Featured Toyota wins the solid-state race

It still went further than the GM V8 cover-up. Really; found the issue and just asked the 3nd party manufacturer for an additional 12% discount on their products, instead of fixing the problem?????

This seems to be the new normal

 

they did the same thing with the ignition switch problem

 

This article is clickbait. This article is a compendium of Toyota articles by Electrek and they are basing their opinion on what Toyota has said in the past to investors. Interesting to note is their last sentence, "As for the “world’s first,” however, that may be a stretch." This is not unusual, as everyone has to justify joint developments, teaming, acquisitions, etc. to their investors. Toyota's time frame from this announcement (Sumitomo Metal Mining and Toyota Collaborate on Mass Production of Cathode Materials for All-Solid-State Batteries | Corporate | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website) is 2027 to 2028, but like all corporations its a goal. If you read that article its basically an effort to shore up less reliance on Chinese and other external suppliers and more reliance on domestic production. I highly doubt their first launch will be in North America, but Europe since Europe has a hard requirement of all vehicles being zero emission by 2035 (some countries earlier - 2030), about 10 years from now. For conspiracy theorists, I don't own or have ever owned Toyota stock. I used to own Rivian stock, do own Tesla stock and a lot of oil company stocks. Read in that what you may.

 

Exactly... Now here's an example of how you legitimately announce the development of a new product when your PR department takes their job more seriously than their cocaine habit: CATL’s Next-Gen Sodium-Ion Battery Supports 500-km EV Range | Electronic Design

 

So toyota was going to have solid state in a low volume car in 2022, panasonic said it would take at least 10 years from 2017. Now we have this the panasonic 8 year old estimate. I have no idea if toyota will actually produce a solid state batteried vehicle in 2027, but if they do I doubt it will sell well. Let's hope for the best but giving them the prize for first is very premature.

 

Regardless who does this first, my daily drivers will continue to be Toyota hybrids made in Japan. I have not found more reliable and lower TCO vehicles to date.

 

And don't forget how we were all going to start driving their hydrogen fuel cells a decade ago and they could barely sell a couple thousand of them in the US each year and only sold 499 in 2024. Another overhyped Toyota PR department promise that fell flat on its face:

Toyota Mirai sales in US by year:

Year Units sold in U.S.
2015 72 GCBC+2CarFigures+2
2016 1,034 GCBC+2CarFigures+2
2017 1,838 GCBC+2CarFigures+2
2018 1,689 GCBC+1
2019 1,502 GCBC+1
2020 499 GCBC+1
2021 2,629 GCBC+1
2022 2,094 GCBC+1
2023 2,737 GCBC+1
2024 499 CarFigures+1

 

Pull up a map, try to find a hydrogen fueling station. You'll be lucky to be able to hop from station to another station; but go someplace you want to go - Good Luck........

 

But think of proprietary control and all those patent and licensing fees that all the other auto makers would pay them if their dumb executives dream came true and there was a hydrogen pump at every gas station.

As in rather than building a good car that could compete with other auto makers they got greedy and EV car makers passed them buy and they might not ever recover from how many years of EV innovation that they've still yet to achieve even though all the other major car makers have unlocked those achievements. I mean they can't even build an elelectric car without a Frunk yet.

 

I'm replacing the 2017 BMW i3-REx with the 2019 Model 3. The used 2024 Model 3 becomes the new cross country EV, after tuning:

• BMW i3-REx -> 2024 Model 3
• 108 mi EV -> 230-240 mi EV
• 88 mi gas -> not needed due to high density of Tesla compatible chargers
• basic cruise control -> AutoPilot driver assistant
• End of Life BMW control software -> HW 4.0 consistent with current Tesla team
• 3.6 mi/kWh -> +4.5 mi/kWh (after tuning)
• single source tires -> standard 18" rims and rubber
• 4 seats -> 5 seats
• expensive CCS-1 -> more affordable J3400 (SuperCharger)

I bought a $9 k battery for the 2019 Tesla but probably one of the last usable ones in inventory. Tesla doesn't make them any more. So there is no reasonable replacement for the 2019 battery in the future. The 2019 Model 3 has better rims and rubber than the stock 2024 Model 3 but they can be easily swapped. Then I can also do more 'radical' tuning to the 2019 to extend its operational life.

