Future Plug-in Telematics Features?

Wait really? This is the first I've heard of it. Do you have a link?

 

I was talking about stories like this:
Toyota's Zack Hicks On Apple - Business Insider
Apparently No One Told Chrysler That It's Supposed To Build Siri Into Its Cars - Business Insider
Car companies working with Apple to combine technology - WTOP.com
How Every Car Company Screwed Up The Apple 'Eyes Free' Announcement
What Siri's 'Eyes Free' feature means for cars | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews
Why Your Next Car will Have an Apple iDash | Cult of Mac

 

ah. from the first one:

Or, in other words, who is really desperate to bend over backwards to meet our needs? Microsoft, of course, so we're going with them. Because we don't want the best product for our customers, we want the best product for our "scale" and "enterprise"!

Stay classy, Toyota. No wonder Entune is such a piece of crap. They got Microsoft to write Linux code? That's like asking Apple to write Android apps. And those would still probably suck less.

 

EV is just a name. What would you call it instead? MEV (Maybe EV) or PEV (possibly EV)? Mode E and mode G (Mode E = prefer electric, Mode G = prefer gas). At this point any name change would probably be counterproductive, IMO.

Mike

 

It's much like "CVT" was when Prius first rolled out. For lack of a better term, that was what they used. That worked out fine too.

 

Let's make sure Erica has a few pages of nonsense to read through when she takes these ideas back to the engineers.

 

John, does Toyota know that you call the EV Mode with ICE running - EV Boost?

Maybe they will standardize on it and you'll get $10 per PIP sold.

 

Probably.

Something is needed to identify the behavior. I was quite delighted witnessing it firsthand today too. It's warm now here (just above freezing). I drove 13 minutes in EV prior to depleting the battery, including a climb out of the river valley at 57 mph. Just as I reached the 70 mph section of highway, the engine fired up. I watched the SOC drop all the way down to 2 bars (specifically 18.4%). The result was the first minute of warm-up yielding 70 MPG, something clearly not possible without taking advantage of electric more than HV would offer.

Just think if there was something in the car to document that behavior, an illustration showing owners detail about exactly what happened during that warm-up. It's a design feature some may ever even notice otherwise. Heck, I remember certain individuals claiming that wouldn't even be possible, that the engine would start cold and have to fend for itself.

Fortunately, the boost during oridinary cruising on the highway is already easy to see. The instant & summary bars show MPG well above what you'd get in HV mode. Of course, that data is lost right away. Being able to download/send/share it afterward sure would be nice.

 

It would be nice if we could switch the "miles left in EV guesstimate" under the battery to a percentage of EV battery remaining. e.g. you'd start out the drive with a full charge at 100%, 0% would be the point at which it is going to switch over to HV mode.

 

Since PiP is a plugin hybrid, we need a power gauge that shows a blend of both in quantity or graph/bar. A lot of people thinks once the ICE starts, it defeats the purpose of having a plugin. Having such gauge will allow them to see continous battery power usage in what we call EV-Boost mode.

 

You're being way too hard on them. Automotive design cycles aren't anything like computer design cycles. It takes many years. The entire car has to go through all the regulatory and quality processes. (After market is very different). Apple could have a perfect solution, but it probably wouldn't show up in a new car for three years.

 

I don't have a problem with the process; I have a problem with their attitude. It is so tied up in business peak and gobbledygook that it's scary. In their quest to meet some sort of bizarre corporate goal or "strategy", they seem to have lost sight of why they are doing this stuff in the first place.
It has nothing to do with "scale" and "enterprise". It has to do with the customer. And they have completely decided to screw the customer to meet their own internal goals. That's sad.

 

Businesses Buy Differently | cek.log

 

I like that, pooh poohed it, a new telematic description.

 

I really like the idea of being able to download to usb instead of to a phone.

I like the idea of being able to download data to a phone only because I typically have my phone with me and that would be convenient. However, the info would need to get to my PC. From my phone I would end up emailing the data to myself, so I suppose the USB is the better option.

I would love all the data that has been recommended throughout this tread.

Last, I would not pay $0.01 extra for this information. At MSRP of 33k, and the fact that it’s a tech car, stuff like this should be included.

 

I want the ability to use my iPhone's SMS capabilities with Entune. It worked briefly after one update last summer, but never has worked again. Being able to bounce a canned response back "OK", etc. would be a bonus.

The ability for the system to send data about water temp, RPM, State of Battery Charge, etc. to the screen should be taken advantage of in a next generation model. That might put a few Scangauge type systems out of commission, but the data is already there so why not use it?

I use so little of what's on Entune right now that it's a non-starter in my opinion. Remote Climate is about the only service I've ever used, and it only works sometimes. Other apps that might be worthwhile are ones that would enhance the driving experience. An app with a connection to Gas Buddy and Fuelly would be welcomed.

 

I hope our friends from Toyota are still reading this thread. I believe that if Toyota were to survey new owners, they would find that what you said is true across all owners.

And the real truth is this: Smartphone software will ALWAYS be better than in-dash car software. ALWAYS. Why? Because the design cycles of autos mean that the car will always be three years obsolete. What's more, the smartphone software industry has a vastly bigger talent pool from which to draw.

My feeling is that Toyota enTune is more about internal job protection. As software, it's very poor. I think anyone from Toyota who actually tried the sports standings app would be forced to agree that it is not usable.

 

You are not the only one with a "dumb Phone" I ditto your statement on text,email etc. What I want is better EV miles and a SPARE TIRE. If my 2012 PIP had 50 ev miles and a spare tire it would be the PERFECT CAR FOR ME.

 

$50 gets you a donut spare from a junkyard, so that gets you halfway. For the extra 40 EV miles... well, I don't think we'll see that in a Prius any time soon. I'm not an automotive engineer, but I don't think the frame is designed for that much weight -- a battery 5x larger would add roughly 700 pounds to a 3,100 pound car. And that means a beefier suspension and frame, which adds even more weight, which means you need even more battery to get you the 50 miles... I'm definitely not an expert, but it does not look like an easily solved problem. Maybe if they remove the engine and make an all-EV Prius?

 

Checked 3 or 4 junkies around here (NY) No one has any. Dealer will sell me a wheel and tire for 300.00