2026 Changes

My Tacoma Doesn't feel to Luxurious But I didn't But it for that. But My 2013 Ford F150 Lariat sure feels like a Cadillac Going Down the Highway.

 

I don't know it's still a body on frame midsize pick up. Body on frame pick ups and SUVs aren't the smoothest thing to base a luxury vehicle on. The upper trims of all those vehicles have luxury appointments but I wouldn't call them luxury vehicles. It's a common misconception among buyers. I'm sure your Limited rides nice and you enjoy it the Limited also is probably the smoothest riding 4th gen.

 

My STX isn't the smoothest thing on the road it's pretty smooth on nice flat asphalt but soon as you make start making turns on regular streets with pot holes and sunking manhole covers it feels like a truck.

 

The rest of the world disagrees. While we will kill EVs in the US, the rest of the world moves ahead. And will leave the US auto industry in its wake as well.

 

Yeah we had a 2016 Lariat, and it rode pretty nice on the highway.

 

That's the plan it costs too much to build vehicles in the US.

 

on 2026 Tacoma news...

 

When Toyota ditches the ISO seats in the Pro so I can have use of the back seat I will then buy a Pro!

 

That is the damn truth, preach!!

 

We may need to define EV. The future vehicle does have an electric motor, but Toyota argues that pairing it with ICE is the correct interim path until there are other alternatives to plugging overweight rolling battery packs into garage walls & public charging stations. Like fuel cells. You could also argue that an “EV” as it’s configured in 2025 is just the last shoot on a 100+ year-old dead branch. If that’s the case, there should be no surprise that 90% of consumers here reject EV…for now.

 

Last shoot on a dead branch? Probably not. Global sales of ICE vehicles have been in decline since 2018. I am not sure even Toyota still believes that fuel cells will ever come to prominence. There is a place for Tacoma PHEV in my garage though. Or maybe a Prius if it does not happen soon.

 

So you can have use of what?

 

I would love a PHEV Taco Prime....with an SSB and 100 mile EV range if possible! I too wonder if they are still pushing the fuel cells, but they are making strong advancements in solid state batteries.


From Toyota back in 2023:
Our breakthrough solid-state batteries
We are developing solid-state batteries with a solid electrolyte that are suitable for fast charging and discharging, delivering more power in a smaller form. To date, the compromise was an expected shorter battery life. We now achieved technological advancements to overcome this challenge and focus on mass production by 2027-28. Our first solid-state battery is expected to offer 20% increase in cruising range4 and a charging time of 10 minutes or less1. Moreover, a higher specification Li-ion solid-state battery with 50% more driving range than the “Performance” battery is also under development.


Decent Article on the current status:

https://www.topspeed.com/how-toyota-745-mile-ssb-got-idemitsu-boost/

 

I’m a fan of hybrid, highly recommend cruising through the neighborhood in silent EV mode. ICE is on its way out, but pure EV as an alternative brings legit concerns over excessive weight, underwhelming range, sensitivity to temps, dependence on rare earths, not to mention high cost/low residual. We should all hope that a 9000lb Silverado EV which sucks down electricity is more of a played-out evolution of a GM EV1, rather than the actual future of mobility.

Like a $10,000 35inch plasma TV, current EV’s need to get much better, much cheaper, very quickly, or move aside for the next big thing.

 

The trick will be making it cost effective to own a PHEV. Do the savings of electricity vs gasoline significantly offset the added costs (additional interest on the higher price, and potentially greater depreciation)? When I've looked at it, didn't seem that way.

Long term, hydrogen fuel cell has potential. Generate it onsite at fuel stations or local facilities via electrolysis. Quickly refuel vehicles. Burns clean.
Biggest issue will be public perception and building out infrastructure. We're okay with driving around with a fuel tank full of gasoline because we're used to it and can see the flame/smoke. Most will be hesitant to drive around with a tank of hydrogen because it's new and burns with a nearly invisible flame.

Though we might see sooner uptake in other nations where CNG conversions (cars & tuktuks/autocabs) are already common.

 

I'm seeing a replacement Prius 4.4 kWh battery is $1,680. I would like to see a higher kWh replacement battery available for the Tacoma. Using solid state technology the form factor would be the same size as the current battery with no weight penalty. Having 2.5X more capacity, it would run EV mode more often. If mpg went from say 20 to 25 and you drive 12K mi/yr @$4/gal, you would save $480 in fuel cost per year - about 3.5 years to break even. Not sure if a reprogram would be required or if the current software cycles the motor based on maintaining a battery charge range.

Whether it's plug-in or conventional hybrid, I can see a future where the electric motor becomes the primary motivation and the ICE only occasionally cycles on and/or is used as a backup to "limp" to the nearest charger at 30-40mph.

 

This morning on the news they mentioned that ONE Al Data center will use as much power in a year as 18,750,000 Homes, in order for mass adoption of EV's there will have to be nuclear reactors on every street corner.

 

For my kids!

 

The majority of that energy will be wasted generating images of women with abnormally large busts and bottoms. So much for charging your EV.

 

No doubt! They were also talking about the computer chips needed for Al, said the smallest one was the size of a refrigerator, no wonder that stuff is so power hungry.