Range Loss.  This is getting tiring: "Cold weather range on certain EVs with heat-pumps don't see much range loss.  Model Y sees about 5-9% range loss due to cold weather."  How do you combat misinformation like that?  True, having a heat-pump instead of a resistance-heater does indeed benefit efficiency.  That isn't the primary contributor to Model Y having less of a range loss.  The actual reason is the battery is heated all the way up to normal operational temperature prior to departure.  None of that electricity used to achieve that is accounted for though.  Only consumption while the vehicle is operating is counted.  So any claim about impact is either an effort to mislead or mistaken assumption.  Regardless of cause, outcome is the spread of cherry-picked information.  For those encounters of claims online, I just keep my replies brief and hope some type of critical thinking will take place:  That anecdotal observation is common.  Reality is, Tesla uses a lot of electricity to pre-warm the battery prior to driving.  The result is better efficiency while driving.

Not Seeing Opportunity.  Posts like this make me wonder if any of that audience will ever come to realize there is more than one path to success: "Even their PHEV ramp is slow.  To me this suggests either they can't get the price down or they don't believe PHEVs are the future either."  Perception of reason is often based on anecdotal evidence.  That most definitely is the case in this circumstance.  It doesn't take much research to see that Toyota is investing in local production, batteries build in North America for North American customers.  Not only does having that activity happening closer to sales reduce cost, it also makes them eligible for tax-credits and could eliminate some tariffs.  In other words, patience can really pay off.  Slow isn't really a problem then.  As a matter of fact, adding to the benefit of not rushing is opportunity to refine & diversify.  I didn't get into any of that with my reply though.  Know you audience.  They couldn't care less.  So instead, my comment was:  PHEV focus is on diversification.  They want to establish variety & reputation prior to ramp-up.  That provides solid information on what type & configuration to provide in high-volume, especially if their will be subsidies available.  It also provides opportunity to adopt better battery technology... specifically, bi-polar cells.

Worst Efficiency.  I absolutely love seeing comments like this being posted: "Their EVs still have the worst efficiency electric motors."  The reason why is simple.  I have a really good setup all ready to go for lots of real-world driving captures.  One of the planned videos is a drive up north, my routine travel prior to many of the DC fast-charger locations being built.  They are sparse, spread out, and can be unreliable.  The only guarantee are a few level-2 locations near my destination.  On is near a favorite restaurant, so it all works out.  The point is I have drive a variety of different types of miles already.  So, I know the nonsense they are spreading is with the intent to undermine.  They simply don't care about facts.  Toyota is their antithesis.  I will become their nightmare.  Just like in the past, I will capture footage to show they are lying.  It never ceased to amaze me how that necessity came about for my first plug-in Prius.  There was one guy who touted himself as an expert, yet blatantly posted false information about Toyota's PHEV.  For now, as I wait for the less hostile filming weather... when most people travel anyway... I reply with comments like this:  That is just blatant denial.  I was getting over 5 mi/kWh routinely on commutes in warm weather with my Prius Prime.  Now with my bZ4X, I routinely see over 4 mi/kWh on the same drives... despite being larger, having AWD, and 8-inch ground-clearance.

Good Thing.  Speaking of good things, I was not surprised to see this: "It's surprising the *** article is touting Toyota's hybrid sales, like it's a good thing."  When dealing with purists, it is difficult for a media source supporting electrification to mention that has a gas-engine.  There are some who only support BEV.  They see PHEV as a slow down or even a step backward.  They don't see having a plug or even just a small battery-pack as helpful.  Bridging from old to new is unacceptable.  Somehow, they want people to make a single giant step into the future.  Ugh.  Why would they believe that could work?  Where is there any evidence of a hard cutover having been successful?  The world is a diverse place under a wide variety of pressures & priorities.  Needless to say, I agree with strong hybrid sales being a solid reasonable-sized step in the right direction... slow, but unstoppable momentum.  Anywho, this is what I had to say on the topic:  It is a good thing.  The reason is simple.  Toyota's hybrids very easily support the next step... a plug.  Since EV drive is already part of the design, augmentation to increase range is all that's needed.  That makes consumer decision and dealer support an obvious win-win for the transition to BEV in challenged markets.  Ownership of PHEV and BEV go hand-in-hand.  They encourage & enable each other.

