Do (or should) Toyota dealers provide courtesy charging for Toyota Primes and Plug-ins?

Discussion in 'Prime Plug-in Charging' started by SHDL, Feb 1, 2018.

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  1. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    mine was fresh off the truck in 2004. sales person and myself had no idea of battery or mpg meter, i just wanted one after hearing so much in the gen 1 years. took a test drive and plunked down $25,000. msrp.
     
    #61 bisco, Feb 6, 2018
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  2. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    Do you make loans? lol
     
    #62 padroo, Feb 6, 2018
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  3. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

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    At least the car carrier guy that delivered my Gen 2 from Burt Toyota in Englewood CO told me to go drive it around awhile because it needed to be charged. I got it in January and it was very cold.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #63 pilotgrrl, Feb 6, 2018
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  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    If this is a response to post 58, this is impressive! A PiP delivered in 2004!
     
    #64 Prodigyplace, Feb 6, 2018
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  5. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    One of those early models. lol
     
    #65 padroo, Feb 6, 2018
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    hah! i thought you meant prius when you said prius, not pip or prime.:p
     
    #66 bisco, Feb 6, 2018
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  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    are you kidding? my kids have more of our money than we do.:rolleyes:
     
    #67 bisco, Feb 6, 2018
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  8. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    I said beach. @padroo said Prius. :LOL:
    You mean pip as in "plug in prius" ?
     
    #68 Prodigyplace, Feb 6, 2018
  9. William Redoubt

    William Redoubt Senior Member

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    Right people. Wrong specialties. They specialize in lying, deceit, fraud and up charging, always using the former with fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD). The cars that pass through their hands and garages are merely their means to an end.
     
    #69 William Redoubt, Feb 7, 2018
  10. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    Some, yes but let’s not disparage the few good ones too.
     
    #70 Prodigyplace, Feb 8, 2018
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  11. Old Bear

    Old Bear Senior Member

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    The sales function requires a very different set of skills than those needed to understand the technology of the item being sold. Sales personnel can be trained to deal with "Frequently Asked Questions" but to go beyond that is usually unnecessary.

    (It just does not require the same level of knowledge of the product and its application as, say, selling women's cosmetics in a department store.)

    When we bought our Prime, we had to come back the next day to allow the dealership enough time to get one of their Primes charged up for an EV-mode test drive. The sales person was totally unaware of a free public level-2 ChargePoint station only a mile and a half from the dealership. (See my earlier post in the PriusChat thread about the "PHV Purchasing Experience.")

    Frankly, I don't think of a car dealership as a place to go hang out while charging my car. However, it seems shameful not to have charging facilities to allow cars being serviced to be returned fully charged and also to provide for test drives of EVs being offered for sale.
     
    #71 Old Bear, Feb 18, 2018
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  12. SHDL

    SHDL Junior Member

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    Wow, I really poked the hornets nest with my question to start this thread! Just to clarify my own position, I do NOT expect Toyota dealers to charge my Prime for free. I agree that this would be the same as expecting a dealer to fill my gas tank for free every time I visited the dealership. Nor would I frequently visit a Toyota dealer just to charge my car, even if it was free. However, I do expect that EVERY Toyota dealer that has a Prime on their lot will have enough charge on the EV battery for test drives. I also expect EVERY Toyota dealer to deliver -- or at least offer to deliver -- a Prime with a full charge on the battery. Furthermore, I expect EVERY Toyota dealer that sells Prius Primes to have at least 2, and more if there is sufficient demand, Level-2 charging stations that are available for customers to use. Pay-to-use charging stations would be fine. In the US, Toyota seems to have some sort of agreement with ChargePoint and gives a ChargePoint gift card with each new Prime. So why don't Toyota dealers that sell Primes have at least a couple of ChargePoint stations?

    That said, I also own a Nissan Leaf (purchased in 2011). Every Nissan dealership I have been to offers ***free*** Level-2 charging to their customers (one dealer has a 440 volt charger, as well). Granted, I have only visited a half-dozen or so Nissan dealers, and I do not know if my experience is typical of Nissan dealerships. But the fact that at least some Nissan dealers offer free Level-2 charging for Leaf owners, and at least some (100% in my experience) Toyota dealers don't even have a charging station, does suggest that Nissan dealers and Toyota dealers have very different attitudes about supporting their Plug-in customers. That is what lead to my original question about whether most Toyota dealers charge up Prius Primes for test drives, deliver Primes with a full charge, and provide charging stations for customers (a pay-to-use station would be fine). I was simply wondering if my limited experience with Toyota dealers in Oregon and Washington not charging Primes or having charging stations was typical or atypical. From all of the responses, it sounds like my experience is typical of most Toyota dealerships.

    Toyota has a lofty and admirable goal to substantially increase the number of electrified Toyota vehicles in the near term. In my doesn't-count-for-much opinion, part of that goal should be a requirement that EVERY Toyota dealership have the infrastructure to fully support the cars Toyota makes.

    I have enjoyed reading what other Prime owners have had to say on this subject. Thank you! :)
     
    #72 SHDL, Feb 19, 2018
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    Maybe be jaded, but I think their paramount pursuit is money. Then all the pieces start to fall into place.
     
    #73 Mendel Leisk, Feb 19, 2018
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The free charging is part of Nissan's corporate promotion. "No charge to charge" was the marketing campaign.
     
    #74 Tideland Prius, Feb 19, 2018
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  15. Opt1mus

    Opt1mus Junior Member

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    First, thank you for posting. Because of your post, I asked dealership for FULL charge prior to picking up car. ;) The salesman explained that most dealerships (in this area) don't charge because of the cold weather.
    1. No courtesy charging provided at this local dealership but I did get initial charge
    2. That would be nice.

    Thanks again.
     
    #75 Opt1mus, Feb 27, 2018
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  16. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    Lazy bums. Are they afraid of the cold? I've charged my Prime outside at 15 degrees F, and all is well. I wear a coat (optional) for the 30 seconds it takes to open the port and plug it in. And then again when it is finished.
     
    #76 DavidA, Feb 27, 2018
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  17. Opt1mus

    Opt1mus Junior Member

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    :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
     
    #77 Opt1mus, Feb 27, 2018
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  18. William Redoubt

    William Redoubt Senior Member

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    LOL. Salesman? No, a professional liar. I think he just made something up and that's what came out of his mouth.
     
    #78 William Redoubt, Feb 27, 2018
  19. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    These are the same thing.
     
    #79 DavidA, Feb 27, 2018
  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

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    Be sure to go back in warmer weather to claim your missing initial charge. ;)
     
    #80 Prodigyplace, Feb 28, 2018
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