Well, it has been just a few days over 1 year since I purchased my '14 Plug in Prius. I was pretty nervous selling my SUV ('03 Chevy Trailblazer with 242k miles) and getting in to a Prius, but I had read about the technology, got interested, and it just made sense with my commute and kid's activities to obtain a hybrid. I purchased a used 2014 Plug-In - Base Model - with just under 19k miles. I saw the Plug-In, and despite many of my trips being outside of electric range, thought that it was a great concept, a way to save some wear on an ICE, and that I would have at least a few trips each week where the engine would not need to start, and therefore, would avoid a cold start and warm up cycle. Overall, I am very happy with my decision. The big positive is the energy savings - I put 24,656 miles on the car this year. 6,199 EV (25.1%) and 18,435 HV (74.9%) - Total Electric cost was $216.81, and total gasoline cost was $823.24, for a total energy cost of $1,040.05. My battery typically takes 1.25Kwh from the wall to produce 1Kwh on the In-car (ie, trip) meter - I do factor this in to the electric cost. My electric rate went up this year from $0.135 to $0.158 per Kwh. This puts my electric/gas break even point at about $2.40per gallon or so (Tampa, FL prices are currently at $2.25/gallon), but I will still use electric over gas whenever possible, as it has a lower overall carbon footprint, and saves the wear on my ICE. Overall HV fuel economy was 58.76mpg, which I am very happy with. Compared to my Chevy Trailblazer, those same 24,656 miles would have cost $3,522.28 - The PIP saved me $2,482.23 in energy this year. I had no payment on the Trailblazer, but I do on the PIP - The Pmt is $313/mo, but when offset by the energy savings, I am only paying about $107.00/month for the security of driving a car with 45k miles versus one with 240k + miles. Overall, a smart decision IMO. Myself and many others worry about the long term reliability of the traction battery, however, this is a very big "maybe" compared to the near certainty of big repairs to a GM vehicle approaching 250k miles. I am very happy with car itself. It is comfortable to drive, has all the options I need, and enough space for 98% of my needs. The only negatives are the lack of a spare tire, and to be honest, I could use a bit more power on the open highway (Most of my trips are on rush hour clogged highways, however.) I keep close track of all my stats on the car, and I am looking forward to watching how they evolve over the years. I also really appreciate this community and all of the insight to the car that you all offer. Happy Thanksgiving to all out there.
Nice writeup! I remember when you came on board here. Happy anniversary. Dec. 26 will make two years for me and my '13. I'm REALLY happy with this thing. But I could stand a little less road noise on rough pavement. (Well actually a lot less road noise. LOL!) On smooth asphalt, it's almost silent, though. Total gas and electric cost so far is $1,101 over 31,486 miles. 40% of my miles have been EV and I don't have to pay for all of that electricity. That's 3.72 cents/mile. It's saved $1,601 compared to a regular 28 mpg car.
That's awesome. I would love to get to 40% EV The Duke energy rate hike is a real bummer, though. We're looking to move during the next year, and I might look in to a solar system at the new place for just that reason.
I just looked at my last Duke bill which was 1 week ago. It was 11.229 cents/kWh. That's up a tiny bit from a year ago. Total electric bill was $80.79. At 65 years old with the little electricity I use, I'd be long dead before solar power paid for itself.
Yeah. Might not make sense for you. I am over the 1000Kwh most months, and that is where the big rate increase was. I read about folks with a solar system making a 125/month payment to the solar financing Co, and having enough power generated to cancel out their $200.00 plus electric bill for most of the year. But, just like all technology, those solar systems come with a lot of questions about longevity down the road. I hope you're having a Happy Thanksgiving.
