Slammed For Misleading.  It's a slow news day and a particular group is growing very worried by Toyota new campaign.  The old vehicle badges are changing.  We are now seeing the use of "HEV" and "BEV" on the new vehicles instead.  That stirs good reason for panic.  Those are the official industry abbreviations.  There is no ambiguity.  There is no misleading.  What the type of vehicle is and how it operates is quite clear.  So, a compliant filed with the FTC.  It stated this change is designed to confuse & misrepresent.  Huh?  They are spinning the situation as effort to trick people into thinking they are buying an electric vehicle because "EV" is now in the name.  Wow!  Naturally, antagonists piled on with posts like this: "Toyota and GM are racing towards bankruptcy."  When the rhetoric starts to show signs of desperation like that, there is much to look forward to.  They can see change coming and clearly were not prepared.  I replied to that nonsense:  Toyota has a profitable path forward, an actual transition plan.  In fact, the diversity advertising makes that intent quite clear... they are investing in the obvious future of BEV, but will not pressure you into that choice.  How a legacy automaker like GM will handle change is anyone's guess.  There's a very big risk of betting the farm on BEV and not actually having compelling choices or enough inventory to handle the upcoming paradigm shift... a great setup for the Osborne Effect.  Knowing Toyota's entire passenger fleet is discontinuing ICE in favor of hybrid sets the stage for an easy next step, plug-in hybrids.  Prius & RAV4 already offer that choice.  Crown & CH-R will be following.  It's an opportunity to exploit the benefits of plugging with also no consumer education required and no consumer worry.  It's also a means of getting dealers to finally embrace change.  Claiming Toyota is racing toward bankruptcy is a blatant effort to distract rather than deal with the problem of transition.

How Much?  Believe it or not, the topic of battery-heating came up and discussion so far is constructive.  Gasp!  Of course, with the focus being VW, any type of software update topic is somewhat uncertain.  Knowing how painfully long the process has been, especially when it makes Toyota look great for being so much faster, there isn't much defensiveness.  People posting comments actually want to share & learn.  Trying to avoid anything offensive and get helpful information in return, I posted on that thread requesting information:  The reason I ask is for taking a deep look into bZ4X prior to it getting an update to enable pre-conditioning.  The battery-heater in place will warm the battery to 90°F (32°C) with temperature threshold set to 95°F (35°C).  Currently, that's only available when connected to DC.  Being able to do the same via battery while in-route will be a big help for charging speed.  I just wondered how much.  (My limited opportunity to try during the summer with the battery already warmed was promising.)  The heater itself can go to 140°F (60°C), but I'm not sure how much higher was realistic.  Since longevity is Toyota's priority, I would expect they'll stick with its current temperature threshold.

Ask Anything.  Reviewers are getting the opportunity to take the new Blazer EV for test drives.  So, the topic online was an attempt to collect questions.  We were told to ask anything.  That was intriguing.  Based on the very limited opportunity I had to observe GM's latest was all too brief.  It provided a tiny glimpse though.  I want to find out how efficient it is.  A proper SUV that's larger than bZ4X should only be slightly less efficient.  But it being a Chevy, that probably won't be the case.  So, I posted my ask:  Efficiency.... mi/kWh?  It's quite sad how the media has obsessed with range and basically endorsed guzzlers in the process by leaving out such vital stats.  How much electricity a vehicle consumes is a really big deal.  Remember how when EVs were new, we would focus on cost-of-ownership data?  Without knowing efficiency, you can't provide that information.  We have lost touch with what's important.  Please share the mi/kWh values you observe.

VIDEO: Cold Weather DC Charging.  I had a good time with this one.  It was an indulgence opportunity, a rare chance to go all out.  I actually had time available to play.  So, I did!  This newest video provides detail about DC fast-charging with my bZ4X prior to getting the software update for cold weather.  The expectation is that update will enable the ability to pre-condition the battery, heating it to deliver faster charge rates.  Being able to share information this way is so powerful of a means of squashing intentional misleading.  There are some who pass along what seems constructive, but it really an effort to undermine.  Having captured real-world behavior on video easily shared makes a huge difference.  I was able to put an end to that nonsense in the past by taking advantage of YouTube like that.  It's also handy for education.  Knowing there will be an upgrade, I have a constructive means of actually measuring outcome.  The resulting improvement can be quantified of there's enough data capture before.  Of course, that was just "cold" weather in the video.  The temperature will drop much lower than just the few degrees below freezing shown in the video.  Hopefully, my software update will take place before warm weather returns.  If not, that will be kind of a bummer.  Nonetheless, it will still be useful.  Winter routinely returns.  Every year we have the same discussion about driving in the cold.  How effective the battery-heater is will get asked about.  We now have a basis to build up in those posts...  Toyota bZ4X Battery-Heater