Used Inventory.  Being able to jump on low prices is exactly what the market needs.  Used Prius hitting the market right away was a secret contributor to it's success as well.  Back then, Toyota forced dealers to use them as loaners & rentals, in addition to not being able to sell their demo unit for 90 days.  That created used inventory; it also created learning opportunities.  Toyota also held back on certain offerings until later to entice early-adopters to upgrade, which created even more used inventory.  It's a value-added process easily overlooked.  The catch is, some of that activity is how loyalty is built... quite the opposite of conquest sales, where loyalty doesn't develop since early-adopters seek out improvements new purchase.  Used vehicles are looked down upon as already outdated, not a sign of leadership.  Toyota thrives in that arena, leveraging their long-standing reputation for reliability.  Anywho, used can be a good thing.  Don't listen to the naysayers.

Minimums.  I keep having to remind people of Toyota's focus on minimums.  That's their focus, hence the audience question.  Knowing Volt was a niche vehicle intended for conquest sales, it was obvious those enthusiasts would never under.  But now all these years later, you would hope mindset & messaging had changed.  It hasn't.  That is how speculation like this survives: "And either the hardware is the issue..."  Some of that comes from the FUD effort, where there are some who ensure answers become lost or never found.  For today's encounter of supposed uncertainty, I provided:  Since we already know the answer to that, I'm just going to provide exposition and move on.  Toyota didn't believe in consuming electricity for the sake of faster charging.  It's that simple.  It's why there was only a modest-sized battery-heat (just enough to enable cold-weather charging) and no software feature for pre-condition.  Carbon reduction starts with focus on minimums.

Keep in mind, there's overhead while charging... cooling for the pack and HVAC for the cabin.  So, it is possible to actually pull 100 kW from the charger... which begs the question, how do other automakers calculate maximum?

As Advertised.  Complaints about EPA estimates with regard to MPG still exist to this day.  People make assumptions.  People don't read the fine print.  They only see one big number and get frustrated when that isn't delivered.  That's why I find comments like this pointless: "All I want is the car to work as advertised.  Max of 100kw on the AWD model so 40-something kw is not acceptable."  When asked, the person complaining never states what they find acceptable when confronted with real-world influence factors.  Speed, Temperature, Wind, Traffic, Hills, etc... none of that seem to matter.  They feel betrayed and want someone to pay for their upset.  Ugh.  Needless to say, the problem will never go away.  All we can do is provide some perspective and hope they figure notice their oversight.  Today, it was:  Welcome to 2004. We have been hearing that "work as advertised" ever since Prius went mainstream.  People had no idea how much real-world values varied from estimated ratings.  20 years later, that still hasn't been resolved... only now, it is efficiency & charging.  The magic question is what would you find acceptable?  Notice how no one is willing to step up to say what should be delivered?  Since all BEV have a charge-curve to deal with, their peak rate is only delivered briefly and only under certain circumstances.  For us, I would like to see pre-conditioning enabled with a button, not having to program in a destination like some BEV require.  Give us up to 30 minutes of the battery-heater working on max to prepare for DC fast-charging.  That will provide an "acceptable" speed increase.

