Arbitrary Status.  Today was attack Toyota day.  The new CEO provided some insight on what to expect and that idea of change stirred old rhetoric.  Enthusiasts don't want their own status quo to change.  They require an antithesis for their hype to maintain a sense of reality.  Ugh.  Not wanting to face the reality of business (market & infrastructure) is nothing new.  They hope you will accept what is posted without question.  For example: "Toyota, Subaru, even Honda are very far behind. They may catch up in engineering eventually, but software they likely never will."  I am more than happy to challenge such claims:  There's no substance to the ever-changing "behind" narrative.  What's true is the e-TNGA platform isn't optimized for low-cost, high-speed production.  It's not as efficient as others either.  But that's all.  Software tweaks related to battery warming aren't rocket science.  It comes down longevity & energy tradeoffs, a business choice not a technical limitation.  Engineering of the propulsion system itself is already a moot point, proven reliability from Prius Prime, RAV4 Prime and Lexus UX300e already.  bZ4X joins in to fortify dependability.  The portrayal that demand for BEV will suddenly sour ICE appeal to the point of bankruptcy are absurd.  Change is painfully slow.  The first round of NEVI funding (initial DCFC installs will be for main highway corridors) becoming a tangible reality is still well over a year away.  Describing those build efforts as lethargic pales in comparison to how long it takes to get policy commitments.  Basically, enthusiasts don't like to face reality.  In other words, diverting attention from actual issues with arbitrary status only makes the situation worse.

Desperate Ramblings.  It never ends.  You post something about plug-in hybrids, they reply with data specifically about Prius.  Maintaining a narrative means ignoring what doesn't fit into that artificial reality.  Ugh.  It's just more of the same for me to deal with, but becoming increasingly difficult to ignore for them:  That's called cherry-picking, choosing to only show Prius data.  RAV4 Prime has been extremely popular, yet omitted from that data.  The next-gen Prius Prime is a major upgrade, but no mention of expectations for it either.  Then there's the upcoming Crown PHEV and upcoming Harrier/Venza PHEV.  Based on what we saw with the debut of Corolla Cross hybrid yesterday, an expectation of PHEV for it is reasonable too.  Desperation to avoid the very real problem of bridging to BEV for other legacy automakers by using non-plug examples as a distraction is getting difficult to deny.  GM cannot just magically make enough Equinox EV to fill the void left behind by ICE models.  That's what being portrayed by the "all in" narrative though.  Ford striving to deliver high-volume F-150 and Mach-E reveals massive short-term losses too.  What VW is doing raises fulfillment concern, but there is potential if ICE phaseout is swift.  Toyota's PHEV still use motors, inverters, controllers, batteries, heat-pumps, etc.  That experience & reliability carries over to BEV platforms. It's an economy-of-scale purists avoid acknowledgement of, much like the omission of data here.  Spin comes from stuff like the "already working on" topic.  We all knew that was the case prior to bZ4X rollout.  Once a design is locked, engineers move on to the next... which was a platform beyond e-TNGA.  The only thing new is acceleration of that plan and fewer choices from the current.

Impressing People.  This was discussion-stimulating claim: "I doubt Toyota cares about impressing people with technology.  They just want to sell cars and they're probably the best in the world at doing so."  Hopefully, others will chime it to share their own observations.  Since this is such a subjective topic, you'd think there were many perspectives to be posted.  Here's mine:  Toyota's approach has always been to conceal technology, downplaying it to KISS appeal.  Ordinary consumers tend to be intimidated by change.  That's why so many non-Prius hybrids are sold every year... Camry, Corolla, RAV4, Highlander... and soon Corolla Cross.  Isn't that why GM is striving to deliver Equinox EV and Ford invested so much in F-150 Lightning?  Delivering something familiar is a means of de-emphasizing the technology.  PHEV provides a great example. Upon purchase, it is a brainless plugging into a 120-volt outlet every night.  From that 12-amp draw after 8 hours, you'll get roughly 11.5 kWh.  At 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency, the overnight recharge delivers 40 miles of EV range.  Toyota knows a sales approach like that will not only promote routine charging and level-2 installs at home, it also enables a no-brainer decision for the next purchase to be a BEV.  Since Toyota plays the long-term game, it makes the KISS approach extremely effective.

