Featured Threads Archive

@bwilson4web, I am guessing that you already have most of these gadgets installed on your Tesla Model 3 and BMW i3.

Aftermarket trailer-hitch-mounted gasoline range extenders for EVs: silly or brilliant?—The Autopian

Source: https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/toyota-develops-tech-make-evs-more-fun-drive?utm_source=dont-miss&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20231103&utm_content=hero-readmore

From the EPA 'way back' machine:


<GRINS>

Bob Wilson

The EV transition trips over its own cord—The Verge

The energy in a collision is the velocity squared:


For economic and engineering reasons, crash tests are into known barriers or run into by test carts. A cynic might suggests this is another way to reduce unsold inventory.

Bob Wilson

U-turn time - the fifth-gen Toyota Prius is coming to the UK after all | CAR Magazine

We didn't expect this horrible EV catastrophe to happen.

I suffered with a first model year Prime, lowest trim, that ended my Prius history. This 2023 model year review shows one that is ‘less bad’ than my former Prius:


Bob Wilson

Source: Toyota Recalls More Than 800,000 Highlanders for a Bumper Fix - The New York Times


Gives me no joy but there has been some buzz about this model.

Bob Wilson

I'm here because they are mechanically pretty much the same with more do-dad's, uses premium gas, and a good five or six inches higher than my Prius. But typical of cheap skate Toyota, no dual setting buttons for the drivers seat. (Is there an aftermarket solution?")
Our Prius is too low for failing knees, the Lexus is higher off the ground and I'm expecting more seat comfort for old people like me.
I'm wondering if anyone has much to say about this car, good, bad, and ugly?

Speaking of worth knowing. I assume like the Corolla the entry assist handles on Prius is now installed with clips, not screws or bolts, leaving a family member of mine with a handle in his hand, and a double cheeseburger in the other!

Thanks in advance...

The Wall Street Journal

The World’s Biggest Carmaker Made a Huge Bet on Tech. Things Went Wrong Fast. | MSN Money
Toyota needed software expertise, but making a startup mentality mesh with an 86-year-old giant proved challenging. Now it’s trying a new way.

Link to the original article that appeared on Wall Street Journal

TOKYO—Toyota sells more cars each year than any other company, and it had similarly big dreams when it created its own in-house technology startup in 2021. It picked an American tech whiz to run it and envisioned...

Toyota Admits Mirai Has &#8220;Not Been Successful,&#8221; Will Focus On Hydrogen Commercial Vehicles | Carscoops

CarScoops has published an article about Toyota's lack of success selling hydrogen powered EVs. Toyota will refocus its hydrogen efforts to commercial vehicles. They note the lack of hydrogen filling stations as the main reason. Toyota Technical Chief Hiroki Nakajima says building the hydrogen highway for commercial vehicles is much easier because commercial vehicles go long distances from point a to b (i.e. the stations don't rely on occasional local travel based fill ups).

Well that and commercial vehicles would create a much bigger demand for hydrogen than the paltry 2 or 3 kg fill ups they ask investors to pony up $1M for a hydrogen gas station. The industry doesn't even know if they'll end up using liquid or...

Ford hits the brakes on $12 billion in EV spending because EVs are too expensive—The Verge

Couple of Canadian truckers got tired of waiting for Elon to come through with his electric semi-truck and went and started building their own. It'll run on batteries plus whatever fuel you want - diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, they don't care. Looking at the videos I feel like the BS content is low and the rugged practicality content is high. Lot of contenders in this general area, I hope these guys make it.

https://www.edisonmotors.ca/

Bad news for Tesla and other EV owners: Contrary to what is popularly claimed, EVs are not only a lot more expensive to maintain but have an a lot less resale value. Hertz found out this the hard way, and they are scaling down.

Hertz pulls back on EV plans citing Tesla price cuts, repair cost—CNBC

Hertz is scaling back its EV ambitions because its Teslas keep getting damaged—The Verge

Toyota Chairman Says People Are Finally Seeing the Reality About EVs
Akio Toyoda’s comments come amid cooling U.S. demand and a price war with China

By River Davis
Updated Oct. 25, 2023 11:38 am ET


Toyota Motor’s FT-Se concept car at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 in Tokyo. PHOTO: FRANCK ROBICHON/SHUTTERSTOCK

TOKYO—Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda, when asked about electric-vehicle challenges including a recent lull in U.S. demand, said the industry was coming to recognize that there isn’t a single answer to reducing carbon emissions.

“People are finally seeing reality,” Toyoda said Wednesday, speaking in his capacity as the head of the...

A PDF report with extensive graphics, I am sharing a few images from the report. Access requires filling out a form about your work status:
Report Strategy&amp;





Who we are:


How we converted from Prius to EVs:


Ego strokes, the Garrison Keillor "Lake Woebegone" metric:



Bob Wilson

Just read on CNN's news feed page:

Toyota's electric cars will adopt Tesla's charging standard | CNN Business

Tesla charging method.

We drive a 2017 Prius 4. Won't effect our car.

Source:


One reason in 2019 I bought a Model 3 was for Autopilot. The same year, I bought FSD for $6,000 ...

Bob Wilson