Plug-in vs standard Prius?

When the temperature is less than ~45 degrees the ICE tends to trigger. Turning the heat on also triggers the ICE.

The PIP's fuel efficiency will depend on driving style, average trip length and the terrain.
I have a light foot (both acceleration and braking) and a short commute (<4 miles). We live on a hill that discharges the battery 2x to 3x faster compared to driving on a flat surface.
MPG as calculated by my PIP's computer:

November ~140 mpg
December~170 mpg warmish temps before the start of our vacation
January ~120 temps in the single digits

I have been collecting empirical data on PHEV performance. The collection of reports below is both accessible and informative.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/avta/pdfs/phev/hymotion_prius_wrapup_inl-ext-11-23746.pdf

 

not sure what discussion you're referring to?

 

PiP starts up in EV mode by default so ICE won't warm up unless your action provokes it. Warming up the ICE takes gasoline amount of two eggs and you can gain some EV range from it (depending on how fast you drive).

To understand the ICE triggers, see the FAQ.

 

Another key factor when moving to Maui is what your daily driving will be like. The drives to Lahaina, Kaanipali and to downtown can be pretty far depending on where you live. We drove a lot more miles than we thought we would on Maui.

 

Since the Plug-In has a much larger battery than the standard Prius, I think the primary benefit of the Plug-In vs. Standard Prius is to be able to climb hills better and longer with EV-Boost - where you get both the gas engine's and electric motor's horsepower working together to give you more raw horsepower. This, for example, would be an advantage when living in a hilly area such as San Francisco, CA.

In Maui - where driving distances aren't as long as in the mainland - the Plug-In also has the advantage of being able to run longer on battery power, enormously improving gas mileage.

 

Unless you can get the PiP for less $’s than the standard Prius, I would definitely not get the PiP for Hawaii. You get more “creature comforts” (and a spare tire!) for your money with the standard Prius. There is No Financial benefit (running cost) of the PiP in Hawaii. With the hills and traffic, you may get 13 miles on a charge, but at $0.40+ per kWh (typical in HI) that’s over 9 cents a mile. If you can get 54mpg on a standard Prius, gas would need to be over $5 to give the PiP any financial advantage. My son is paying around $4.30 on Kauai right now. Also, resale on the islands is another possible issue. Prius (and Toyota in General) are very popular there, but PiP will have a much smaller number of potential buyers, making it more difficult to get rid of when you leave the islands. I loved my 2006 Prius, and I really like my 2012 PiP, but if buying in I’d go standard.

 

I disagree. A standard Prius won't get 54 MPG on short trips. It'll be the 30's. That's where running on electricity for short trips makes sense.

Even if you managed to trigger the ICE to run (for cabin heat), PiP short trips still get at least 50 MPG due to the EV-BOOST warmup.

 

Short trips in EV allow your gas mpg to have a higher average...since you are only using gas for medium to long trips.

Mike

 

With EV Boost doesn't the PIP climb hills better than the regular Prius?

 

Avoid the drive to Hana, as much as possible. The road is very narrow and twisting, with uncountable narrowings to one lane, one lane bridges, blind corners. More often than not: all three together, LOL.

For us coming back the worst: later in the day, met a lot of people coming the other way that had "thrown caution to the wind": Met a flatbed car transporter on one blind corner and luckily managed to drive off onto a grass shoulder to avoid a head-on. Similar near head-on with a cop in an SUV.

There's also stretches of dirt road going around the island. According to our rental contract they were SUV only, and would void our sedan rental contract.

 

The round trip around Maui - from Wailea, north to Paia, east to Hana, southwest to the remote southern beaches along Highway 31, north to Kula, then looping back westwards to Wailea is my favorite thing to do in Maui with friends and family.

It is a gorgeous 142 mile day trip that needs to be done in an 4-wheeler with the wind and sun to your face.

There are a lot of dirt roads, pot-holes, one-lane sections. There is a one-lane section up a cliff past Hana that is very narrow and can be a concern if the weather was bad. The southern beaches are very remote and unpopulated. Two approximately 20 mile stretches along Highway 31 have no cell-phone reception, though a large part of the southern highway has coverage.

You have to get a 4-wheeler - an SUV or Jeep - for this trip. I prefer a Jeep. Wear lots of sunscreen. You have to be in good health since the area is remote.

I recommend doing this trip at least once in your lifetime. It is not that dangerous if you drive carefully. It is truly an adventure. Highly recommended.

 

I'm getting 50 -52 around town. (sparely use of heater) for doing errands in my standard Prius. I am happy w/ that.

DBCassidy

 

In warm weather the plug-in will do really good. I am in wisconsin and in middle of winter. Check out my fuelly link. Know understand my wife will not ride with me so I can ride around with my heat off and low blower fan setting, so my ICE usually does not come on taking my daughter to work 15.2 EV miles round trip. In summer I can go about 16 EV Miles, winter 12 EV Miles. Hope that helps.

 

Just remember the Plug-in probably will not save you enough money over a regular prius, to justfy the cost of the plug-in, it's hard to drive enough miles in EV to really save enough. Now with that said, If you want one because it's cool, and it his! Driving in EV is great fun, so is trying to get great mileage It's like a video game.

 

My 2 cents: if you can comfortably swing it financially, get the PiP. It's a great all-around car - and I say this coming off two previous generation Prii. From another angle: the fewer multistate trips you'll likely do, the better the PiP works out.

 

Ah, but the craving of the open road beckons! Exploring new places, foods, people increases the desire to explore and hit the open road in my Prius.

DBCassidy

 

If you end up getting the PiP, report back on how much EV range you generate by coasting down Haleakala starting with a flat battery. I bet it ends up full.

 

In my regular 2 miles trip, I got 38 MPG if I used gas in HV mode. If I have EV miles charged up, I get about 130 MPGe on electricity. I could see a standard Gen3 Prius getting 50+MPG if I do 3 to 4 miles. PiP warms up ICE noticeably quicker than Gen2.

I think your errands can be done in pure EV with the use of electric heated seats. How many miles in total for your errands?