I have been told by a friend who went looking for a Prius Plug in that Toyota has or will discontine this model? Can anyone verify this?
While I wouldn't be surprised if Toyota calls it quits with the PiP until the next one is ready, I have yet to meet a dealer who knows what the hell they are talking about when it comes to these cars. Maybe he was trying to get your friend into another car, which the sales guy was more familiar with.
After pushing the plug-in technology, it would be kind of crazy to drop it. People would start thinking it wasn't so good after all. For me, it would be hard to go back to a non plug-in.
They are not selling in big numbers yet, but unlikely will be discontinued. For instance, London congestion charge just lowered their co2 to 75g/km, and only PIP, Volt/Ampera and EVs meet the 75g/km. London Lowers CO2 Limit For Free Entry: Only Plug-Ins Exempt
I agree, my PIP is one of the best cars I have owned. I did have doubt about my friends dealer but I asked you guys.
The technology may improve and change but given Toyota's commitment to Hybrids and alternative vehicles I don't think there is any way they could take a step backwards and discontinue the PiP. Naht gunna happen.
The numbers for plug-ins! can't blame Toyota. Fit EV sold 46 in 3 months, maybe 200 expected this year? March 2013 Plug-In Electric Vehicle Sales Report Card
The current approach of restricting inventory to the initial rollout markets is proving to be a wise choice. Reasoning for that should be obvious. Think about how many times we see a new thread started here by a new owner absolutely insisting something is wrong with their plug-in Prius because their EV-mile estimate value has dropped. Those are from people who have firsthand experience driving one. Think about the scores who are only just reading posts and stumbling across hearsay. Imagine how busy that's been keeping service & training personnel. Misconceptions are quite a challenge to deal with. Keeping the from spreading makes sense. After all, Toyota has 2 major markets to deal with... the 15 states here and the sales over in Japan. Working toward clarity prior to expanding makes a lot of sense. After all, the first owners are only starting to report their first-year results now. It takes an entire annual cycle to properly represent real-world driving. The collection of that data cannot be accelerated. We must wait for it. But the reward is huge. Owner endorsements are far more influential than automaker promotion.
Ever since the tsunami and the shutdown of Japan's nuclear based electric generation it seems that Toyota has been downplaying the future of plug-in electric vehicles. The options for Japan to generate clean electric power are a subset of America's. If Toyota decided to stop producing a plug-in for their home market will they continue to produce it for other markets?
Who knows, if Toyota offered this here, maybe sales for the PIP would take off. Toyota vehicle-to-home technology turns Prius Plug-in into an emergency generator
Stance hasn't changed, neither has reason. COST has always been the big barrier. How can an automaker offer a PROFITABLE vehicle sold at HIGH-VOLUME when it isn't affordable?
I would not be incredibly surprised if they did discontinue it. They have not yet sold it all over the us- Just specific states. The plug in prius is an amazing idea with a poor execution. Don't get me wrong I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Plug in prius but at best I get about 8 miles on all electric. Not a great soloution. The volt is so much better in terms of plug in. Downside- on volt- 4 seater. Just a dumb idea on chevy's part.
No one has said it was a solution. For that matter, there's a 100% chance of it being discontinued. Each generation gets progressively better. The next will offer a variety of improvements which may not necessarily resemble the prior. Heck, think about how expensive lithium-based batteries are still. Expecting better models with new or modified technology is quite realistic. Consider the state of the market, the diversity of consumers, the cycle timing, and the overall goals. What we currently have is on target. A few years from now, we'll see advancement of the system bringing us closer. The automotive industry is mimicking the computer industry now. There's on-going upgrades with changed priorities and different approaches.
Nissan cut the price to $28,800, offers low lease rates:$199 and then federal and state incentives, uhm... http://bit.ly/10JzTBh
