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

Because the majority of people paying $25k for a car do have outlets available and ICE cars are becoming more efficient. Prius continues to have a negative stigma attached to it so lots of folks avoid them for that reason alone. A large segment of Prius supporters were interested because of environmental reasons but with Plug Ins available now those people will and have been making the shift. Plug Ins are perceived as more envirofriendly regardless of the truth to that claim. You can always look at the market trend as well. The sector really hasn't grown much. People want something else.

It's tough to predict the future. Battery prices drop, tax credits are extended, cars become more alluring, etc..

 

what he said
The price is the same at least in states that have a rebate. Between state and feds they incented me with $10,000.
I loved my PiP but I love 4 times the range more

 

In my opinion we have to think of the gen IV lift-back and plug-in as two separate marketing entities.

Sure, the lift-back will continue to be marketed to a larger demographic where sales volume is much higher. As for the plug-in, many other factors have to be considered as mentioned including total cost and potential for tax credits to be expire or be renewed.

I would like to see Toyota offer the next generation Prius with two battery capacities. One would be a base version with a small battery like the current plug-in that costs little more than the lift-back (not including tax credits). That would appeal to many of the same people who already buy the popular lift-back. But the advanced version would have 20+ mile EV range for those of us willing to pay the premium.

 

A fellow who works for Toyota told me last year that a bigger battery wasn't going to happen because it would change the classification of the plug-in due to the weight and size of a bigger battery and Toyota didn't want to do that.

 

I agree with battery choice, some trim levels would have standard plug-in(15 ev mile) and an optional longer range battery. Toyota’s new Prius model to get record 40 km per liter | Page 2 | PriusChat

 

Exactly. If Toyota could get their cost for a 10-15 mile range EV plug-in down to $1-3K, they could make that standard on trim levels 4-5. Granted, some will not be able to plug-in routinely if they live in an apartment.

A plug-in that can stay nearly all EV for in-town driving and commuting, then get the best mpg on road trips, is a significant market Toyota can lead in.

 

do you mean it would become a mid size?

 

He didn't say, he said it had to do with the classification. This may be in more than just the USA.

 

would toyota lose cafe credits due to that?

 

$3,000 has been the ultimate target for many, many years. Having that as a feature on the nicer packages makes sense. It emphasizes the simplicity of the approach too. Getting cost down low enough to earn a modest profit at that price would indeed make Toyota the leader. Ford is clearly attempting to offer a plug-in hybrid option for the masses too.

It will happen. As was just revealed by GM with the re-categorization of Volt, the segment for higher-capacity dedicated plug-in hybrids is taking shape. That makes it far easier to convey the purpose of the hybrids with a plug option, like Prius, Fusion, and C-Max. No more mixed messages is great.

The problem many haven't understood is purpose. Granted, some of that was intentional greenwashing, but there was quite a bit of simply not knowing too. The augmentation of the hybrid system with a plug and larger battery had been clear, prior to the chaotic rollouts a few years ago. The automotive market was in a mess to begin with. Now, the situation is different. There are enough choices to allow consumers to see how the various approaches differ and why.

I'm thankful the effort to appeal to the masses continues, even if some have already given up hope. Penetrating the mainstream is a painfully slow process with very little excitement. It's easy to lose sight of what's really important. Introducing a product is much easier than getting people to move on beyond what they already feel comfortable with.

 

Good question. Not sure how EPA would count fuel economy in this case.

Would they average fuel economy across the trim levels, go with the lowest fuel economy trim level, break-out the higher mpg trim levels and count them separately, other?

Someone here probably knows this and there has to be precedent. For example, certain models of car manufacturers have eco-boost trim levels. Anyone know how this is counted under CAFE?

 

^^^ Camry hybrid LE & XLE/SE: Compare Side-by-Side

 

I do not know details on CAFE but I do know Toyota likes the 54.5 MPG CAFE target. They are happy to have that mandate. Other autos may push for relaxation in 2017 when the CAFE targets are scheduled for reality check and possible change.

 

can you clarify?

 

Don't know why some people are saying toyota is giving up on ev...they bought wiitricity, wireless charging for batteries...

 

because toyota said they were stopping ev r&d and moving ahead with fuel cells.

 

What EV research remains?

They have moved on to refining the lithium battery chemistry, wireless charging, and cost reduction.

With fuel-cell vehicles, you also get continued improvement with traction motors and electric components (heater, A/C, propulsion cooling, etc.)

 

In that case, I've bought my last PiP.