It is odd that Toyota has not embraced full EVs. However they do have good plug in hybrid offerings now. I recently traded my Volt in for a Rav4 Prime and I really like it. It was the only car that fit my needs: 40 miles electric, 40 MPG on gas, AWD, and 2000 lb towing capacity. I do a fair amount of long distance travel , so a straight EV is not a good match for me . I end up about 50-50 on EV vs gas miles.
I think PHEVs have a strong place right now. Unfortunately, current battery chemistry requires raw materials that are not extremely environmentally friendly to extract. Most EVs use a small fraction of their range during the day, so the battery is underutilized. My commute plus occasional shopping is almost always well under 40 miles. So I’m using the 40 mile battery optimally. In other words, my car uses the minimum amount of sensitive elements to support my normal driving. One could build 4 or 5 PHEVs with the battery used to build a full EV. Since battery availability seems to be a problem , we could have 4-5 times more EV (ish) cars on the road. PHEVs also eliminate range anxiety, which I think slows adoption of EVs in the general population. My wife has a Bolt and has suffered through it and had to alter course or stay over places due to various charging problems. She is committed to sustainability so she deals with it but most people would not. Yes PHEVs are more complicated and expensive. But my Volt was very reliable and worked really well. I think the Rav4 will be similar. So maybe Toyota is making a good business choice that also works toward greener vehicles. -Steve > On May 19, 2023, at 5:28 AM, Bill Dube via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: > > Toyota is a closely held business. I believe it may be owned by a family. > They were on the forefront of alternative fuels for many years, but they > stubbornly would not come out with a battery powered vehicle, until everyone > else came out with one and they basically had no choice. > > I suspect that someone has the ear of the owner (or the oldest, and thus most > influential family member,) or perhaps the owner has the an incorrect vision > of the future of the car market. > > If it were a publicly owned company, it would have long ago jumped on the EV > bandwagon. > > Having said that, the Prius hybrid came out at a time when every other car > maker thought it was a very foolish move. The Prius would not have been built > if Toyota was a publicly owned company. > > Bill D. > >> On 5/19/2023 12:00 PM, Lawrence Rhodes via EV wrote: >> They seem to want to go bankrupt. Their resistance to battery EVs is >> irresponsible. It is a matter of time. They can catch up but it will take >> time. Their hydrogen side track is not helping. Lawrence Rhodes >> -------------- next part -------------- >> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >> URL: >> <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20230519/adec9f0a/attachment.htm> >> _______________________________________________ >> Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org >> No other addresses in TO and CC fields >> HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/ >> > > _______________________________________________ > Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org > No other addresses in TO and CC fields > HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/ > _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/
