2025 EV Tacoma thread.

“I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...

The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance” - Carl Sagan

 

A lot of the hurdles complained about here are items that will get ironed out over time. Some much sooner than others.

Cost of battery replacements will go down. - it is overblown as it is anyway.
Number of charging stations will grow - this is the same issue gas cars had as they were growing in the early years.
Charge times will go down - they're already lower than most think they are currently. Too many people can only think about filling all the way up. Charging slows as you approach max capacity (similar to your phone).

I really think the magic number for range is 400mi and 300~ miles in 10 mins for charging. Once we can hit that the rest are special cases that need gas for other reasons.

Also, most people in America live in single family houses, and should have access to overnight charging. The amount of time I save not having to buy gas on the regular far outweighs the amount of time I'd have to "wait to charge" while on the road. It isnt even a close argument.

 

The doomsday theory is lines of electric cars waiting to charge because it takes hours for 50 miles of charge, if you do plug in at home the influx of all cars charging at once at the same time will cause power outages constantly. Also you spend as much 20 to 30 thousand dollars for a replacement battery after 500,000 miles of use on the original battery that's outrageous when a new car would cost double that. It's easier for some to find solace in the untruth than the truth for some reason. They like anarchy I guess.

 

I just want a 4th gen with the styling of the concept.

It needs a better powertrain with more power and refinement, and hopefully a coil-sprung multi link rear axle.
The evolution and improvement from the 1st gen to the 3rd gen is not nearly as drastic as full size trucks over the same time period.

 

Well...my car was made in Freemont CA , (not Baja Mex like my taco) so looks like carl sagan's dystopia isn't here just yet.

 

Snorkel for my EV Tacoma not needed.

 

I still have a couple old distributor and with points for my non computerized FJ40's. When the E.P.B hits I will be driving around while the rest of you have you're thumbs out..LOL.
All kidding aside, the whole battery deal is something that needs to be addressed.
E.V.'s are good for Urban type stuff but I'm on the edge for rural type driving. Who can afford to replace batteries every 10 years at 15 grand.
Or maybe the plan is to make sure you buy new every 5 to 7 years...
P.s. I have been in several E.V.'s and the torque is bad ass..

 

Who said that is required? No data yet to support that is there?

 

I'd prefer a diesel powered Tacoma to a coal powered EV.

 

You're in luck, there's a greater chance of having your EV powered by renewable energy sources than coal in the United States. Coal made up less of the total US power supply than renewables in 2020. What actually powers your EV is totally dependent on region of course but that's no fun to point out.

 

Yeh, this is why the need to add renewable power generation is important. If Germany can do it so can the USA?

 

My take on EV's, and likelihood I'll get one have swung back and forth a few times. I like the EV concept a lot. Instant power, few moving parts. What will the mode of failure be? I suspect companies will just stop supporting the software, just like cell phones.

The infrastructure bill included language that requires all vehicles sold in the US, beginning 2026, to include driver monitoring software that can shut the vehicle down if it decides you are "intoxicated." There was no language to define how that would be measured. It also requires a back door into the shut down system that can be accessed by a third party and shut the vehicle down.

I would love an EV that was not also a cell phone that was constantly connected, like a retrofit. I may explore that in the future, as well as setting up my own solar and wind generation and power storage at my home.

The cobalt mines in DRC have some terrible stories around them as well. There are lots of videos about it on the web. China also owns the biggest cobalt mine now.

My estimation is EV's have very little to do with environmental benefits in the big picture. I think it is all about having the latest, greatest technology in consumer products coupled with most people's habit of buying a new car every 3-5 years. It seems to me the most environmentally friendly thing to do is keep your car as long as you can to reduce end of life emissions and manufacturing emissions.

Those things have killed EV's for me.

 

Germany is 4% the size and about 24% the population of the US though. The shear size and variability of natural conditions makes renewables on a large scale more complex in the US as a whole. A decent comparison could be California, similar in land area but with a lower population than Germany. In 2020 CA had 33.4% renewable sources compared to Germany's 40.9% in 2021.

 

Exactly, but doesn't mean is not doable, just would take more time. Well everywhere except Texas.

 

Who cares if they stop updating the firmware on your car? It's not going to stop it from driving and this same logic would equally apply to gas cars. Again this bill equally applies to gas cars. None of this is EV specific.

The mining problem for the metals needed in batteries is a problem but tech is ever changing. Also, once its mined it can be reused and recycled unlike oil. There's a chart floating around that at 186,000 miles on average a Tesla battery still had over 90% of its capacity left. These old batteries can be used for storage, help prop up the grid and I'm sure stuff that nobody has even though of yet.

Not really sure what it matters if people buy new cars every 3-5 years either. It doesn't mean those 5 year old cars now go the junk yard. They are resold and remain on the street.

 

I recall reading that electricity costs were much higher in Germany compared to the USA too.

 

Cobalt free and reduced lithium in batteries are already being developed and with solid state batteries the use of cobalt and lithium may be dramatically reduced per car and possibly even eliminated. It's a shame such harsh mining is done right now but that where the technology is 'right now'. Oil drilling and refining for gas fuel has been the same for near 100 years or more?

 

Over on TFL's new EV Channel they are testing a Rivian, charged from 20 to 80 percent in roughly 41 minutes for $26, and added 160 miles of range. Looking forward to seeing what else they come up with for more testing.

 

That at a pay charger? Would be cheaper at home.