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Beginning of the end of the ICE

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/10/11/why-2017-will-go-down-as-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-internal-combustion-engine

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

pilotgrrl Oct 12, 2017 Read More Replies: 9

Prius (and all Toyota vehicles) & the Kobe Steel Revelations

I'm not wanting to raise any alarms where not warranted, but, just as an FYI ...

Yesterday, it was publicly announced that Kobe Steel falsified QA inspection results for aluminum and copper that they produced.

Of particular relevance to Toyota (taken from yesterday's NY Times article on the Kobe Steel situation):

Kobe Steel said on Sunday that employees at four of its factories had altered inspection certificates on aluminum and copper products from September 2016 to August this year. The changes, it said, made it look as if the products met manufacturing specifications required by customers — including for vital qualities like tensile strength, a measure of stiffness — when they did not.

...

All of Japan’s major carmakers — Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota — are looking into their use of Kobe Steel materials. Toyota called the data falsification a “grave issue” and said it was looking into the problem and considering how best to respond,...

Vertigo Oct 11, 2017 Read More Replies: 88

Is this (not so) "smart" product Prius compatible?

In a recent article I saw a mention of a "smart" product called Phrame. It looks like a SKSK incompatible security nightmare to me.

Phrame is a smart license plate frame that serves as a “safe box” for your car key. It is equipped with sensors and a security system that you can easily install on your car around your existing car’s license plate frame and then connect to your smartphone.

From there, Phrame can communicate with your smartphone, enabling the ability to share access to your car via storing your car key inside Phrame’s compartment. This way, Phrame gives you full-control over providing access to your car to whomever you wish via the Phrame app. Moreover, the app provides real-time information directly to your smartphone such as your car’s location, outside temperature and any unusual activity related to your car.

The original article said you could give others access to the "hidden" key. I doubt it is compatible with full SKS.

...

Prodigyplace Oct 11, 2017 Read More Replies: 0