finally got back to me this morning.  Knowing how some people take things literally and don't actually bother with their own research, I was quite curious if he would strive to increase own knowledge by giving the math a try.  Apparently, he did not: "I'm getting 3.5 mi/kWh on Eco mode with no air con. But the battery always stops charging (100%) at 180 miles."  Only seeing that 180 miles has him stuck, confused, irritated, disappointed...  So, my follow up was asking a new question:  That distance value is just an estimate.  Do the calculation yourself.  If your drive uses 20% of the battery, how far did you go?  20% of 64 kWh at 3.5 mi/kWh is about 45 miles.  20% of 180 miles is 36 miles.  Multiple that value 5 times to find your 100% distance.  What is it?

Letting Go.  She won a 2008 Prius long ago.  Though technically free, you still have to pay taxes for it.  Nonetheless, she was hooked from day one.  Today, she asked the rest of us what it is like for us when letting go of that old friend.  Regardless of what follows, the next steps isn't without mixed feelings.  I shared mine:  Prius ownership just recently came to an end for me... 2001 Prius... 2004 Prius... 2010 Prius... 2012 Prius PHV... 2017 Prius Prime... 2023 bZ4X.  Each was among first deliveries that generation.  bZ4X is very much in the spirit of those Prius, each breaking ground into new territory.  The newest Prius strives to appeal to difficult to reach consumers and current owners looking for more range & power.  My wife will likely hold on to here Prius Prime for a number of years to come, waiting for a long-range all-electric sedan.  As for letting go, that was easy.  My niece, who planning to buy it from me anyway, suddenly found her Camry with 280,000 miles undriveable.  With only a month prior to college graduation, that plan came together unusually well.  I could continue on the saga of promoting new technology exactly as hoped.  There is much to learn & teach in the world of plug-in vehicles still.

Washington DC to Vermont.  An owner of a Solterra shared their travel experience today.  That round-trip covered 1,220 miles in temperatures between 50°F and 80°F.  It was mapped using the ABRP (A Better Route Planner) app, which reads ODB-II data while you drive for highest accuracy.  The profile for bZ4X/Solterra was just added.  So, seeing a real-world report from it already was really nice.  I got a kick out of how the report mentioned the longer charging stops were nice, since they broke up the long drive.  Obviously, those who don't enjoy the journey and only focus on the destination will say otherwise.  Anywho, the highest charging-speed observed was 68 kW and it slowed to 15-20 kW as it got close to the 80% target.  That's why those who BEV travel more recommend not going any higher than 60%.  I was grateful for the report and shared that by posting:  Thanks for the report!  That detail is really appreciated.  My wife and I just got done with a trip where we had to take the PHEV.  When DC fast-chargers simply aren't available, it's nice having that option.  I do look forward to the funding from NEVI changing that.  There are DC stations planned along our route.  Our destination (Northern Minnesota) is planning for them too.  Seeing 3.1 mi/kWh routinely will be nice.  I actually got a taste above of that last week when spring warmth made a brief appearance, but snow returned to kill that dream.

Good Range?  Waiting for hypocrites to post is the game now.  They claimed bZ4X was DOA (Dead On Arrival) delivering a range of only 222 miles.  Price made no difference.  That distance was too short, period.  It made no sense, seeing how well Leaf was received over the years with less.  Knowing VW was preparing to take advantage of the new tax-credits that started 2 days ago by focusing heavily on a 62 kWh version of ID.4 to take advantage of the low-price opportunity, it was only a matter of time... which came today.  The first article sighting the price savings was published.  I eagerly jumped on, hoping to see comments revealing a moving of goal-posts.  Those same enthusiasts attacking Toyota would simply pretend that never happened and embrace VW, despite an undeniable contradiction.  No surprise, the comment section was empty for that enthusiast website.  On a Facebook group with general audience participation, they are far more receptive.  There, I asked:  What does "good range" represent? From ID.4 built in Tennessee, you can get a 209-mile model with the $7,500 tax-credit dropping the starting price to $32,790?