New DC Fast-Charger.  After a cancelled grand-opening ceremony, it finally became available.  I was disappointed about the timing issue but understood the challenges.  Each new DC fast-charger location faces complexities with multiple entities to get them working.  Eventually, that all works out.  It did and I got to take a short road-trip.  There wouldn't be anyone to meet with like the planned event, but I could still take advantage of the opportunity.  It was the set of circumstances needed to observe the battery-heater in the cold.  Temperatures are dropping.  It was far enough away to be practical (26 miles) and the location itself brought back good memories.  That was along the route to college.  So, I drove though that intersection countless times long ago.  Anywho, I took 2 photos of that new setup to share... bZ4X Photo Album 14

Software Alone.  This question was asked today: "Maybe the heater can't reach optimal temperatures for effective pre-conditioning?"  Knowing the ID.4 didn't have pre-conditioning initially, I have always been intrigued by the topic.  Seeing how VW would handle the situation was actually of great interest, since Tesla never really showed any concern for how much energy it took to prepare the battery for fast-charging.  That act of pre-conditioning was just dismissed as a necessity.  VW showed it was a want, not a need.  You could still fast charge, it just wasn't as fast.  There are concerns about energy consumption afterward too, to cool down the battery.  I know that Nissan allows for manual pre-conditioning, where you aren't required to have a DCFC destination selected on a map.  I heard you can run it for 40 minutes, but haven't been able to find out what temperature it targets.  That's very important information.  I have been watching Toyota's optimization, a clear effort to reach their ideal temperature within a 30-minute window without energy waste.  Seeking that balance... just like Toyota did with hybrids... is a complex equation.  Getting others to recognize that is a challenge.  This was my attempt today:  The magic question is how "optimal" is defined.  Currently, the heater backs off as soon as "acceptable" speed is possible... at about 90°F, which is a threshold very likely chosen for longevity.  Since that is far from the 122°F targeted for really fast charging, enthusiasts will slam an upgrade that only pre-conditions to a minimum.  I could see that being the case too, not wanting to push any hotter until being plugged in.

Not One Installed.  It started with this: "We are looking to purchase a new EV..."  That is something that catches my interest.  I'm always intrigued to learn what the perspective of someone entirely new to the topic finds.  What captures their interest?  In this case, it was information related to IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) which funds the NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program.  This is what he had to say about that: "I reviewed an article on the billions allocated for chargers in the USA and not one installed."  That was a great example of stirring controversy based on an anecdotal finding.  There was no mention of timeline, just an expectation of a later stage in the program already have been reached.  It's that impatience again.  Most people have no idea what the complexities are and how difficult some are to work out.  We want to do this right.  That puts speed lower on the priority list.  Finding ideal sites, ensuring a solid commitment to reliability, then contracting the work takes time.  You then have to wait for permits, delivery of equipment and the work itself.  With only a finite amount of money... Minnesota get $10 million the first year, then $14.5 million each of the 4 that follow...  you have to be careful how it is spent.  I pointed that out with:  That "not one installed" article could be seen as an attempt to stir rhetoric.  Planning for locations and contracting for installation & support should not be rushed.  In fact, if the states don't do well with phase-1 (2023-2026) funds, they won't be eligible for as much in phase-2.  Taking the time to do it right is essential.

