Featured Is Toyota Prius hybrid simply passe now that plug-in cars are here?

Plug-ins and hybrids are different animals and serve different purposes. The problem with plug-ins is that they have a finite range, until you are able to charge it again. I live out in the country, so have a 220km round trip to visit family in the city. To do that with a plug-in, I would want to have a range (including a safety margin) of, say, 300km. One potential solution (that was pioneered in Israel) is to quickly change the battery pack of the plug-in in a time similar to gas refuel. To make that feasible, there would need to be good coverage of charge/change stations in all areas of the country. Plug-ins are great where trips are relatively short, usually within a city, or in larger areas where there is a reasonable coverage of charge points.

 

For the bleeding edge crowd, perhaps, but nearly 9 months into owning my Prius, it still feels revolutionary to drive compared to a regular car; and that's the target market the Prius has to appeal to, the mainstream, cost conscious, consumer. I kinda feel sorry for Toyota and other Hybrids, they're not competing on even ground when it comes to EV's, a fat $7,500 tax credit is distorting the market, at Hybrid's expense...even though a Prius makes a hell of a lot more sense to own and drive than any EV.

 

My 2014 Chevy Volt allows me to do my 38 mile work commute entirely on electric, except in the winter when my range goes down to around 25-27 miles.

But that's what the gas engine is for, so I don't have range anxiety to worry about. And even when I burn gas, I'm still using way less than when I was driving my Prius.

Regarding the article/thread discussion, I think the Prius still fills in a niche very well for people who want good mpg and decent cargo space, and can't get a plug-in for whatever reason, usually because they don't have a garage.

In the coming years, as more charging infrastructure is put in place, along with cheaper and longer ranged plug-ins, the Prius will either transition to a full plug-in hybrid such as the Prius Prime, or Toyota may possibly phase them out if sales starts dropping significantly on them, and they introduce more hybrid versions of their other vehicles to takeover that role the Prius once held. But this is probably at least a decade or more out, so you can still safely buy a Prius and ensure Toyota's going to continue making parts for it as they start needing repairs here and there.

 

this sounds remarkably like an article from a few weeks ago. plagiarism? or did a silly rag like wall street 24/7 beat green car reports to the punchline?

 

Along with a high spike up in fuel prices, hybrids got their share of federal tax incentives when they were new.

Hybrids are going to remain big in Japan. At least until their hydrogen FCEVs take off. From the recent Prime reports, it sounds like much of their private residences don't have the electric service to support long EV range plug ins.

Then hybrids are important here for meeting increased CAFE standards. So I think the Prius is going to stick around, and naming a car what it actually is, like Corolla hatchback hybrid, has been passe for even longer. That gives Prius an edge in sales whether or not it has a plug.

 

I think clearly owning a Prius no longer comes with the panache it held, when it was transporting stars to The Oscars.

Not too long ago, a Prius was still a "mysterious" vehicle to many people. With a lot of people not even sure what the concept of a Hybrid meant.
The success of The Prius, has created familiarity, and with familiarity that early Panache has faded.
Somewhat inevitable.

 

it's pretty simple. gasoline + competition = reduced sales.

 

I'm not sure which article you are referring to. Did you read this one?
I agree with the vast majority of it, it is quite pro-Prius.

The Prius no longer is a "bleeding edge" leader in terms of tech or efficiency.
It is/has lost its luster with early adopters, which is fine, it is expected of products that survive the early adopter stage.
As the article states, the Prius is still king of efficiency when you only consider cars that run on gasoline.
It will do just fine there.

Hybrids as a whole may even, someday, approach a 5% market share. They just don't offer as much as electric drive vehicles do. As a group, EVs will pass 10% market share within 9 years. Possibly 20% if fuel prices spike.

 

For me, the competition is not so much with other hybrids and with one exception, other plug-ins. Rather it has to do with features already engineered that Toyota USA and Toyota Japan left in Japan including one hybrid minivan, the Estima. Instead, Toyota poured a lot of money in the soon to be discontinued Scion experiment.

My thinking is Toyota has squandered resources in non-core, non-hybrid 'experiments' and left engineering and safety features on the bench ... or hobbled themselves by not selling them in the USA. So instead of setting the standard, they gave their honorable competition a chance to catch up.

My studies indicate the in some areas, North Alabama, the Level 2 ECO is operational cost competitive with one of the best, range-extended plug-ins. Since that plug-in vendor seems to be wandering off, Toyota has a chance to Carpe Diem but will they?

Bob Wilson

 

My situation may be somewhat unique.
But I wanted an efficient vehicle, that offered great gas mileage along with the benefits of lower emissions.

And my living situation doesn't allow me to plug in.

For people like me? That leaves you pretty much with ONLY hybrid options.

 

It's a little like saying nobody is buying E0 anyone, everyone is opting for E10.
National policy dictates sales.
Prius is selling hot cakes in Japan but US is trying to promote plug-ins instead.

 

I was thinking the other way (what else is new?), considering the outstanding mpg 2016 owners are reporting, and the many concessions in the Prime to extend range.

 

I think 'passe' is a correct word for the Prius with the meaning 'out of fashion'. Among the green community, a Prius is more of a default option than something 'cool' as it was a decade ago. Out of fashion, but I don't think that's why demand is low. There's a huge market just for ordinary cars that can get people from A to B on a budget; just look at the sales of Corollas! I think the low sales are mostly due to now sustained low gas prices. Prius sales in the US seem to have followed gas prices, dropping as the gas prices dropped in 2014.

 

So does culture and taste. The Aqua/Prius c outsells the Prius in Japan.
Then many in Japan may only have 100v and 6amp electric service in Japan. Making charging a plug in on level 1 twice as long or longer, and impossible at level 2.

 

I think it really depends on individual need. I picked to upgrade from a Gen2 to a Gen4 instead of a Volt. I am sure the Volt is a fine car, but I felt in it 'confined'. How did GM put less passenger space into a bigger car? I like the 'open concept' of the Prius. Also, now that I have seen a few of the 2016 Volts on the road, frankly I prefer the funky look of my Prius. The front of the Volt is too GM-ish. The rear looks OK. But that is just me.
I am, at 3000 original kms and at a 3.8l/100km average, that is 61.89MPG! I am happy. We only use the Prius for long trips so I don't feel too bad about the pollution I create. The Prius burns less gas than the Volt after the first 80km. (Some times I wonder though if I should have waited for the Prime.)

Our second car is an iMiEV, the cheapest EV you can buy. But its 100km (60 mile) range is more then enough for what we use it for. After the first couple of weeks we never have "range anxiety".

 

i did read it. read also: 'prius' best days are in rear view mirror', or 'misleading headline' in this same forum, or a dozen articles out there that all say the same thing; prius sales are down year over year = gas prices + competition. get used to it, there's more coming every year.

 

Gas prices are HUGE factor but I've said it before and I'll say it again, hybrids are getting squeezed at both ends; on one side by plug-ins and on the other by traditional, cheaper ICE cars that are getting "good enough" fuel economy nowadays (especially window sticker #'s).

 

Considering the Volt is based on the same platform as the Cruze, I don't see how it is a bigger car.