Prime without home charging

PRIME without plug-in is just regular PRIUS. You can still utilize a larger battery for more regen to store energy even without the plug-in. Are you going to be leasing PRIME as well? If you purchase, with tax credit PRIME often ends up less expensive than regular PRIME especially in regions with a large rebate.

 

When I was in a rental, I paid the landlord $200 to upgrade the old garage wiring to allow me to 110v charge my 2013 plug-in.

So as I see it, after three to four months, the home charging station is paid for from gas savings. Plus, it may be green bonus to attract the person who buys your condo. You could instead use some of the tax credit to cover cost. In fact, use car for business you might be able to make the install a business expense.

I say go for the 220v outlet and don’t look back. You will be ready for your next plug-in with even great range a few years from now.

 

Check for rebates from your local electricity provider.

Ours offered $500 per charger, when you sign up for one of their discount options... which meant electricity rate was cheaper. In my case, both the wife and I got 240-volt lines with their own charger & meter. That meant $1,000 check to us afterward. (not even a credit, actual cash.) And now when we recharge overnight, the rate is $0.07 per kWh instead of the usual $0.12 rate. During the day, it's the same until peak. Then (4 to 9pm) it jumps to $0.44. Weekends & Holidays are all $0.07. That works out great for us.

The faster charging (1h 50m under ideal conditions) is really nice too, especially if you take advantage of pre-conditioning.

 

We are currently using a Prime without a place to charge at home due to the townhouse we are currently in also. That said we charge when we go out, maybe once or twice a week. And once and awhile i'll take it to work and charge since it's a primary vehicle for my wife. We still like this car and get amazing gas mileage out of it, averaging 70-90 mpg since we gotten the car earlier this year.

 

Look in the “Prices paid” thread. I went to the dealer looking at a standard Prius and ended up with a Prime Plus because it was about $5000 less expensive after incentives. I’m glad I did because electric driving is fantastic and the Prime is a giant step above my Gen3. 100mpg is nice. Look into the rebates for your electric company. They sometimes pay part of the installation cost for the charging station, plus a yearly EV rebate and reduced kWh rates.

 

Prime drives very nice in EV mode compared to HV, so I assume a regular Prius is, well, uninspiring. If you end up driving in mostly hybrid mode due to absence of places to charge, and assuming with lease your total mileage is somewhat limited, I'd go strictly based on current $$/deals/promos.

 

San Diego Gas & Electric doesn't offer an incentive for a charging station. They show other worthwhile incentives:
EV Incentives | San Diego Gas & Electric

The Prime is a better hybrid due to its larger battery.

Resale value is very important on a lease. It is the "residual value" that is part of the calculation of the cost of your lease. The higher the residual value (the more the lessor can sell the car for at the end of your lease) the less you'll pay. Also work them hard on the "money factor," the interest rate you'll pay to the lessor. Get this as low as they'll go. One other thing about leasing a plug in hybrid or other qualifying electric car...the federal tax credit goes to the first owner, in this case the lessor. You should demand that the tax credit of $4502 be shown on the "capitalized cost reduction" line so it also reduces your lease payment. There are several good auto lease information sites on line. Work your lease deal hard.

 

I don't know the numbers, but based on the fact that I rarely see a Prime on the streets but often see the Gen4 Prius, I am assuming that Toyota is selling a lot more of them than Primes. I wonder why that is?

 

Neither our market, nor the entire industry, were ready for mainstream PHEV offerings.

The biggest problem was cost. That heralded PHEV leader for years was heavily dependent upon tax-credits for mere survival. Sales never grew to the level necessary to compete with other vehicles offered on dealer's showroom floors. It's production has been ceased as a result, without any successor model. The entire approach was abandoned. So, there wasn't any point rushing out the technology by other automakers. Toyota saw the benefit of refining & diversifying in the meantime.

That positions Prius Prime incredibly well for the necessity of appealing to both dealer & consumer. If the salesperson isn't able to get a worthwhile commission, what's the incentive to sell it? There's no point in pushing a vehicle facing profit challenges. Seeing Toyota invest heaving in the spread of the technology really helps. Diversification is the ultimate endorsement. Elsewhere this year, the Corolla PHV will be rolling out. Seeing the technology from Prius Prime emerge in another hybrid sends a strong message... especially for those wondering if RAV4 hybrid will someday also get a PHV model.

