Featured Threads Archive

Source: Daily Automotive News


I have plenty of EVs but if you're on the fence, a relatively low cost to 'test the waters.'

Bob Wilson

The Mazda Skyactiv-Z engine will become commercially available in 2027, and when it does, it will power the new CX-5, which is coming in 2026. It is designed to work in hybrid systems. I doubt they will beat the thermal efficiency of the new super-lean-burn Toyota engines, which are also on the horizon and will be available for the Gen 6 Prius around 2027.

Where engine dreams meet possibilities: The SKYACTIV-Z challenge and Mazda’s internal-combustion-focused electrification strategy

The new hybrid powertrain with Skyactiv-Z will be available in the 2027 CX-5, even though the vehicle is going to see its major redesign the year before in 2026, with “Google built in.”

Mazda reveals all-new 2026 CX-5—Jul 10, 2025 | Mazda USA News

I'm a great fan of Sandy Munro and this is why:
- YouTube

It also explains why he isn't invited as often as he should be.

Bob Wilson

I am not in the market for a Model 3 as my 2019 Model 3 "ain't broke." However, the Model 3 looks to be a good deal:

• color impregnated body panels - no paint shop and resistant to ordinary key vandals
• 50 kWh pack - what I've got with plenty of range
• ordinary doors or "angled wings" - plenty of images of 4-door versions as well as the nutty version
• improved manufacturing - lower labor and fewer external suppliers

Source:


Following "Elon time," it did not arrive in the first half of 2025. I would not be surprised if December 31. But the lower cost should make the ending tax credits unimportant. Speculation, this may be a local minimum for TSLA stock ... not that I have any capital to invest.

I would observe that many excellent, used EVs exist if you want one for a cheap price. My universal recommendation, get one coming off lease and avoid 1st model year versions.

Source 2:...

September 30 is the deadline to get EV discounts. In fact, you will be able to stack up both the $7,000 Biden rebate and Trump loan-interest deduction if you get an EV by that last call, potentially leading to a $10,000 saving. So, act now if you want an EV.

The great American EV fire sale is about to begin

Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ offers car tax credits to add to Biden’s

I have 2013, 1.8 Prius, 2 months back I encountered the error of insufficient engine oil pressure, I checked the engine oil, it was ok. I get it checked by the mechanic and he told me that the engine oil needs to be changed and he will wash the engine too, after getting the engine washed and oil changed the car was running smoothly, bus during the last 2 months the same error just blinks and then goes off, now again when ever I accelerate the car " insufficient engine oil pressure error" appears and then disappears after 30 seconds to 1 minute, kindly advise what to do ? the engine oil is up to the mark , I have even replaced the Main computer of the car, but still the error appears, there is no leakage, dip stick shows full engine oil, I don't know what else is to be done now ? the car is running smoothly but I am just too sick of this error. kindly guide me

It looks like the big beautiful bill is becoming a reality.

It will make wind and solar energy installations very difficult.

It will end the EV and heat-pump rebates in a few month.

It will make the oil industry very happy.

It will wreak havoc on the poor.

Despite all the cuts, it will raise the budget deficit in never-before-seen amounts.

If you are in the market for an EV, get it before the rebates end in September.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/despite-last-minute-changes-senate-bill-deals-big-blow-renewable-energy-2025-07-01/

What the senate Republican ‘big beautiful’ bill means for your money

Some of the earliest Prius FUD was "batteries in landfills." I would reply, 'Where? I have a shovel.' The nickel and copper made those wonderfully valuable ... more concentrated than the ore they were made from. So this hour long video shows how batteries are industrially recycled:


Eventually, old cars are declared to be scrap and then reprocessed into materials for new cars. Compared to extracting a few percent from a ton of ore, these become 90%, extreme high grade ore.

Bob Wilson

Warranty costs increased from expected 8% to 12% in 2024. Cost drivers: more vehicles; EVs are costing 3x more in warranty; new models released, and; more expensive technology. It reminds me of when Toyota ate Detroit's poor quality.

Source:


He also shared "aging out" of the skilled shop workers who used to populate the service centers.

Bob Wilson

This.... is a 2006 Toyota Prius.




Less than 40,000 miles and it's currently up for bidding.

Came across this:

• Blue box - twice the USA density

Somehow this makes sense. Norway is an oil producer but they sell all they can. The others are fighting oil import costs and China, severe air pollution. A country that pays for the healthcare of their citizens is going to save money with less air pollution.

