Featured Toyota Prius Was a Trendsetter 15 Years Ago. Now What?

That was never true. Toyota's stance has always been it was cost prohibitive, that dealers & consumers would not be receptive to the high prices. Even now, we are just barely reaching the advancement of battery technology enough to make them somewhat competitive.

Look around. See how unrealistic direct sales against traditional vehicles will be this year without tax-credits available for Tesla or GM. Do you really think ordinary consumers are willing yet? Batteries have a little bit to go still.

Fortunately, Toyota hasn't been just sitting around waiting. Don't listen to the antagonists. RAV4 Prime is an undeniable example of making a huge investment in the refinement of hardware & software necessary for EV drive.

 

A lot of people want to see this.
But I think it's an assumption to call it "electrophobia".
I've debated it before, but there are a lot reasons, IMO where one can justify easily Toyota's decision to NOT be an immediate player in the EV vehicle market.
Maybe the simplest but NOT the only being, at this point? They do not need to be. As much as a percentage of "us" want it to happen? It may NOT be the wisest business decision for Toyota at this time.
It's short sighted IMO to assume an electrophobia, or fear as why Toyota isn't pioneering the EV movement as a Mass Market automobile manufacturer.
Toyota didn't get to where Toyota is, by being afraid of, or resisting evolution. In fact, Toyota just the opposite. I'd assume Toyota does have engineers, developers, working on EV vehicle development. They may bring it along at a pace some are disappointed in, but whether they should be disappointed or not? Is a matter of perspective.
Nissan has had the Leaf for years, has it made Nissan bigger than Toyota? Timing and the actual product IS everything. I'm not convinced Toyota isn't handling their advancement of EV vehicles perfectly...for the company Toyota must be.

 

Sorry, I missed the use of the term fuel-free cars.

But even then?
I would think Toyota would simply create a full electric Prius as opposed to retire the moniker.
Recent evolution I think supports this.
Prius, Plug In Prius, Prius Prime.....
I think Toyota IS on the Hybrid bridge they DID so much to build. But I also think they are crossing it. Just not at the pace some would like.

 

I don't see the compulsion to "progress" to full electric. I just wish they'd clean up their act with the hybrid Prius.

On the interior: improve the efficacy of the dash, go back to more textured materials that don't show every scuff, improve the ergonomics, deescalate on the touch-screens and consider more tactile/ergonomic manual controls, reinstate the spare on every level, get the hatch floor with back seats flipped down as flat/smooth as the Matrix.

On the exterior: bring durability and aerodynamics to the fore, improve "bumper" durability, tone down the headlight sculptures, lower collision repair costs, and just generally resist the urge to make the car look like a 'toon.

As @bisco would say: I better stop before my head explodes...

 

What would be the last Prius called - Prius Ultimus?

Perhaps Toyota can use the word Prius to denote a hybrid version of their other vehicles, e.g. RAV4 Prius Maximust Mirabilis Imcomparabils

 

I mean a blunt rear without a Kammback slope, which the Tesla definitely has. On the other hand, hatchbacks and SUVs usually do not have that slope.

Toyota is also willing to eat the hybrid system cost on the Rav4. The list price for the for the Corrola and Camry are $3000 and $3500 more for the hybrids. The Rav4 hybrid is also slightly more powerful than the ICE models.

With Toyota's North America data.
year: 2019 2018 2017 2016
hybrid sales: 230,889 182,851 146,818 181,731

The Rav4 sales in 2019 comes close to the 2016 Prius figures, and it does provide a boost for last year. The Prius peak sales for just the US was 181,221. Peak Prius family for the US was 236,655. The Prius family has sold more in The US one year than all Toyota hybrid sales for 2019 in US, Canada, and Mexico.

So the Rav4 hybrid has done a lot to recover lost Prius sales.

Toyota Motor North America Reports December 2019, Year-End Sales - Toyota USA Newsroom
Toyota Motor North America Reports December 2017, Year-End Sales
Toyota Prius family US car sales figures

 

Around here everyone seems to be driving CUV and SUV, marked shift in the last decade.

I heard part of it is that the "utes" have laxer safety, fuel economy and emission standards, so the manufacturers can make "more" vehicle for any given price level?

 

Completely ignore what I said about the newest model...

You're missing the point, again. Remember when Prius PHV came to an end. You focused on data then too, rather than stepping back and looking at Toyota's approach & goals. That's why I keep forcing the bigger picture to be taken into consideration and repeating the "know your audience" advice.

It simply makes no sense that Toyota would eliminate a hatchback out of their product-line, especially with sedans falling out of favor.

 

John, you are the one that specifically asked Trollbait "How are you able to draw that conclusion with so little data?"

Now when that question you asked is answered, you say data is irrelevant?
You don't seem to know what Toyota's goals are. Most others here do.

 

Providing data unrelated to the question isn't an answer, it's a what-about response. We had been discussing recent change, not the past. The mid-cycle update of Prius was a rather significant change, directly addressing the most sighted reason for sales dropping. The claim of "steady" was based upon barely anything (only a few months of sales and limited availability). I called that out.

Most people would simply state the goals to end the supposed misunderstanding. Please do that.

 

This is all you said about it.

I said the Rav4 hybrid has helped Toyota regain hybrid sales lost from the Prius. A big part of that is with them hiding the cost of the system in the AWD price. Not something Toyota can do for most other models.

The SUVs success is another reason that the Prius might just get cancelled. If they feel the need for a hatchback hybrid, Toyota can easily bring over the hatchback or wagon version of the Corolla hybrid.

 

You mean you want a Prius c?

Apart from the reduced size, you've described one well. Maybe they need a C (upper case) in the lineup?

 

In my state the difference in fuel cost between a standard 5 speed and a Hybrids is no where near the $555 tax (title+registration) premium between the 2 cars.

 

It'll be interesting to see how well packaged the YARIS Hybrid is - I suspect only the hatch version here, but other markets might get the Sedan/Saloon version.

 

Was not the very very first prius basically a hybrid Yaris?

 

Echo. The Prius predated the Yaris. Europe got a Yaris hybrid instead of the Aqua/Prius c as the latter would have had to pay import taxes

 

So, the push by governments to get us into more efficient and cleaner vehicles, has driven the majority of auto consumers to vehicles with lower standards for safety, fuel economy and emissions. Situation normal?

 

People have always wanted the biggest, fastest car they can afford to fuel on a regular basis. I don't see that changing.

 

Maybe. But not people who live in cities where parking a big car is a problem.

Mike