In other words, the stage is still being set. We'll witness the plug-in model of Prius become the dominant choice, leaving just the Limited and AWD as regular models. It's an essential paradigm-shift long in the making and very carefully thought one... hence no reason to rush.

 

Gonna' play devil's advocate here: With only $200/year expenditure on gas, and I assume low mileage as well, why not play the long game and buy the Plus Four when it comes off lease? Shoot, it should serve you well for many more years.

PS: Thanks for your service!

 

pg makes a good point.

Gap insurance is often cheaper when bought with your car insurance instead of from the stealership. And, when the gap between the car's resale value and what you owe disappears, cancel the gap coverage--there's no more gap to insure.

The electrical connection cost makes the idea not worth doing. There is nothing wrong with routing as you said when the work is done correctly. 240 volt is simply two 120 volt hot wires in the cable instead of one 120 volt hot wire...not a problem. A 240 volt Level 2 charge station is almost never worth the money. It provides much faster recharges, but that only matters if one can save enough gasoline which almost never happens or if one is serious about not burning gasoline. If there was already a standard 120 volt receptacle in your parking lot, it would be worth a small monthly payment to the condo association for your use, but if not the plan you state is your best option.

 

Hope you don't mind me pointing out the trap you fell into...

That's a sad sentiment passed along from rhetoric long ago, unaware of the message it truly conveys. Read that message again. Notice the complete absence of the other benefit? Most people don't. Focus is diverted entirely to gas consumption. That's the trap. There's no value whatsoever placed upon simply being greener.

By installing a level-2 charger, you are doing your part to endorse infrastructure upgrades. It gives electricians & manufacturers both profit & experience to benefit the rest of the market. So, whether or not you ever take advantage of the reduced charging time (which undoubtly, you will at some point), you've contributed to the movement forward... which we all appreciate.

Sorry, it ends up almost sounding like a guilt-trip, but that is how to appeal to people when they focus on "worth it" equations which leave out some factors. Think about how easy that fact was to overlook.

 

I would work the 110v outlet in your complex. Several of the parks and some apartment complexes in my area have handy 110v outlets for the landscape work; the multi-use capability of a new outlet should help justify this addition to your property management company; this coupled with your usage fee of a few dollars per month, plus your promotion of the "green benefits" should win them over. In California, there are sizable rebates to property owners for public 220v chargers. You've got to work all the angles. That Advanced is well worth it; the smooth, zippy performance of the straight EV mode will put a big grin on your face!!

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AChoiredTaste.com

 

If the choice is between level-2 charger and no charger, you are correct.
If its between a level-2 charger and a plain 120V outlet, then I would (and did) go with the 120V outlet.

I don't see much value in charging my Prime in 2hr v 5.5hr at home. It sits in my driveway for way over 5.5hr every night.

That being said, a level-2 charger, or at least a 240V outlet, can be a worthwhile investment if you're planning on getting a BEV in the future.

 

But then you would own a valuable low mileage vehicle free and clear. Whether you obtain a new vehicle via purchase or lease it costs a lot more than keeping a well running older one.

 

With a basic 15amp outlet, You can get a basic measurement of electricity used for charging with a Kill a Watt.
Kill A Watt Meter - Electricity Usage Monitor | P3
Basic ones are under $30.

The only consideration I have with using an outside outlet in a public space is if the cord could become a tripping hazard by going across a sidewalk.

 

once you get good at the game, finding free 110V outlets to plug into is easy
if there is an existing one available to you , use it !! negotiate with the hoa for the added cost.
usually cost to charge from empty to full is less than a dollar.
so even if you charged every day its only $30 a month.
if you drive so little that you are only charging 10 times a month the cost would only be 10 dollars...
the hoa cant afford to forgive you the $10 ????
if its killing them, there are simple meters that can be installed on the line to measure exact usage. they could bill you for that...
plus once you get good at it , you might charge up once a week at mcdonalds or trader joes or the mall, etc
so you are now only charging 5 times a month at home...
people dont understand the cost to charge is negligible, its not a freakin tesla !!!
there are usually outlets near air conditioner units, in the bushes by outdoor lighting, by fire escape doors...