Featured Threads Archive

The negative bZ4X feedback seems to be mostly about price, which Toyota has fixed, and range.

It seems to be a good car overall though.

https://insideevs.com/news/746469/toyota-ces-bz4x-ogawa/

A $100k BEV was announced by Sony–Honda Mobility.

It will be end-to-end autonomous based on Qualcomm's chips.

Preorders are being taken in California now—availability next year.

News—01.06.2025 | AFEELA

I have no doubt that Toyota will eventually be the leader in self-driving technology. TSS 4.0 coming in a couple of years should be based on the Nvidia supercomputer and operating system.

Toyota’s next-generation cars will be built with Nvidia supercomputers and operating system | TechCrunch

Toyota, Aurora, and Continental join growing list of NVIDIA partners rolling out next-generation highly automated and autonomous vehicle fleets

Excellent must-read information by Consumer Reports on how leasing can save you many thousands of dollars over buying when you get a new BEV or PHEV.

The Prius PHEV qualifies for a $4,500 lease credit.

How to lease a BEV or PHEV with a $7,500 tax credit—Consumer Reports

I remain a fan of Sandy Munro and this latest YouTube show why:

• Rivian has gone KISS on their current generation
  • reduce electrical wiring and controllers
  • simplified suspension
  • casting battery pack parts
• Next year version is another clean sheet design
• Sensible self-driving
  • cameras and radar
• Sensible, car focused CEO

I'm likely to hold off on replacing my 2019 Model 3 and continue my 'Bob's Jobs' enhancements. I'm making it into the car I want, well beyond (and different) from what ordinary folks put up with. But the current Rivian deserves a second look and the 2026 model sounds a whole lot better.

On the theory of buy low and sell high, I may put a little 'mad money' into Rivian stock. I like the CEO, their technical direction, and practicality.

Bob Wilson

US Gas Car Sales Down 1% While Electric Car Sales Up 8%
US Gas Car Sales Down 1% While Electric Car Sales Up 8% - CleanTechnica

For New Years, my Tesla is driving me and the dogs, 6 hours to Riverwalk Casino, Vicksburg, MS:

Full Self Driving (FSD) does all the work from my driveway to each SuperCharger parking lot. Then I choose the charging lane and the Tesla self parks.

While the Tesla does the driving, I will be listening to music, radio, enjoying the dogs, and the trip:


This video shows examples of how FSD works:

Seven minutes long, you might want to speed it up. Not shown in this video, FSD also alerts me to deer and critters on the road at night. The navigation system alerts me to traffic jams and blockages to detour well in advance.

Recently, Tesla sent me a $8,500 trade-in estimate. But the $6,000 I paid in 2019 makes FSD more valuable than the battery. The battery aged, EV range is now 200 miles but the growth of DC chargers has been faster than the battery lost range. Plus, I can now charge at CCS-1...

Toyota Launches Alphard and Vellfire PHEV Models in Japan | Toyota | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website


73km (45 miles) range on WLTC. Likely 50km on the EPA if it was ever tested here.

2025 Toyota bZ4X BEV Electrifies with Lower Price and New Nightshade Edition - Toyota USA Newsroom

The Drive article

YouTube channel

Wikipedia link

and..... discuss!

NexPower Energy Inc. Recognized with a 2024 Global Recognition Award for Advancing Sustainable Transportation Technology | Markets Insider

Pre orders are open now!!!

Toyota hybrid battery upgrade pack– NexPower Energy

Not quite here but looks promising.

The First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery Is Here—and It Could Run for 5,700 Years

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a63118907/sunlight-hydrogen-reactor/

Better late than never.

Toyota is delaying the launch of its next wave of EVs again

My intepretation (use your own judgment) from an EV perspective is: Volksagen IDs, Nissan Leafs and Ariyas, and Fiat 500e's, and some other EVs are possibly in a bit of trouble along with their parent companies that also produce a lot of ICE vehicles.

Stellantis CEO Quits During Critical Period For The Automaker

• Volkswagen wanting to close plants and lower wages and is being met with strikes in home country Germany.
• Stellantis CEO quits while company is floundering,
• Nissan CFO leaves while company may have only 12 months of funds to keep alive.

There is likely going to be some major changes in the near future. Or this is just a bunch of hype to get our emotions stirred up. I guess we'll find out.

I do wonder what this all means for EVs. It seems that Chinese EVs are doing well, whether you like them or not. Tesla is too, but is quite expensive still, for...

Consumer Reports has released their ratings for the 2025 Camry HEV, and surprisingly, it is rated lower than the 2024 Camry HEV.

When Toyota redesigned the Camry sedan for 2025, the automaker took on a challenge that has vexed companies from Coca-Cola to Facebook: How do you update a broadly beloved product? If you don’t keep up with the times, you’ll get eclipsed by more innovative competitors. But if you change too much, you’ll alienate existing customers.

Highs

• Excellent fuel economy
• Smooth electric power at low speeds

Lows

• Gas engine gets noisy when revved
• Low stance makes it difficult to get in and out

Car Overall score/Road-test score

2024 Camry LE HEV 93/94
2025 Camry SE HEV 90/91
2024 Accord Sport HEV 89/96
2024 Camry LE 88/88
2024 Prius XLE AWD HEV 80/76
2024 Prius Prime XSE PHEV 76/78

The 23 Most Dangerous Cars On The Road

23 most dangerous cars,

#5 Honda CR-V Hybrid (4.6x)*
#6 Tesla Model Y (3.7x)*
#12 Toyota Corolla Hybrid (2.6x)*
#20 Toyota Prius (2.1x)*
#21 Tesla Model S (2.0x)*

* Times greater than overall average of fatality rate per miles driven.

The automaker with most occupant fatalities per miles driven:
#1 Tesla

Obviously these statistics are open to a lot of speculation since there are many reasons why a certain car may end up so high on the fatality list. For an example a car that parents tend to buy for their teenagers could end up high on the list not necessarily due to being built less safe but rather is more likely driven less safe.

Gavin Newsom says that Tesla will be excluded from the upcoming California EV credits to replace the federal tax credits being eliminated by Trump.

Tesla excluded from EV-buyer credits in California proposal | Fortune

I have had practically zero capacity loss in my 8.79-kWh Panasonic NMC prismatic-cell 2021 Prius Prime Limited battery so far in four years and over 36,000 miles, still getting a BEV range of 40 miles on a full charge. I should state that I do baby my battery though—never charging it until I am ready to drive, driving gently, keeping it at no more than 70% SOC when the car is not driven, etc.

This study confirms that even regular people see no more than about a 10% capacity loss in general.

New study shows: EV batteries last much longer than expected—electrive.com

My 2017 Prius has a gas tank with an 11.3 gallon capacity, according to Toyota specs.

Multiple times over the years I have waited until I have zero bars on the fuel indicator. I want to learn the single-tank range of my Prius and compare the impact of the weather/temperature.

When I fill up I always get about 9.5 gallons. I have never filled up and reached 10 gallons on the gas pump display.

Does Toyota purposely set the fuel tank gauge to display empty when there are actually more than 1.5 gallons remaining? That means you can drive about 75 miles after Prius is “empty.”

Is it a safety precaution and/or a law?

A discussion on what will happen to the EV tax credits under the upcoming Trump administration.

https://insideevs.com/news/741357/ev-tax-credit-save-trump/