Toyota Previews Fleet of new EVs, No 4Runner

Puts new 4Runner in a weird spot, if they are planning to go nearly all EV by 2030.

"Specifically, we plan to roll out 30 battery EV models by 2030, globally offering a full lineup of battery EVs in the passenger and commercial segments," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda."


https://www.autoblog.com/2021/12/14...cept-preview-tacoma-sports-car/#slide-2367931

 

I’m going to open a cyberpunk strip club called “the electric taco.”

 

Looks like they bringing back the FJ look for the EVs.

 

I like that one. Not sure about the taco like truck, need to see some other color schemes.

 

That FJ is looking like the Baby Bronco.

 

I'd like to see the Compact Cruiser with bigger tires. If they don't fully crossover it up then I might just have to give my dad my 4Runner and trade in his shitty Jeep for a Compact Cruiser.

 

It looks smaller than the taco

 

Same size minus a bed.

 

We could be looking at the next Gen. Taco right there. And the baby FJ looks interesting.

 

4Runner has some time still.

6th gen will supposedly have a hybrid option that will allow the driver to select EV mode, ICE mode, or let the vehicle do a combo of both.

If the 6th gen comes out in 2024 it will have a 6 year run until a full EV 7th gen comes out in 2030 or beyond.

I like the look of that Taco!

 

Like the Taco and the Compact Cruiser (especially that color). I just don’t see how we will have the charging infrastructure by then. But we’ll see.

 

The blue one looks like a Renegade.

 

There’s a pretty extensive charging infrastructure already in place. This site shows 52,612 locations in the US and Canada today.

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html#/find/nearest?fuel=ELEC

https://www.plugshare.com/directory/us

 

I see some of both in there.

 

Yep! You just about have to look at the badge on stuff to know what it is these days. Wind tunnels…

 

That FJ should be popular with sorority girls.

 

Your missing 1 key aspect. How many times have you been to Costco with the line backed up far away waiting to get gas? Or waiting at a gas station for a tank. Yes the local drives it would be no big deal as you could just charge at home but for longer trips it will take a long time. Imagine that same line at Costco but now each car takes ~30 minutes to charge. You will be there for a while so you can charge your car.

I don’t mean to spoil the party but I don’t know if Toyota will be bringing the FJ back. They have FJ in other countries just not in America. So the likelihood of it being in America is not the highest.

 

This is the biggest barrier keeping me from being interested in electric. I take a lot of weekend trips where I'll put on 500 - 1000 miles. Waiting for it to charge would get old fast. Plus, driving to Florida would take 3 days!

 

Oh, man, I remember the lines in the late 70's. I had a bike, so the whole alternate day thing didn't apply to me.

The 1/2 price displayed on the pump my friend and I got around. He was a dark green Marine, as we used to say, biceps the size of my thighs. He'd put on a Jamaican accent, and tell the attendants that he wasn't paying double what was on the pump. They were trying to rob him. Give the shape he was in, noone was going to argue with him too much etc etc. We'd hop on and ride away, with full tanks for 1/2 price, essentially.

I didn't feel the least bit guilty, considering the prices.
I always wondered why it was, also, that they charged more for NOT adding lead to the fuel. Talk about a rip off...

Have fun, if you can afford to!
Pat☺

 

I think the infrastructure will change a bit.

Instead of waiting in line at a Costco gas station, you will plug your EV in at your Costco parking spot and charge while you're shopping. Same thing with McDonalds, rest stops, and whatever else.

Charging will get faster as well.

 

This makes sense, but still doesn't help anyone who travels cross country. I'll drive 300+ miles, fill up, take a bathroom break, and head out. There's no time for charging.

Once they get it to 300+ miles and charge in 10 minutes, I could live with it. Or, maybe a 750+ mile range and 1 hour charge would work.

Eventually, I won't have a choice. I just hope things improve significantly by then. And, they probably will.

I just wonder what the future power supply will be. These batteries aren't exactly environmentally friendly.

 

This times 10. What do you do in the boonies? It would completely kill the way I like to use my 4runner. Also, I still worry about battery longevity, as I dont buy cars to flip in a few years. And all the pressure to fast charge batteries will end up chewing up the lifespan of these batteries considerably…barring some huge discoveries in battery chemistry/materials/physics.

I really like how these look though. Definitely the right direction on overall styling, finally.

That e-pallet bus looking thing…I think I like it, and feel a little insecure about it
Might be worth pulling a trailer with a generator for extended cross-country cruising.

 

I didn't even notice that at first! That looks awesome! I want one, I want one!

 

The rate at which materials science is advancing is going to play a major factor. These are “2030” EV concepts, but they look not too different than current models. 8 years from now they may not even be constructed of the same materials. Look how far batteries and computer chips, adhesives and surface protection, motors and lubricants etc have come in the last 10 years.

We discovered graphene like 40-something years ago and just within the last few years really begun to understand all of its properties and we are just starting to figure out how to use it. It is an incredible material. Already under development with graphene is solar panel cloth that can be used as-is (shade sails, sailboats, clothing, awnings etc) and may also be laminated with resin (hoods, fenders). By 2030 every body panel may be pumping solar energy directly to the batteries and all of everyone’s concerns of range and recharging SHOULD be well worked out. Hopefully! Imagine only having to stop for rest, never for fuel.

 

Now I feel better about my affinity towards that bus lol

I really like this thinking. Material science is an amazing thing to follow. I wish I had the brain to be an engineer in that area. It’s an area of science/tech that has so much left to be discovered. But Im a little pessimistic about seeing big changes being applied at the consumer level by 2030.

I can see this happening within my kids’ lifespans though. That would truly be an independent vehicle, roaming about capturing your own energy.

 

It is already happening gradually. Computers, Microfiber cloths, polymers already replacing and outperforming traditionally used metals, LED lights…you really only have to look as far as your kitchen, closet and truck. Welcome to the future. As technology improves, it also improves faster. At the current rate, in the next 8-10 years we should match or exceed the technological advancements of the last 30-35 years. (That is my prediction based on nothing really concrete lol).
I read an article about 2 years ago wherein a scientist was predicting that in 25 to 30 years we will no longer be using any of the materials that we are currently (then) using.

Edit: Not only are the materials improving at a faster and faster rate, but also the processes for doing just about everything are too.

 

Ive wondered if there was anything in the works for adding solar panels to the hoods/roofs.

 

Yeah, within just the past few years we finally got something usable out of carbon nanotubes. Look up IC Graphite. It's an alternative to thermal compound in PC CPU heatsinks. It performs within one degree Fahrenheit of traditional thermal compound. It's dry and some versions are reusable for ridiculous amounts of times. I already adapted a sheet of it myself to run as a dry thermal conductor between an RC car motor and its heatsink. It was just metal on metal before, but that's not ideal, and I didn't want to put some goop in there. That's good for a PC CPU but not so much for a motor.

 

I really like the look of the new Toyota BZ4X EV. Check out the interior with the option. Nice to seem pushing boundaries.

Seems like large center display screen is going to the norm. Can't wait to see what the next 4Runner will look like. They are taking so long to design it, my expectations have gone up. Lol

 

Looks pretty cool. But, that steering wheel would SUCK!