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whalabi | 2 years ago

?

They developed an entirely new platform for EVs [1]

They started a subsidiary for self driving with around a thousand employees [2]

They released EVs, the bZ3, the bZ4x, the Lexus RZ

Current battery technology is a huge reason why people don't switch to EVs. Everyone I know talks about the charging times, needing to find a supercharger route when going long distance.

A 10 minute charge on that massive range would convince me to switch easily.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_New_Global_Architecture...

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woven_by_Toyota,_Inc.

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panick21_|2 years ago

> They started a subsidiary for self driving with around a thousand employees [2]

Lots of 'self driving' investments have invested a huge amount without much benefit.

> They released EVs, the bZ3, the bZ4x, the Lexus RZ

Their total EV sales are tiny. The bZ4x is universally mocked at one of the worst EV in class and not actually cheaper then the competition.

> Current battery technology is a huge reason why people don't switch to EVs.

And yet huge amounts of people are switching to EV and the actual limit is batteries supply limitations not battery size.

pornel|2 years ago

Hyundai/Kia needs about 20 minutes of charging per 3 hours of driving.

The important difference from ICE refuelling is that you don't have to be by the car when it charges.

I've taken road trips across Europe, and it's been fine. 20min is about as much as I need for a bathroom break and to get a coffee.

rexf|2 years ago

> The important difference from ICE refuelling is that you don't have to be by the car when it charges.

That's a disingenuous take. ICE fueling takes significantly less time. So it's not an advantage that you can take a 20-30 minute break away from your car when you can just gas up your car in a few minutes (attended) and be on the road again.

gnicholas|2 years ago

Hyundai/Kia do have great maximum charge rates...but the rub is finding a charger that supports those speeds, is not broken, and is not occupied. Is this trivial in Europe? It sure isn't here in the US (even in CA, which has relatively higher adoption rates of EVs).

TheRealSteel|2 years ago

I just drove from Brisbane to Melbourne in one weekend (1,800km in one weekend) -- to pick up a model 3 I bought interstate, actually -- and I assure you, charging was not an issue. The car automatically adds supercharger stops to the map and I didn't need to stay at one for longer than half an hour.

Okay, Toyota has technically released EVs. Still a half assed effort, and I think still a fair criticism - I can't buy one, as they don't sell it in Australia, and they barely promote them. They're not behind EVs in any meaningful way.

I mean, the fact that I just bought an EV and have never even heard of any of Toyota's says something. No mention of them on their Australian website. Never heard of them on social media either, and I'm constantly watching videos about EVs.

Kodak released digital cameras eventually. Blackberry released Android phones eventually. Didn't mean much, it was too little too late -- they ignored the writing on the wall for too long.

meling|2 years ago

Yeah, but not until 2027 or so it seems, and then you’ll have to drag around an ic engine as well. Seems a bit of a waste for a car with that much battery range.

My dad just bought the bZ4x, I’m not particularly impressed, but that’s just my opinion. My dad likes it, mainly because he wasn’t comfortable using the touch screen while driving to adjust things like windshield wipers etc, which I think is a good decision for him. But what poor marketing department came up with an unpronounceable name like that.

Eldandan|2 years ago

Ah, yes, the renowned bz4x, or busy forks for the initiated.

tnel77|2 years ago

For me, it’s the price and look. I just want a normal looking vehicle that doesn’t cost $80k. An EV Toyota Tacoma for like $30-40k would be amazing.