In the past year, numerous interesting topics were discussed on AutoWeek.nl. Some news or cars did make a lot of sense, as was apparent from the number of responses. We look back on the hottest topics.
1. Problems Volkswagen ID3
The Volkswagen ID3 was already regularly the subject of considerable discussions among our visitors in 2020. The run-up to the introduction did not exactly go smoothly and there were many of you who doubted whether Volkswagen could live up to the high expectations. At the beginning of this year, the ID3 had only been on the market for a few months and it turned out that there were indeed still some teething problems. This would have led to a shower of complaints from new owners and Volkswagen responded by implementing a number of updates. An update that was already planned for the introduction. It was food for discussion, because with 551 reactions, it was the absolute number 1 when it came to the number of reactions last year.
2. Range of EVs at 130 km/h
Electric driving in general often makes a lot of noise. Especially when it comes to what EVs do in practice compared to what is promised about them. A practical test that had to show what 130 km/h driving does with the range, was therefore not surprisingly bombarded with reactions. This concerned both the content of the article and personal experiences. In any case, one thing is clear from the responses: there are both EV-loving and EV-critical commenters on our website. Fortunately, there is something for everyone, but there are still some serious discussions between the two. Nice to see, as long as it stays fun of course!
3. Toyota rapped by Greenpeace
Another topic that always causes a lot of excitement is Toyota’s view on electric driving. More on that later, but first Greenpeace’s reaction to Toyota’s plans. The environmental organization indicated in early November that it was not pleased with Toyota’s efforts to abandon fossil fuels. Although Toyota started as a true pioneer on a large scale with hybrid powertrains, the switch to more purely electric cars is a relatively long time away compared to major competitors. This gave Greenpeace a sore leg and that in turn caused a lot of stir among our website visitors. Fodder for differing opinions, that is the approach of Toyota at the very least.
4. Lease drivers have doubts about EVs
We have to disappoint anyone who had hoped that we would now get to a topic about conventionally powered cars. At number four of the seven news items with the most reactions, there is another story about EVs. In this case, it concerned the addition benefit, which will shrink further in 2022. The difference with more conventionally powered cars is shrinking further and that seems to be causing a shift in the lease market. While electric cars have grown in popularity in recent years, the size of the tax incentive seems to have been one of the biggest motivators. The lease car with a combustion engine is gaining some ground again and you liked it quite a bit, according to the 299 reactions.
5. Toyota bZ4X
There it is again: Toyota. How could it be otherwise than that Toyota’s first car developed from the ground up as an EV would make people laugh? At the end of October the time had come and we were presented with the first extensive photo series and the first technical data of the Toyota bZ4X. In the reactions this time it was not just about Toyota’s view on electric driving, but of course also about the bZ4X itself. With its appearance and specifications, it makes enough loose, as it turns out. One thinks it’s ‘too little, too late’, the other expects Toyota to make a masterstroke by ‘not rushing’ with an EV. Time will tell.
Toyota bZ4X
6. Toyota’s Electric Future
Those who thought ‘one swallow doesn’t make a summer’ with the bZ4X might have to reconsider that view when Toyota opened a huge can of electric models for the future in mid-December. For example, it remains quiet for a long time in the EV field and you suddenly have a huge range of electric Toyotas in front of you. Still in concept form and not all for the short term, but it is evident that Toyota is now also stepping on the power pedal. In any case, it earned the Japanese here on our site quite a bit of praise, although not everyone is enthusiastic about it.
7. Road tolls
Plans from The Hague are always food for discussion. Whether it’s about driving, the corona approach or the housing crisis. Here at AutoWeek.nl we naturally focus on the first and in the coalition agreement the forming parties suddenly conjured up a hot topic: road pricing. For decades there has been a lot of talk and discussion about it, but now it really seems to be happening. It should be noted, however, that the new cabinet is not yet putting ‘pay according to use’ into practice and it may be put on hold again by the next cabinet in the event of a political landslide. But: the plan is now more concrete than ever before. 273 responses yielded the first sign of road pricing. On to many more high-profile news and great discussions in 2022!
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