Anyone waiting for PIP getting the "itch" to consider a Chevy Volt instead?

Do you think the typical consumer will care about any of those particulars? The appeal of Prius has been outstanding MPG. The plug will greatly increase that. We haven't actually heard requests for EV purity. That's really only been promotion from GM enthusiasts.

The simple approach of adding a plug to enhance the hybrid system makes it easy to understand. The benefit outlet-provided electricity provides is increased efficiency. You choose it as a package option. You still get a large cargo area, which is more practical than Volt since it's flush rather than sunken. It's larger too. You'll have an ordinary bumper in back available for supporting a bike rack, unlike Volt. And you there's 2 more inches of legroom in the rear seat than Volt. You get a back wiper too (very handy in areas where it snows), which Volt doesn't offer either. It makes you wonder who will be interested in Volt beyond EV supporters.

Those with really short and really long drives will be draw to the Prius PHV. It's the ones in the middle who will ponder whether it's a good choice or not. Price will be a factor for all. But fortunately, being able to reduce production-cost to offset the tax-credit prior to it expiring is fairly realistic. So, there isn't much of question about it's future. PHV will improve as Prius itself improves, and all the models will continue to appeal to the masses.
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I hope that this is not going to be a heated debate.

 

There are many differences in the manufacturers approach of its eco-cars.

GM often made a comment about Prius when presenting Volt (Akerson as an example of a very harsh one)...
Toyota always showed its Prius ahead of the competition. And it technology, simple and useful.

IMHO, there is no possible "cold debate"...

 

You can use Edmunds comparison tool.

A few striking features between a base Volt and a base Prius PHV:

Prius PHV has:

- Navigation system
- Backup camera
- Heated seats
- 5 Seats midsize

Volt has:

- More EV range
- 17" wheels (due to the weight)

Which car has more practical features, size, capabilities and costs less?

 

Note the difference between "cost" and "price" too. The latter doesn't take credit dependency or automaker profit into consideration.
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Right, costs less and the price is much lower.

 

Attempts to exploit a perceived weakness just prior to rollout is nothing new for Prius. In fact, we've been able to gauge how much the competitor supporters fear success of the newest model by how much rhetoric comes about. We find their arguments quickly fall apart when pressed for detail. Their hope is to create new misconceptions are squashed surprisingly quick.

It's just a matter of having enough real-world data available. Arguments on paper are typically way too generalized, which we easily poke holes through once getting behind the wheel. Heck, that backfired for Volt enthusiasts several times already. Their estimates of gas usage were way off. Implementation results can be bittersweet.

Fortunately for us, Toyota was smart by handing over fobs to ordinary people for long-term testing in uncontrolled environments... in other words, everyday traffic rather than only short drives in coned off parking lots as with Volt. That provided for realistic expectations to be set, instead of allowing hype to confuse & mislead. So, I'm certainly not going to worry about heated debates arising.
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You don't think Toyota heard requests for the EV mode button to be added to the prius? You don't think Toyota heard about the thousands of people spending many thousands of dollars to kit out and upgrade their prii to allow more EV driving? You don't think Toyota heard about the thousands of drivers who could afford any car in the world but chose to drive Tesla Roadsters? Its not a GM thing, its an EV thing.

I agree most consumers might not be clamoring for it yet, but some are, and more will. My biggest hope for the Pip is it whets the appetite for more EV driving among an even larger pool of consumers.

 

I tested the Volt, It is very compact inside, has the same 90 cu ft passenger space as my next door neighbor's New 2012 Scion tC. It is not like you ordered a PIP and suddenly the Volt becomes available. You had more than a year to get the itch.

 

Don't remember the detail of those requests?

"100+ MPG" was the theme of the promoting.

There's a big difference between more and pure.
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Well, we own a 2010 Prius and the Volt is not a consideration until it can do better than Toyota in the tailpipe emissions beyond the EV mode. We are retired but frequently do a 250 mile drive from the central coast to the SF bay area and back (500 mi roundtrip).

 

Are you still in pure EV from 70 mph to 101 mph?
This area is not clear to me. If the engine mechanically coupled the electric motor and drive axles above 70 mph, is it not a blended EV mode?
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Yes, the Volt goes gas-free up to the full 101 MPH. The PiP has blended EV mode primarily due to power output limitations due to its smaller battery size. The Volt's larger pack allows non-blended operation over the fully-rated power and speed of the car.

The blending of gas and battery power in the Volt doesn't begin until the battery is drained down to its minimum SOC (around 20%). At that point, it begins operating similar to a Prius in that it typically launches from a stop electrically up to around 30 MPH and then starts the gas engine to generate the power to drive the car while maintaining a narrow SOC in the battery. At speeds above 35-40 MPH the Volt can mechanically couple the gas engine to the planetary gears and blend its output with the electric motor. The speed of 70 MPH is sometimes referenced when discussing this mechanical linkage even though it often occurs at lower speeds under lower torque demand (constant speed driving or light acceleration).

When the Volt is still in EV mode (battery SOC hasn't fallen to 20%) it can do a similar blending of power between its large primary electric motor and the smaller motor/generator to improve efficiency by operating both motors together at lower RPMs when the car is above 50-60 MPH.

 

Volt will shift a gear around 70 mph in EV mode. That's when a clutch engages and the second motor (MGa) will join in, lowering MGb rpm.

 

Here is the exhaust emission comparison between Prius PHV production version and cleaner Volt (only available California). More charts are available here.

 

It is a complicated system with lots of exceptions. But unless there is some other need for the ICE to be on then the electric motors alone will propel the vehicle without mechanical coupling of the ICE all the way to top speed during the CD operation. In CS operation the engine will mechanically couple to provide some direct assist at those speeds.

Note is not efficient to drive that fast electrically so your EV range will shorten the longer you drive like that, but it is possible.

 

for an extra $8,000?? pass

 

Ironically, the simplicity of EV is provided by a remarkably complex system.

But for the driving experience, people get more from seeing 99 MPG than they do from 9999 MPG. Prius draws owners into a participation mode, dramatically raising awareness of efficiency factors. PHV builds upon that, providing even more opportunity. It's not a paradigm shift.

Volt (as currently configured) expects the mainstream to somehow take a single large step, something they've been quite resistant to over the previous decade... despite the significant increase in the price of gas.
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The same can and has been said about the Prius.

Both use a power-split design with 2 motors, a gas engine, and a planetary gearset. Both systems are driven by hybrid transmission control computers which use similar algorithms and calculations with a similar level of complexity to control what spins, when, and in which direction. The Prius uses an input-split power flow and the Volt uses an output-split power flow but other than that the two systems are very similar. The Volt basically just adds 3 clutches (the same kind used in automatic transmissions) so that the gas engine and/or the smaller motor/generator can be mechanically detached from the planetary gears.

The PiP has to worry about starting the engine every once in a while to keep the engine lubed. The PiP has a pressurized gas tank to prevent stale gas. The main practical difference between the two designs is that the PiP has a smaller battery capacity and output capability and so has to do blending with the gas engine occasionally while in EV mode. The Volt can go full power on battery and so has a transmission layout with 3 added clutches which favor and optimize this capability. As battery prices come down and battery energy density increases, I fully expect Toyota to come out with a future plugin HSD that parallels the Volt by blending gas and battery power only after the EV battery range has been fully utilized.