Does anyone know what the future of the plug in Prius is?

Sweet talk your dealer into changing that option (page 527 of Owner's Manual) "Enable/Disable automatic operation of the air conditioning compressor when the "AUTO" switch ON". Now my A/C button only enables when I press it.

 

I know the future of the car but I cannot talk about it. I can definitely say that they are obviously looking into a heartier range, hopefully have been talked out of gimmicks, but although Entune's here to stay in many ways, the screens and apps and functions are changing a lot, and soon.
Some days, the worst thing about my PlugIn is the %*&^(* Entune, but most of the time it's fine and works as it ought to.
Anyway, if there's a place for plugin owners to post what they'd like to see change about their cars in the near future, go for it. The top guys listen, and they read these threads.

 

I think software limitation. It was limited intentionally because NiMh pack in HV mode only sustain 15kW (more power for 10 sec burst) before ICE kicks in. That power is not enough for acceleration above 46 mph.

PiP's PHV pack can make 41kW so they raised the limit to 62-65mph. That's my theory, anyway.

 

I don't even have a cell phone, so it doesn't bother me.

 

The PiP is 123 lbs heavier than a standard Prius. Not 200 lbs. Having said that, the acceleration on a regular Prius is a joke. People on here will say acceleration is just fine. Whatever you think about acceleration, an additional 123 lbs isn't going to change much. I haven't driven a regular Prius before but my wife in the car hardly changes the dynamics much, maybe a little more regeneration at the brakes.

The tire goop is also a joke. Search flat tire repair on the PiP forum and you will see it's also a nightmare. Free roadside assistance means towing you to aToyota dealer so they can gouge you $200 for a tire including their fees. I plan to borrow my dad's Corolla spare when I go on long distances.

Unfortunately, tire goop is the wave of the future and mediocre acceleration is a Prius virtue. Both are driven at least partially by Toyota's quest for increasing fuel economy. I can't fault them for that and if you are waiting Toyota to change, you might as well buy a Delorean.

My guess is the new PiP will have bigger batteries to increase range which will again mitigate some of the gains if any in power output that the next generation motor will provide to the regular Prius.

Also, Toyota has already addressed your main concern: PWR button. It's exhilarating on EV mode.

 

And hopefully, but probably not, the new entune version can be put on all current models as well.

 

With battery development the current battery can be improved by greatly increasing the storage capacity
and keeping the battery weight and size the same. Remember electricity has no weight so if you can
store, say 50 KW of electricity, in a unit the same as the current plug in prius, you can have a range
of 500 miles or so, and still have engine capability for extended driving....

 

Learn how to plug a tire. It's not much more work than changing a tire, and the fix is permanent. Blowouts are almost always caused by under/overinflated tires, so if you keep the pressure in check that shouldn't happen to you. Holes in the tread are somewhat common. I got a large bolt in my tread on a Saturday night and Toyota's only offer was to tow me to a dealership where I could stay in a hotel until Monday when they opened. FOR A FLAT TIRE! I just bought a patch kit and learned how to use it. Now I carry it in the car with me, along with a high-power 12V pump.

 

DeLorean Motor Company | The Best Source for your DeLorean

 

To be clear, the plug kit that they sell to consumers is a temporary fix intended to get you to a tire shop to get it professionally patched, not a permanent fix. A professional patch has a mushroom head on the inside of the tire which allows the tire pressure to ensure a good seal and keeps the plug in the tire. This requires removing the tire from the wheel to patch, which is not something a driver could reasonably due in an emergency.

 

Oops, yes I do. Thanks for catching that. I fixed my older posts.

Fortunately, my original larger point is still valid even if I mucked up the details a bit.

 

I've been very curious to know what Toyota's plan is for the next gen Prius lines. I have been reading up on everything I can find on the interwebs. I can only tell you what I've heard. I can not confirm these claims. I can only hope they are true or better.

Lots of new Tech into the 2015 Gen4 series. From multiple articles it seems getting double the current range is expected and more.


Radical New Toyota Prius in the Pipeline - Motor Trend

 

At what cost do you guys estimate? Will the car go up by $2k? By $3k?

 

Since the article is fantasy, you can set any price you like. Once there is a real car, pricing will make more sense.

(What was the price of GM's 230 MPG volt? Who cares, it was not a real car.)

 

I understand that. I'm saying from a theoretical standpoint, how much should/would that add to the price of a car?

 

In FantasyLand, all cars are free. (and perfect)

 

Ok, thanks for the help.

Anyone else have any sort of estimation?

 

I think about $500 more ($250 a year, they do not want to get to high, or they will just price them out of the markget they are trying to grab! I did grab my *** with both hands when I guessed.

 

Nothing with any math behind it but I worked in an economics related position and I never forgot the lesson from basic economics : "what is something worth?" answer is "whatever someone else is willing to pay for it"

Given that, I hope they keep this current PiP as an option because I don't need more range and wouldn't want to pay for it. Others with a longer daily commute do want that range but can't add too much to the price or other electrics become desireable... so my price for a 25mile EV range is just 3k more than current PiPs

just my 2 cents