The 2017 BMW i3-REx has been a great City car. My second one, it has fully met my expectations. But BMW lost their mind and let the i3 design team go away. The current BMW EVs are unimpressive and BMW (Bring More Whamum) like Toyota has lost any appeal to me.

Bob Wilson

 

And now that Toyota is entering the world of OTA software updates? It's going to be quite a show - watching how their new battery's thermal Management Systems work.

 

I'd be willing to bet solid state batteries are going to take more energy than regular batteries to keep it cooler or hotter. So them bragging about a high voltage heater / heat exchanger is going to take so much energy that their promised range on a charge will only be 30% that amount if the pack needs maximum thermal management.

Compare that with CATL in China working with car maker BYD to be several years ahead of the curve in the technological development of Sodium-Ion packs for electric cars that doesn't require hardly any thermal management.

As in Toyota isn't chasing lowest cost and most efficient design, they're chasing the same proprietary control that allowed them to license and sell Prius Hybrid components to their competitors in the early days of hybrid development. This is also why Toyota has avoided Lithium EV production outside of China in favor of Hydrogen and Solid state pipe dreams that hardly no one is interested in.

 

Peer-reviewed Test result links?

 

What sort of a stupid statement is that, what were they previously aiming for, under 1,000 accidents a yr or .... just an acceptable number?

T1 Terry

 

"An engineer, I'm here to fix the world that is broken." <GRINS>

In my case, 'entropy will always win but I'll worry it to death in the meanwhile.' Get the maximum useful work you can ... and die happy.

Bob Wilson

 

Everyone knows, mechanics were created to fix what engineers believe will work in theory, so they work in reality ..... I even have the T Shirt mens essential mechanic tools graphic t shirt 100 oversized - Temu Australia

 

Have you ever heard of Vision Zero? Their target literally is zero deaths and severe injuries, though not necessarily zero crashes. They don't claim to have a yet known path to zero, but are claiming known paths to preventing 3/4ths of current deaths.

Speaking of "accidents", one of their many elements is to banish that euphemism:

"9) Calling it what it is: “Crash” not “Accident”
At the time, one of Vision Zero Network’s earliest blog posts seemed a bit controversial: #CrashNotAccident: Words Matter in Saving Lives. A decade later, it’s encouraging to see so many people – including elected leaders, police chiefs, media and others – adjust their language to acknowledge that these are not freak, unpredictable “accidents,” but rather largely predictable and preventable crashes that do have solutions. This is important because it helps us focus on proven safety measures, including redesigning our roads to prioritize safety over speed, lowering speed limits and offering more safe transportation options. Learn more about what it will take to reach zero and some of our key lessons learned so far."



Vision Zero Network

What is Vision Zero? | Vision Zero Network

 

All Australian road rules and Aust Standards that vehicles must meet before they can be put of the roads here, are based around that very principle and have been for a very long time. The whole "Learn to drive" and 3 yr progressive steps to getting a full vehicle licence, is based around educating drives on how to drive safely. We have a points system, the number of points is reflected by the seriousness of the infringement and if it was during declared danger periods on the road, like holiday weekends, probably something the average US citizens don't even understand the principle of, but Australian's enjoy a much better work/life balance than workers in the US ....... so holiday long weekends, where often the Monday is declared a public holiday, a lot of cars are on the road trying to get to their favourite holiday spot after working all week, and then back home at the end of it to start work/school the next day .......

Lose of all 12 points in any 3 yr period, lose your licence, 3 mths the first time, 6 mths then 12mths .... any serious offence, like excessive speed, drive dangerously, cause an accident resulting in seriously injury or death and high blood alcohol content results in immediate loss of licence designed to get dangerous drivers off the road .....

T1 Terry