Lightning all over again

V2L as well

OK, if not bricked or banned, unsupported, un-updated, or those with crappy infotainment systems.. •‘Reverse-Engineer Anything’ Is the New Wild West of AI: Over the weekend, it became fashionable to use AI to replace the operating systems on smart TVs with vibe coded or AI reverse-engineered ones to make them less bloated. People have taken proprietary internet-of-things devices that were bricked and abandoned by their creators and used AI to hack them and install new software on them, giving functionality the original developers took away. (404 Media)

Compared to their January 2026 press release, the new article adds specific launch dates for Germany (late 2026 for a pilot in Stuttgart/Munich and H1 2027 for nationwide ordering), compliance with the UN R171 regulation for future EU-wide expansion without separate approvals, and the naming of specific NVIDIA software components (the Halos safety system and Alpamayo software stack), while keeping the U.S. rollout status unchanged.

I'm glad they set a date (even though it's not for my market). I'm still waiting to hear if they plan to even meet their 2026 deadline for the US.

Key information they reiterated that shouldn't be skipped:

"Further details regarding models and pricing will be announced ahead of the respective market launches. A complimentary one-month trial is also planned via the Mercedes‑Benz Store, giving customers the opportunity to experience the function first-hand, provided their Mercedes has the necessary equipment."

Hey fellow technicians, I would like your opinions. I’m an old school gas and diesel tech considering purchasing an EV. I’ve studied up on them a bit but have not had the pleasure of working on them yet. Of course it will not be taken to any shop or dealer for service or repairs. Which models do you consider the most reliable but also offer parts, battery modules and software flash availability to a diy-er or a non dealer technician? Which offer the ability to update modules with a J2534 or similar device? If I’m not mistaken GM offers the same 2 year Techline Connect vin specific software programming subscription with EV’s as they do with their other vehicles. Lucid, Tesla and Rivian appear to be proprietary so I have zero interest in those. Any other manufacturers freely release their software to the public? I’m in research mode at the moment. Which would you purchase or stay away from? Thanks!

So the big news for the revamped BYD Seagull in China is that it is getting the Blade 2.0 battery. That's good because it means BYD intends most of their lineup of cars in China, from expensive to cheap, will get the Blade 2.0 battery. Outside of China, the only BYD car that I know of at the moment that has the Blade 2.0 battery is the Denza Z9GT, but that is an expensive car. But with the news of the Seagull getting the Blade 2.0 battery in China, logically, it means that all models from BYD outside of China will likely eventually get the Blade 2.0 battery as well, although it may take time (give it 2 or 3 years?).

The Blade 2.0 battery works much better than the Blade 1.0 battery in winter, with faster charging in cold weather, and the ability to retain its capacity better in winter as well. So in colder climates in Europe and in Canada, a lot of users would benefit from using the Blade 2.0 battery.

Hopefully the cheaper models from BYD outside of China will get the Blade 2.0 battery within the next 2 years.

Love this video, especially after purchasing a Subaru Trailseeker. Toyota and Subaru get a lot of grief for their software (rightfully so), but it's nice knowing the build quality that goes into the car itself.

Pictures in kilometers. In miles, that's 172k and 342k respectively. Both are on original powertrains, and both with ~22% degradation.

The twice-as-big number of the Model S looks more impressive, but keep in mind that is on 75 kWh of battery versus 24. Meaning even at half the mileage, the infamously stereotyped, no thermal management battery pack has went through over 50% more cycles.

My DD before making the switch was an Escape Hybrid with 760,000km on second engine but original HV battery, and it's also still on the road today. I have never believed in "miled out" cars necessarily being bad or unreliable, and that certainly hasn't changed with EVs.