Prius Plug-in Hybrid Update

that's my favorite expression . . . it drives she-who-must-be-obeyed up the wal. Similarly It drives Toyota up the wall when their customers request an 8 seater plug in v. That's because they insist hydrogen is the future, no matter how long it takes (if ever) .

 

One of the best thing I like about my pip is the flexible parking ability. I don't have to park right near a plug, just like 6 feet or so (or 8) near one. Wireless charging will require u to somewhat go over that induction pad...

 

wireless charging doesn't grab me. i don't find plugging in difficult, and i think most people driving plug ins would be concerned about charging losses.

 

I could not get one for 2015 Prius...I checked and wasn't eligible?

 

don't you need plug in?

 

Yeah you need a plug-in (PiP) to get a CA HOV green sticker. Since I wrote that orig post, Ca. unexpectedly added more green stickers so most all PiPs will be able get green stickers if they want one.

Someone else pointed out recently, used PiPs with green stickers may hold value nicely in Ca., not because the green stickers supply is gone, but rather because PiP's will be in shorter supply than green HOV stickers!!

(which is sort of an unexpected outcome from a few months ago...we had thought PiPs would keep comin, and green stickers would stop being made, and now its vice versa)

 

It isn't because hydrogen is the future that we don't get the 7 seater Prius v, Hill. It's because lithium batteries aren't ready for cars.

Seems Toyota is going with magnetic resonance for wireless charging. It is more forgiving of parking alignment.
Few will opt for it either way. It will cost more to install, leaving it for the car owner's home only.

 

Actually you can buy this in Japan and Europe. The issue is that they don't have the capacity to produce these for the U.S. Market and people here expect significantly larger legroom.

 

Do you think the mag res charger could be powered via a solar panel + reasonable size 12v battery array? I like the idea of solar recharging on a small system not a whole house solar panel.

 

~3kWH to fully recharge, or 3000 WH. Do the math for 12V battery "array".

 

And yet we can buy a Mazda5.
Considering the v's sales in relation to the liftback, a third row seat version likely wouldn't be worth importing for Toyota, but they also want to milk their NiMH price advantage, and reduce Li-ion use, as much as possible.

If the goal is to put in PV(I'll point out there a small windmills for 12 volt systems here) just for a plug in car, I'd stay away from wireless charging because of the additional losses. The company Toyota may be working with reported a better than plug charging efficiency, but that was with high efficiency components hand assembled and tuned. The mass produced version is going to use components of efficiencies of what the plug chargers currently use on the cars to keep costs down.

 

does this mean we get a free mri every time we park?

 

I actually raised the Mazda5 point to Toyota myself back when the v was first introduced. Their retort was that the Mazda5 sells only a few k per year.

 

Only if you pay for the E.E.G.
.

 

And they only sell a few thousand Prius plug ins, CT200hs, Avalon hybrids, Highlander hybrids, and RX450hs a year.
If they brought over one of their, slightly larger than a Mazda5, hybrid minivans, they wouldn't have to deal with people asking for a Prius v+.

 

What? Have you not heard of the Model S, Mercedes B-Class, or even the Toyota RAV-4 all lithium batteries!?

 

Someone forgot their sarcasm detector at home apparently

 

20 miles EV and 26 kWh per 100 miles on the EPA cycle.
55 MPG HV on EPA combined.
8 kWh battery planted in a new 5 seater body having at least the same passenger/luggage spaces as the current model.
Sportier performance in EV mode.
At least 7 kW charger (1.5 hours on 240 V) and extra inlet for fast charging (20 minutes to 80%).

Just my wish list...a prius should stay a prius - maximizing efficiency and not EV range.

 

The Rav4 EV battery and motor came from Tesla, but there is also the Prius PHV.

 

I heard from the Toyota dealer I took my PiP to (sadly, for the last time) that a lot of RAV4 EVs were laid up waiting for parts from Tesla. Don't know how true this is, but not surprising that Toyota took the path of least resistance (minimal self-development) to create this compliance vehicle.