Perplexed.  I suspect we'll be getting comments like this for a very long time: "At an EA charging station and the guy next to me was perplexed at why on a 350kw charger I'm only getting 45kw.  So am I."  It is a complex topic.  New owners surprised by the discovery tend to not have any background on the topic.  Hopefully, my analogy was informative:  Think of it like a USB-powered computer.  When you plug in the 65-watt adapter included with purchase, that is the most it will draw... since that is the max the computer will ever request.  If you plug into an aftermarket USB adapter able to supply 100 or 240 watts, it will still only draw 65 watts at most.  That's why the recommendation at DC fast-chargers is to not use a station faster than what your vehicle can draw.  Also, some stations will have a higher billing rate for the faster service... whether you actually draw fast or not.  On a secondary note, your own draw speed will vary based upon current SOC (state-of-charge) level and the temperature of the battery.  Lower SOC is better for speed, as is higher temperature.  They are factors all BEV owners should be aware of.  Controlling temperature isn't always possible.  Some BEV will allow you to use a heater, but activation is sometimes dependent upon the mapping system rather than just having an on/off button.  Using electricity to warm the battery for faster DC charging will obviously shorten your driving range too.

In other words, efforts to misrepresent are very easy to callout as signs of gen-2 worry for enthusiasts.

Solterra Q1 Sales.  There are some helping to provide perspective: "These are place holder cars and very expensive for what they are. Any volume EVs from Subaru (will they be rebadged Toyotas?) are a long ways off."  I joined in with:  This is following Prius history.  It's truly remarkable how many pretend that successful approach isn't what's being attempted again.  The pattern is difficult to deny.  Toyota used gen-1 to determine what was needed to appeal to the masses.  In fact, the 2024 model update for Solterra/bZ4X (which obviously impacted Q1 sales) resembles is like what happened in the past.  Toyota listened to feedback and upgraded accordingly.  That effort set the stage for a profitable high-volume rollout of gen-2.  That is why it simply makes no sense ramping up production of gen-1.  Patience has its rewards.

With regard to something that is impressive, how about routinely seeing 5 mi/kWh from an AWD vehicle with 8-inch ground-clearance?

Every Measurable Spec.  This was a great example of outright lies: "There is no plausible argument that the Bz4X isn't the worse spec'd mainstream EV available.  It is worse than the competition on every measurable spec..."  That isn't even cherry-picked.  I could point out the many other EVs around the world selling well with lower specs, but they wouldn't care.  They are too close-minded to even consider offerings in Europe.  That's why I bring attention to Leaf & Bolt and the base model ID.4, wondering if they'll push me to point out F-150 Lightning with a range a few miles less than bZ4X FWD.  It never gets that far.  They just change the topic with hydrogen what-about and move on.  Whenever I bring up efficiency... pointing out real-world mi/kWh that I have witnessed... they attack me personally.  It's a dead giveaway of not being constructive.  They only deem specs important to them as relevant.  Claiming "every" is an admission to that.  Objectivity is not part of the enthusiast culture.  Online venues where they thrive are most just echo-chambers.  I use such exchanges for learning though... and validation of what they fear.  The more they resist a topic, the more likely it is that I have identified a weakness for them.  Cool.  Calling them out in the matter is trivial too.  No detail means they really don't care.  Today, I was happy to point out no actual measure (any spec) was ever provided:  When an enthusiast makes such a claim, but doesn't actually list anything measurable, it's a dead giveaway their effort is insincere.

Obsolete Technology.  I absolutely love when an antagonists attempts to portray mature technology as obsolete.  It's understandable when an enthusiast doesn't have interest in something which has transitioned from niche to common, but it is not from an antagonist... who's sole purpose is to mislead.  Those undermining efforts are acts of desperation.  It always starts with dismissal.  If that doesn't work, they switch to downplay: "The first Prius had new technology.  This car has obsolete technology."  Rhetoric is quickly ramped up if that fails.  That includes cherry-picking, then moves to outright lies.  In this case, it is an argument with history to leverage.  When Prius was new, that wasn't the case.  Now, I can point out similar patterns.  Recognition of them with Volt is what made enthusiasts absolutely crazy.  They didn't want to acknowledge what GM had already done to fail.  Now with Toyota, it is acknowledging what Toyota had done to succeed.  Needless to say, they don't like to hear from me.  I enjoy playing offense though:  That is utter nonsense... and quite ironic.  The same thing was claimed about Prius.  Think about what the competition said.