Why so many unsold 2017 Prime models ?

Well, around my area in the Midwest you still have to wait for one after ordering it. Maybe they need to not shove them all to one or two states.

 

They don't seem to be pushing them hard in the desert area-- basically I had to ask specifically to get shown them.

And yet I'm starting to see more on the road in a fairly sparsely populated area.

 

imo, it's a demand problem partially due to pour execution by toyota.

they are losing so much money on them, they can't afford to sell them in non carb states.

 

I got hoodwinked into buying a 2017 Prius Prime "Premium" model at a dealership while I was waiting for an oil change. It was sitting on the showroom floor and the battery was dead. They had the deal done before I even got to test drive it!

Actually, I had a 2012 Prius V with 117k miles on it and a big chunk of negative equity, so the fact that they were able to hook me up and let me drive away for not much down was quite surprising. I'm happy to have a brand new PiP vehicle with a bunch of negative equity as opposed to one that was about ready to start needing some expensive maintenance work done that I couldn't sell without taking a huge hit if my life depended on it.

My plan is to drive this for a few years and then trade it in on a Toyota all-electric with self-driving features, and pay down the negative equity at that time.

They said they get one or two Primes in the dealership a month, but this one clearly had been sitting there a while.

It's supposedly "winter" here in Phoenix, and it's quite warm relatively speaking.

I get little warnings saying that I should enable the A/C while the car is charging. Ummm ... it's usually in the 60's when I'm charging it.

So I'm curious what's going to happen when it's 125 outside in June.

 

First, congrats on the new ride! You'll love it as you get to know it. But, "a few years?" Toyota's roadmap on this will slip back more than once, and what they'll call a BEV probably won't be anywhere close to what other companies might be offering at the time. Don't get me wrong here; Toyota will build a quality car. Just saying they just aren't into the BEV thing with all their energies or seriousness as many of the others need to be to survive the paradigm shift that is going to be upon them.

China has an overly aggressive road map on EV's and green power production. So does most of western Europe and northern Europe especially. Toyota just isn't reading the right news feeds. It is a BIG company with costly ICE assets they'll need to retire early or junk. It will be very hard for them to do the about-face and change as fast as GM, VW (forced into it), and MB. I'm a little worried about Toyota in the long run.

I am equally excited for the automotive industry's overall future. Change is good, and more and more they are seeing the green light ahead, and trying to reach those goals sooner. Competition in EV production and tech is growing. Yet, it will take time. Consumers are increasingly waking up to news about a better and cleaner and way. Teslas and Bolts are in their neighbors driveways right now. Eventually, even Toyota will dive in near 100% too. Around 2040 perhaps.

 

Well, I do really like Tesla's business model much better than traditional car manufacturers. Maybe I'll switch to a Tesla. But for now, this is a great vehicle. And I especially love the fact that I live 7 miles from my office, so I can get back and forth to/from work without burning gas any gas most of the time.

 

For me the Prime was not an option in 2016 and the Gen-4 I wanted, Level Two ECO with TSS-P. So I bought a 2014 BME i3-REx.

This winter I’ve grown tired of dealing with the sub-50F (10C) control laws of our Prius Prime. And I live in Dixie.

The Gen-1 Prius had issues that were fixed over time. The Gen-3 fixed many and was ‘less bad’ by a lot. But tonight in 40F (5C), I chose the BMW.

Yes, the Prime is a nice ride but if I had to sell one, it would be the Prime. It is a nice ride with long legs but the BMW can do it too.

Bob Wilson

 

Can you elaborate on this a bit? I'm not sure what you're referring to.

Thanks

 

This includes the mitigations:

• Front Defrost - turns on ICE. Use heater with windshield direction which is fast enough.
• 14F to 50F (-10C to 10C) - cruise control turns on ICE. Do not use dynamic cruise control, an important safety feature, until SOC is under 90%.
• Descending hills under 50F (10C) - can turn on ICE. No documented mitigation.
• Ascending hills under 50F (10C) - less frequently turns on ICE.

These are often intermittent but more frequent under freezing temperatures. I am an old man less tolerant of silly and arbitrary control laws.

Bob Wilson

 

I would like to receive updates on this as well. Heat is the worst thing for these batteries, so even if it's 125F outside, the inside of the car may well be 150F. That will not only make for some blazing hot SofTeX, but also a lot of stress on the battery. The manual says not to have the car sitting in full hot sun if the battery is fully charged (see page 133). Also, charge time will be longer in very hot temperatures. See pages 126-127 concerning the traction battery cooler.

 

I was told by Sales Manager in NY that there a service training requirements and certain Diagnostic tools needed before Dealerships can get inventory..... ?

 

I just purchased a 2018 Prime Premium. It is the second one the dealer has sold. I previously had a 2015 Prius Four. I don’t like the new design but really like the look of the Prime. I’m taking delivery tomorrow and cannot wait.

 

Yes and yes......probably.

It would help a LOT if they could be made available to the REST of the country.......where a lot of folks seemingly want one but can't get it.

 

To add to what's been said, keep in mind that this was Toyota's first year of the Prime. Many people have already been drawn to the Volt, which has a much higher battery range (and better tax credits), so were not impressed by the still-low 25 mile range of the Prime. But also gas prices are low, convincing more people to invest in bigger vehicles again (recall the 90s), so I would not be surprised if the whole Prius line is still underselling, not just the Prime.

 

if the prime's engine comes on that easily in alabama, i may have to wait for the next iteration.

 

Yes, I also wonder, what are there different for 2017 and 2018 model?
in my area dealer give me $3000 dealer rebate on 2017 Prius models.

 

It is hard is quantify the frequency of the intermittent engine ON events. I don’t have access to a PIP and wonder if you could test the Prime triggers with your PIP?

Bob Wilson

 

i can test anything you want, but have no equipment.

to begin the discussion, i can tell you that after 6 years of ownership, it has the same front defroster problem,
and there is an elevation drop near my house that will start the engine on a full battery below 25 degrees or so. i can avoid this by taking a different route.
other than that, i drive all winter without the engine starting unless i need it, other than the requisite every 124 miles.
admittedly, i drive like an old lady, and i know there are many other triggers.

 

The one that surprised me was cruise control at high SOC, over 90%, turning the engine ON in cold weather, under 50F. If you can test this, it would help complete the control law evolution.

Bob Wilson