Standard Hybrid vs. Plug-in

Not realistic either. Living in Minnesota, where & when to travel is carefully considered in the winter. Getting a flat is very low on the concern list.

Last winter, we did actually experience the "what if" scenario though. In the heavy snow... at midnight... on the way home from the hospital emergency room... I witnessed my girlfriend hit a pothole. She found a safe place to park and would have called for help had I not been following her at the time, since there was no point in putting the spare on. That impact killed *BOTH* tires on that side. We just dealt with it the next morning by tossing both flats into the Prius and heading over to the tire shop.

 

I had a tire busting flat in the first 1000 miles on my then new Prius, they happen, of course it's easier in a urban setting ....most of the time, and tow trucks triple A or the Toyota variety never show up within a short time.

 

Plug-in owners have no "drive to the gas station" concerns. When I pull into my driveway, I plug in. If I forget, it's no big deal.

 

You may want to look at another plug-in hybrid with a greater all electric range. A Ford Energi model or a Chevy Volt would allow you to be gas free for most of your driving. The PIP can't accelerate properly on EV only power so it's of minimal value as a plug-in.

 

That doesn't actually address the question, which is about the difference. It's a bit misleading too, since PIP is a plug-in hybrid not an EV.

Drives to mom's house (12 miles round-trip with a top speed of 50 mph) are with just electricity during the non-winter months. It's no big deal, but doesn't recognize the purpose.

Even if the engine fires up for hard acceleration, you still get great efficiency... MPG well above what the regular model can deliver.

 

For the uses listed I would say the Plug-In is an excellent option. The base model with rebates/incentives makes a lot of sense versus the Model 3. For short trips around town you will have much greater fuel efficiency than a regular Prius.

 

not sure who we're talking to anymore, but here goes: pip is better than lift back in every way except spare tyre and smaller gas tank. i carry a spacesaver in the hatch and fill up 4 or 5 times a year. ymmv.

 

Show off.

 

think what i could do with a volt!

 

A Volt would just be an EV in your hands. lol

 

yeah, except those 90 miles to my fathers once a week. plus all the fun i'm missing on volt chat!

 

There is fun at VoltChat? lol

There is no real sense of community at GM-Volt. Not like PC.

For you're needs the PIP is perfect.

 

i know, but i miss our little reparte'

 

I have no problem with EV power going over GWB and back through Harlem River Dr. For local urban drives, it has plenty of power.

If you accelerate a regular Prius around 3,000 rpm (50 hp), which gets pretty loud, then PiP can do with EV.

 

mine accelerates just fine, you musta got a baddie.

 

IIRC, you also lose most of the underfloor storage space.

Do you have some way of securing the spacesaver so that it can't fly around in an accident?

 

correct. yes, it comes with tie down straps and hitch points on the deck. but the best defense against an accident and the tyre flying around is to drive slowly and carefully. solves two problems at the same time.

 

And how about the plugin convertion? Is it any good?

 

Nope. Converted plugins will only have about 15hp to accelerate in EV, no matter how big battery you put in.

Factory PiP has 50 hp EV power. A lot of misinformation you read on the internet are those have never driven a PiP or assumed it works the same as a converted version.

 

Thanks, It really was a good quote, and put my head in order
Indeed online we get the ideia that the conversion is great, but the lack of power blow it up.