Battery Temperature.  That topic of "battery temperature" is beginning to heat up... so, I did another round of data capture.  My hypothesis was that Toyota set a rather low threshold for their maximum temperature of 90°F, well below what we have seen others use.  The supposed reason is to favor longevity. Knowing that CATL-supplied cells have a slower maximum DC charging-speed, it seems reasonable to surmise different chemistry/packaging creates lower tolerance.  Whatever the case, I was determined to confirm my observations from the other day as a more than just a coincidence.  Sure enough, the moment the battery-heater ramped up to 140°F the system backed down.  It was a software behavior designed to prevent the effect of charging from causing battery-temperature from exceeding their maximum.  I witnessed 88°F as the highest reading.  I allowed DC charging to continue for another 46 minutes.  Despite the reduced battery-heater power, battery-temperature only dropped to 84°F.  Since outside temperature was 52°F, it was an easy situation to observe.  There wasn't much external influence.  Seeing what happens below freezing will be interesting... especially since this is before getting the software updated specifically to address cold-weather DC charging.  I wonder if the temperature threshold will be raised and if pre-conditioning (powering the battery-heater using the battery itself) will be enabled.  Both would result in faster DC charging.  Check out my findings...  bZ4X Photo Album 13

For Europe.  I remember when the narrative of Toyota not offering any BEV getting derailed.  Pointing out the CH-R model of available as an EV in China sure caught the big EV blog off guard.  They had to reconsider their hypocritical stance.  UX300e in Europe followed, ending that nonsense.  When bZ4X came along, an entirely new narrative had to be created.  Rather than Toyota being anti-EV, kicking & screaming to resist change, they were supposedly sabotaging the market with an inadequate offering.  For that to be true, only the single vehicle choice would be made available.  Diversifying by offering something for a specific market sends the opposite message.  It demonstrates an effort to capitalize on emerging opportunity.  Rather than being perceived as scrambling from behind, it will be a right-on-time offering.  This is what stirred that situation today:  The first BEV Toyota has targeted for sale in Europe will be rolled out in the first half of 2024.  That's a sucker-punch for those still trying to feed the "behind" narrative.  It will be that smaller version of bZ4X we have seen the concept for.  Given the generic name of "Urban SUV" it makes a mix of FWD and AWD options obvious, but no details have been revealed yet.  Though, like many BEV in Europe, there will be an option of battery size.  It's pointless to carry around capacity you'll rarely ever actually use.  It will be very interesting to find out how the size & power obsessed enthusiasts in the United States reacts to this news.

So what if the vehicle has a gas-engine.  Rarely used means it will require very little maintenance.  It's a shame that enablement of embracing BEV without dependency on massive capacity batteries is dismissed as beneficial.  How do you think the transition to BEV will take place when the used ICE market is flooded with lots of cheap choices?  A heavy push for PHEV minimums will ease the pain of change.

How Much Range?  The question of need is finally being addressed with hints of sincerity.  In the past, it was the voice of want twisting reality to provide the impression of necessity.  Those extremes get too much attention.  It's a common problem, especially online.  Since those early days of Prius, there is always someone trying to misrepresent needs of the masses who portray inconvenience as unacceptable.  BEV purists of today cringe at the stories of Leaf & Bolt owners making cross-country trips.  Their small battery-packs and limited charging-speed isn't valid in their mind.  The price of having to stop more often and wait longer is an insurmountable barrier no one could ever overcome.  Ugh.  In other words, progress is difficult with that audience, as this illustrates:  "Well 250 miles for sure is enough as long as it is real world 75mph range not manufacturing manipulated WLTP or EPA range whereby EPA is more accurate than car lobbyist created WLTP."  At least someone was willing to provide a number.  Evading discussion of goals has been the theme.  This shows a hint of willingness to discuss.  So, I jumped into that with:  Do the math.  75 mph isn't efficient. 2.75 mi/kWh is a reasonable expectation in good conditions for a non-guzzler.  To drive 250 miles at that speed, you would need about 91 kWh.  Assuming roughly 80% of battery would be used for travel (start at 100%, drain to 15%, plus a 5% longevity buffer), that works out to a pack sized of about 115 kWh is required.  Here in Minnesota, the fastest speed-limit is 70 mph.  Traveling 200 miles will take 3 hours.  Driving longer non-stop takes the fun out of road trips.  Getting 3.0 mi/kWh at that speed is reasonable. That calculates to needing 67 kWh... which just happens to be the usable capacity of the 2024 bZ4X.  Toyota thrives in their quest for balance.  In the future, we will see cost, weight and size improvements enabling greater capacity for the masses.  Clearly, we aren't there yet.  As much as EV enthusiasts claim mainstream readiness, the category of long road-trips is not supported for the masses yet.  Between the current state of battery-evolution and the infancy of DCFC along highway corridors, we still have a few years before topic of range necessity can be properly addressed.