So I see the major drivers for EV adoption:

1. COST - both direct and indict health benefits
2. EFFICIENCY - saving the individual money to drive
3. "climate change" - not so much although it plays for some

Bob Wilson

So, whom are the Trump tariffs punishing? The People and companies of the US, as most people would have guessed. The Ford CEO is normally very Trump-friendly, but he has spoken up about how bad it has become for the US auto industry now. Let’s see how the United Auto Workers will feel about this, who were cheering about the tariffs.

Ford is forced to immediately shut down factories and halt car production as CEO admits “day-to-day” struggle for brand | The US Sun

Source:


Source_2: America’s EV Boom Suddenly Took Its First Hit After 14 Months Of Growth | Carscoops

Electrified Trailblazer: The Toyota Prius Celebrates 25 Years in the U.S. - Toyota USA Newsroom

The 2026 Prius celebrates its 25th anniversary in the US. Expect them to arrive about end of summer at most dealers.

• Four Grades Available: LE, XLE, Nightshade and Limited
• Fifth-Generation Toyota Hybrid System Has Impressive Fuel Economy with Up to a Manufacturer-Estimated 57 MPG Combined Rating on FWD Grades
• Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive Available on Each Grade
• Toyota Audio Multimedia with Available 12.3-inch Touchscreen
• Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 Standard

	Trim	2026 MSRP	2025 MSRP	Difference
1	Prius LE	$28550	$27950	$600
2	Prius XLE	$33995	$31395	$2600
3	Prius Nightshade	$32800
4	Prius Limited	$35565	$34965	$600
5	Prius LE AWD	$29950	$29350	$600
6	Prius XLE AWD	$$33395	$32795	$600
7	Prius Nightshade AWD	$34200
8	Prius Limited...

LIDAR emits a strong laser beam that can damage other cameras in iPhones:



Bob Wilson

Toyota has made major improvements to the Gen 5 PHEV system found in the Gen 5 Prius PHEV. The Gen 6 PHEV system will debut with the all-new RAV4 this fall.

Among the improvements:

• The problematic refrigerant battery cooling in Gen 5 Prius PHEV, which was very hard to repair and necessitated the replacement of the traction battery when there was a leak, has been replaced with a water-cooling system now. A heat exchanger for the coolant is used.
• The new, high-power AC charger has now been put on top of the DC–AC inverter (previously located near the back seats), with the DC–DC converter below them, all sitting on top of the e-transaxle. This has been made possible by miniaturized electronics. The charging port is now in the front.
• The traction battery is now under the car at the center, improving the center of gravity for better, more precise handling.
• The cabin and cargo space has been enlarged by moving the traction battery to the underside of the car.
• The...

All of a sudden, Trump and Musk are trying to terminate each other. While Trump is trying to bring Musk’s companies down, Musk is calling for his impeachment, calling him out on Twitter as a sex trafficker who was involved with Epstein.

Trump threatens Tesla CEO Musk companies’ contracts

Source: AAA: Americans Slow to Adopt Electric Vehicles | AAA Newsroom

• High battery repair costs (62%) and
  • $1k for 5-way thermal bottle replacement
  • $9k for 47 kWh replacement battery
• purchase price (59%) are cited as key barriers to go fully electric. Other top concerns identified in this year’s survey were the perceived
  • $24 k ~= $40 k - $18 k (trade-in)
• unsuitability of EVs for long-distance travel (57%),
  • Huntsville to Las Vegas, Los Angles, Arizona, home
• a lack of convenient public charging stations (56%), and
  • Have peed in the bushes and behind transformers
• fear of running out of charge while driving (55%).
  • Once parasitic load cooling of battery caught me on a hot day.
• Thirty-one percent of those undecided or unlikely to buy an EV have safety concerns, ...

More on the all-new RAV4 SDV (software-defined vehicle) built on the new Arene software platform, also equipped with the new TSS 4.0. Thanks to the Arene software platform, Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) will now constantly evolve through over-the-air (OTA) updates while you own the vehicle, which had been missing on existing Toyota models so far. Therefore, this is the biggest breakthrough by Toyota in decades. It is being offered as an EV only, coming as an HEV and a PHEV (no BEV).

RAV4 world premiere—chief branding officer shares the story behind the new model

More on the all-new RAV4 HEV and RAV4 PHEV:

New RAV4 makes world premiere in Japan | Toyota | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website

All-new RAV4 world premiere | Toyota | Global Newsroom |...

https://www.autoblog.com/news/rare-earth-magnet-shortage-threatens-shutdown-of-u-s-car-factories