Ordinary Consumers.  With the reveal of detail and driving impressions from the new Prius Prime, we are getting antagonist comments like: "This tech would have impressed me in 2003 - not in 2023."  It was an invitation to climb up on the soapbox:  Ordinary consumers are always painfully behind from an enthusiast perspective with any type of technology adoption.  From a product so expensive, replaced so infrequently, and requiring infrastructure support, there shouldn't be an expectation for quick.  That's where S-Curve adoption comes into play.  When ordinary consumers see other ordinary consumers using the new technology, it becomes "mainstream" accepted.  Purchases then boom.  We are no where near that point yet.  We are just emerging beyond the "proving reliability" stage... and that is only for the vehicles.  Reports from DC fast-chargers indicate we are now in the "user experience" stage, still working to appeal to the masses.  2023 is the year ordinary consumers will begin learning how terms like KW and MI/KWH actually impact their purchase decision.  So when comment like that tries to downplay without any supporting reason, there's no reason to bother listening.  Tell the audience why.  Spell out the detail show favor for BEV over PHEV.  That act of doing that either sends a clear message or reveal a weak argument.  That's what separates enthusiasts from true supporters.

Corolla Cross Hybrid.  It made a debut here today.  Since production is here in the United States, we didn't get any type of reveal until now.  Having been available for a year in Europe, that was a little bitter sweet... until the news reviewed some detail.  The system is basically a share with Prius... which means that hope for a Prime model is looking more realistic than ever.  That platform offers a lot of potential, nicely sized & powered.  With an abrupt shift to plug-in vehicles and builds taking place here, it could work out as a very nice choice.  After all, the sedan version of Corolla is very popular here and we don't get the hatchback model... since that targeted the Prius audience.  But now with the newer model physically lower and favoring a more sport-like design, there's a good place for a plug-in hybrid crossover like this.  With the hybrid-only model, it is AWD for all packages.  Having that standard will be a nice selling point too.  It's good to see progress forward like this.  We're seeing Toyota's plan to phaseout traditional vehicles in action.  This was a good next step.

Facing Reality.  Enthusiasts don't want to, since that would mean acknowledging their niche doesn't widely appeal.  In fact, that is the very difference between what draws them to a product away from mainstream interest.  They want more.  Need alone is not enough.  That's why the allure of purity is so difficult for them to see beyond.  Ordinary consumers are perfectly fine with a hybrid that delivers EV driving.  As long as the range fits their requirement, no big deal.  In fact, carrying around an engine for backup is a plus to them, not a minus as enthusiast would like you to believe.  It's all about spinning stories, telling you what consumers will be attracted to rather than accepting an inconvenient truth.  Oh well.  It's their loss, especially in the mid-term, when they come to realize that low-hanging fruit is gone and the market isn't actually ready to simply abandon anything with an ICE entirely.  Tales of gloom & doom for 2025, where Toyota will be facing bankruptcy and Tesla will have grown on a massive scale, won't play out as they hope.  We'll definitely see progress, but it won't be the fairy tale they are telling.  I let them know why too:  Reality is profoundly different than the propaganda would have you believe.  As soon as you actually drive a PHEV will full EV drive, the benefits of plugging in become obvious.  Even without supporting infrastructure, it encourages action.  Not only can you purchase immediately (no range anxiety and ordinary 120-volt works fine), it stirs desire for more EV upgrading to level-2.  In other words, that's a load of FUD making us think otherwise.  Everything about Prime evokes more interest in electricity use.

Accelerated Plans.  I will continue on the offense, not giving those attempting to antagonize much of an opportunity.  Using Toyota as a scapegoat is really difficult when their arguments claiming DOA (Dead On Arrival) don't match up with actual sales.  They see the loyalty of Toyota owners and fear the potential showroom shopping could bring.  For me, I'm quite intrigued what will happen with the slightly-used bZ4X market.  Currently being advertised in this area are models that were very likely the result of disenchantment.  Think about how many newbies jumped on BEV purchases in the past only to discover winter heating takes a huge toll on range & efficiency.  It's a big problem BEV enthusiasts failed to address.  Now, we have an small audience making their purchase decision based upon reputation, without an understanding of efficiency in any regard... especially battery related.  Needless to say, there is much spin as a result.  Enthusiasts don't want you to discover their own favored automaker is not immune.  They have cold-temperature challenges too, in addition to the variety of other issues that arise from any new vehicle rollout.  Here's what I had to say on that topic:  Toyota states that they will accelerate their transition plans, moving to a clean-sheet design sooner than originally planned.  The media spins that as if Toyota is abruptly dropping their current offering, portraying an "abandon ship" scenario.  Reality is, the current platform works fine but will struggle to be competitive sooner than anticipated, since it is more expensive to produce and less efficient overall.  It is still selling though.  The example sighted on a regular basis is Norway, where in March there were 1,076 bZ4X purchased.  What really matters is what happens during the next few years.  Each of the legacy automakers will face quality & reliability challenges.  Now being a bZ4X owner, I can point out how Toyota isn't as far behind overall as the narrative portrays.

