PHV Release Date

The expectation has been seeing them on the road by Earth Day 2012.

Sooner would be nice.

However, you do learn patience waiting for each new model. But after already have driven one, it sure is a test of a person's character enduring the passage of time between then and the next opportunity. :wacko:
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I need it now

 

can't wait

 

me three!:third:

 

Have to admit... It will be very difficult to NOT get one on launch day.. as I do more and more research.. it sure appears to be the vehicle that I want! I will continue to try and save up for it.. and do my homework...

 

I will also buy one on the release day, but only if they fix the interior rattle that gen3 suffers from, especially in cold weather.

 

Local dealer also states June 2012

 

with release date that far, they should better come up with a longer full electric mileage and not just 13 miles.

 

I think Toyota is missing the boat on this one. They were years ahead with the Prius, but the competition is working hard. I think other Plug -In cars will arrive before Toyota gets the Plug-in Prius on the road and then look at the limited electric range it will have, it won't be successfull.
They need it ready in the first quarter of 2011, and not later.

 

it would be nice to drive to town and back on EV.....count me in

 

The release date and the range aren't, I don't think, connected. I think Toyota has determined that 13 miles is the optimum based on battery size, weight and cost for the current time frame in order to get the most distance per unit energy. Maybe in 2015-2018 they'll choose something different.

3PriusMike

 

Haven't you noticed how the others fall well short of 50 MPG after depletion?

With Volt only delivering 25 miles of EV range during the winter due to demands of the heater, why wouldn't Toyota's priority of making an affordable choice that's still efficient under all conditions be competitive?

Also, remember that Toyota's design uses sub-packs. To increase capacity, it's technically just a matter of plugging more in. The others are taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Think about the production too. Having a shared platform for plug and no-plug provides the ability to offer many more quickly & profitably.
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I'm hoping there will be a robust offering of aftermarket range-extending battery kits for the new PHV's. I think Toyota and too many other companies badly underestimate the growing desire for people to go completely gas-free, including myself.

 

Yes, but I'm a Prius fan. But look at it through the eyes of an uninformed consumer, they probably only look at electric range an think more is better.

 

PRICE has been overwhelmingly more important than anything else in the past. What would it take to shift that priority, to justify additional X number of EV miles?
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Double the stock EV range "should" be a dealer-available add-on option package. Especially if it still remains in the price range of the volt, while offering superior overall efficiency.

 

Suspect that we'll hear something more definitive at the Detroit Auto show (next week?).