Long Distance Driving.  That new owner complaint ended with: "I explained that this car is not for long distant driving as it takes forever to bring it to 80% let alone 100%.  I would not have bought this car if I had known this."  It was clear he had already made up his mind and was lost about what the next step should be.  Did he want compensation somehow, like what Ford had to do when the C-Max rating problem was confirmed?  Did he simply want to sell back his vehicle, but was at a loss about what to purchase instead?  Did he want a fix, but had no idea what that should actually be?  Or was he really just angry at himself for not having paid attention during his lengthy wait for delivery?  I remember seeing the "hour for 80%" mention countless times over the year duration from reveal to delivery.  Heck, even that big controversy that exploded this time last year brought that up, confirming it by showing us it took 62 minutes.  How could that be a surprise to anyone at this point?  I ended this unproductive exchange asking:  Since Toyota clearly stated charging to 80% would take an hour for the AWD model and that speed would be slower in sub-freezing temperatures, what missing information did you discover after purchase?

Class Action Suit.  This is the response I got to my complaint reply: "maybe an attorney file a class action suit."  That was a complete waste of time.  He is clearly upset, but cannot convey anything useful.  That's an all-too-familiar disenchantment post.  The new owner will fail to solidify any type of next step.  They basically just want to vent, hoping to stir sentiment from others in the same situation.  That often results in anger when they discover it was an oversight on their part.  He likely felt ever aspect of BEV ownership should have been spelled out in full prior to purchase... unaware that similar surprises happen in the world of combustion engines too.  I was more than happy to point that out too:  Just like when EPA ratings finally got a close look, we got the same statement.  Without a specific failed expectation sighted, the only outcome would be a revision to the system of measure itself... which did indeed happen.  Being upset for falling short is legitimate.  But when you know a remedy is forthcoming, there must be care to avoid moving the goal posts... otherwise, you end up losing credibility.  Simply saying "battery charging issues" is an extremely weak case.  Think about it.  From an engineering perspective, there is nothing at fault.  We would all like "faster" charge speed, but without specifying what "faster" actually represents and under what circumstances, the deliverable is unknown.  What would the suit request?

Vague Complaints.  There are always poorly informed customers.  Enthusiasts found it strange how Toyota pointed out a significant slowdown of charging speed when temperature is below freezing and the possible inability to charge when the battery is below -4°F.  That information was interpreted as a shortcoming, something Toyota had failed to address.  It was not.  Anyone recognizing the limitations of lithium-based batteries will understand that applies to all of them.  When it is cold, you have to wait for the battery-heater to warm the cells prior to charging for better results.  The reason Toyota emphasized that was to avoid this very issue... people complaining because they didn't know.  Not everyone pays attention though: "Regarding the battery issues I HIGHLY recommend everyone to contact the headquarters of Toyota and file a complaint.  I called yesterday and they said they will get back to me in 30 days concerning the battery charging issues.  The more people that do this then they will have to do something about it."  Like how vague that was?  What exactly issues were there?  What does "something" represent?  It's all so vague, ensuring the complaint is addressed properly is impossible.  Being a software engineer, I face that problem with vague complaints routinely.  They user has no idea what they really want, they just insist upon an improvement of some sort.

They're Irrelevant.  There is a growing desperation.  That next-gen Prius Prime clearly scares purist.  I suspect posts like this will become common from them: "It is all about BEV volumes.  PHEVs are already almost irrelevant.  Toyota will be lucky if they can sell as many ICEs in 2026 as they plan BEVs."  Their narrative requires BEV to be the only plug-in choice.  Fear of another plug offering, one with a gas-engine providing a range-anxiety solution, is quite real.  In their fantasy world, legacy automakers will rollout BEV and somehow be able to drop ICE sales entirely.  Nothing to bridge... you know... a stop-gap solution... is necessary.  Ugh.  It boggles the mind that there is a shared belief that instead of 2025 bringing a tipping-point, that production will be a cliff where production of anything other than BEV will be completely unnecessary.  Imagine being able to waive a wand like that, suddenly transforming the entire market.  I thought it was absurd when that was claimed for 2030.  Accelerating the narrative to 2026 is farcical.  How would that even be possible?  I asked:  ICE aren't magically going away for GM, Ford, Stellantis, etc. by 2026.  Having something with a plug covering daily drives for those where BEV isn't realistic yet is quite reasonable.  Claiming irrelevant is out of touch with how many market challenges are still faced for this transition.  It will take longer than hoped.  Toyota is prepared for that. How will others cope with the change?