New ICE.  As you could imagine, there are some who are going nuts over articles with this title: "Toyota Is Developing New Combustion Engines".  It never ceases to amaze me how people see the competition as static.  That's the way Volt enthusiasts always looked down upon Prius.  It is why they absolutely refused to acknowledge the existence of Camry or the potential of RAV4 becoming a hybrid, then plug-in hybrid.  Such a narrow view of the world is how the "EV Market" references came about.   They simply didn't care what else was out there.  All they focused on was their own progress.  It was a fatal mistake.  Fortunately, not everyone dismisses what they don't like.  I was pleased to see this: "There is no mention why they need to design a new internal combustion engine.  Do they expect to significantly increase their current engine's efficiency?"  Phew!  A question came about from critical thinking.  That is a delightfully refreshing post to reply to, which I did:  It's basic economics.  As the market for ICE shrinks, remaining shoppers will seek out the very best choice.  Since Toyota sales in some regions with poor infrastructure, it doesn't make sense to abandon that opportunity.

WHILE PLUGGED = The other reference is simply battery warming in preparation for improved efficiency before you begin driving.  To use that, you must be plugged in and have programmed in a departure time.

Having witnessed GM go through so many marketing campaigns... from "stop gap" to "leap frog" to "vastly superior" to "range anxiety" ...it is quite intriguing to see an a dismissed path being reconsidered.  It all comes down to who.  To achieve another sizeable following, what traits will be needed from that technology?

Outdated Messaging.  I'm not sure what the expectation is anymore.  Their words are losing impact.  Yet, same old messages are repeated anyway.  It's like our former president.  Without anything else available, he keeps trying the same thing that worked in the past.  After awhile, people simply tune out.  Are they aware of it losing effectiveness?  For example:  "Toyota is so far behind...  It's like they took a moth balled BEV from 2006, and released it as modern.  I loved my Prius, and would have happily purchased a BEV from Toyota, but they put all their research into Hydrogen instead of battery chemistry and now here they are.  Holding a turd of an EV, and hugely lagging behind."  What is that assessment from long ago based upon?  People see how far Prius has come since 2006.  By the time ordinary consumers start shopping for their first BEV, the new platform will be available.  What "behind" will there be?  Needless to say, their messaging is already showing signs of being outdated.  I pointed out what's to come:  With regard to EV and battery investment, that narrative you've been told will be interesting to watch crumble.  Toyota worked heavily on their electric-only propulsion system through their hybrids.  The plug-in Prius has been delivering trouble-free EV miles since 2016.  So what if enthusiasts dismissed it for having a gas-engine, the EV operation (with heat-pump) has worked so well it is being used in 3 other plug-in hybrids and 3 other BEV, with 2 more on the way.  What I can point out to you as an innovation that puts Toyota a little ahead is their bi-polar battery packaging.  Through their hybrids, they engineered a means of reducing size, weight, material and internal resistance eliminating some internal components.  That worked so well with NiMH cells, they will be introducing with Lithium cells in the next-gen bZ4X.  That is expected to reduce cost by about 40%.

Camry is becoming 100% hybrid this year.  Crown & CH-R will be offered as PHEV models this year, helping stir more interest toward plugging in.  In the meantime, bZ4X is getting a mid-cycle update and their upcoming smaller BEV will be getting a "close to production" concept reveal in 2 weeks.  bZ5X is expected next year.

Chasing Prices.  Short-Sightedness and narrow-mindedness of enthusiasts is always a source of enlightenment.  I'm always amazing how hard some people work to live within their own limited world.  They don't consider the scope of their influence.  When they purchase an EV, their ICE vehicle doesn't just vanish or get junked or even recycled.  It's life doesn't end.  The entity which purchased it will sell that vehicle as used.  Service to provide transport will continue, often for many years to come.  The most enticing EVs become, the greater number of used ICE enter the used market.  That's a problem... a big problem.  Trade-In values will drop... making the EV less financially appealing. Chasing prices like that never gets addressed.  I try to stir attention to the topic:  Like ignoring the reality of how early-adopter sales distort demand, how enthusiasts pretend that low-hanging-fruit with subsidies is representative of the mainstream market...  In other words, right or wrong, it's both a changing & moving target.  What comes next is far more complex.   The simplistic portrayal of expectations should be a red flag.  For example, what comes next is always told from the perspective of EV advancement.  What about how the automotive market gets flooded by used ICE as a result?  Dropping ICE prices I'd never part of the "price parity" discussion.  Dealers discounting new inventory will seriously mess up the "savings" equation.

When buying new technology, there will always be something better years later anyway.  You should know subjective value will play a big role in the ownership experience.

We will get a Toyota-approved NACS adapter for our 2023 and something with regard to improving the DC charging experience.  That expresses to used bZ4X shoppers that Toyota stands behind their vehicles... a very important trait when considering long-term reliability.

Reliability Focus.  This reply to that topic was a pleasure to add commentary to: "I never expected a great return on resale. The bottom line to me is this, people that want an EV are going to buy an EV.  That's it.  People dead set against it are going to remain that way."  She recognizes audience.  Sweet!  I shared my thoughts:  It is interesting how some go down the price rabbit-hole.  Toyota does not.  They have a long-history of setting prices that don't put their dealers in jeopardy.  Inventory would be limited too, no surprise ramp-ups.  That meant an uncompetitive MSRP to keep transactions profitable.  If national inventory began to grow beyond expectations, reductions would be temporary and would come from corporate.  They have no desire to get into the top-seller game like Tesla.  They follow boring & reliable accounting principles.  That's where reliability from Toyota comes into play.  Not following the crowd with the pursuit of power & speed, makes a difference with regard to resale.  They know focus is elsewhere, like longevity.

Not Good News?  He decided it was not, for us as bZ4X owners.  It was a financial article basing resale value on reliability.  His comment was: "This news is not good for our cars' resale values.  Fortunately, our EVs are not listed in the top three worst category.  Chrysler, Audi, and Tesla made the worst three list."  I was happy to chime in on that:  None of the EV were ever going to be in a position of strong return.  With subsidies in play, that's just a given.  The fact that infrastructure was lagging so much still... AC... DC... NACS... meant (and still does) a market dominated by early-adopters.  That's a cutthroat situation well defined by history.  Enthusiasts evade the topic of "work the bugs out" stage that mainstream consumers always expect.  You get a mix of pros & cons that may or may not align with long-term priorities, which directly impacts resale value.  In short, initial rollout purchases are a gamble.