Go on, live in your fantasy world.  But know your audience.  If we can get people to embrace a plug-in hybrid... which clearly delivers enough EV range to cover most daily commutes... it's game over.  So what if there is a gas-engine for backup?  The point is to dramatically reduce consumption.  Electricity guzzling BEV don't exactly fulfill that requirement.

Bailouts.  Using Toyota as a scapegoat is interesting.  No one seems to remember over promise, under deliver from GM just 6 months ago.  They blame Toyota for the entire industry being stalled.  I've heard that "if only Toyota had" comment on a regular basis.  Enthusiasts feel the investment in hybrids... which clearly share many of the same components as all-electric vehicles... was a complete waste of resources.  They absolutely refuse to acknowledge any of the technology being something both types of vehicle can use.  It's amazing how economy-of-scale is argued for; yet at the same time, that example being dismissed as not applicable.  They are quite the hypocrites.  Because of that, there's attention being stirred about bailouts again... making Target the focus of attention.  Why?  Other legacy automakers still have commitments to ICE component suppliers too.  That will be a hard stop for them as well, no phaseout as a hybrid would bring.  Somehow, there will be an abrupt shift without consequence for the "all in" automakers but not Toyota.  That makes no sense... nor does it matter.  When you see a promise already being broken, shouldn't that alone be enough of a warning sign?  I asked:  Forcing a narrative of laggard or bailout doesn't hold much water.  We see GM milking Bolt and not having delivered Equinox EV as promoted last Fall.  Remember how the television commercial had "Spring 2023" advertised?  Meanwhile we see Toyota now filling orders for bZ4X, so actual owners can start sharing their driving experiences... because we all know how crude & misleading quick review are.

Only 20 kW.  I'm curious about this myself: "My vehicle only has 630km on it and the fastest we have seen it charge at a DC fast charging station is 20kw/hr ??"  Once you hit 60% or so, seeing a slower rate like is a reasonable expectation.  It drops for all BEV, but Toyota is especially conservative with regard to that usual drop-off point.  After all, it's quite normal to stop there for that reason anyway.  Influence of temperature is still an unknown.  How much of that comes into play?  Consuming energy for the sake of achieving faster charge speeds isn't something Toyota will embrace.  They will naturally keep it at a modest level, just enough to take the edge off.  I'll find out more eventually.  There's a lot to address initially still with regard to ordinary driving circumstances.  Fast-Charging isn't a priority... and winter will soon be over.  So, all I can do is share what I know so far:  Speed is primarily limited by temperature.  Still being winter here (Minnesota), using a ODB-II reader I have been able to see the current setting of 10°C (50°F) for battery warming.  To achieve those substantially faster rates we see from other BEV, energy would need to be consumed... which directly conflicts with the purpose of avoiding unnecessary consumption.  Nonetheless, a modest increase is expected with the May software update.  Don't expect Supercharger speeds though, which requires around 50°C (122°F)... since that is both a waste of electricity and easily avoidable accelerated battery aging.

Awesome & Excited.  It's nice to get bZ4X feedback like this for a change: "I'm glad to see Toyota in the EV game with an awesome ride.  They were very early with hybrid so I thought they'd be further along by now with full EV, excited to see what they roll out."  I followed up that comment posted on a video with:  With the industry only recently starting its move away from legacy battery chemistries (NMC & NCA), infrastructure & support for DCFC still at its infancy, and a complete absence of profitable transition plans beyond introductory offerings, the idea of "further" is kind of an abstract.  From Toyota, they have already proven reliability for EV drive and have already begun phasing out ICE models.  That poses the question of how to measure progress.  From an economics stand-point, Toyota is preparing for the transition by minimizing profitability risk.  That means low sales initially.  When regulations come down hard, Toyota could met the strict requirements for PHEV sales.  By feedback from our EV event on Wednesday, its quite obvious the other legacy automakers face "all in" challenges appealing to ordinary consumers.  A means to bridge BEV acceptance, by leveraging PHEV while we wait for markets to address the next steps beyond the low-hanging-fruit stage, is necessary.  Can we really imagine GM or Ford jumping directly to BEV without significant financial struggle?