Here's an old article telling of the PHEV's that are being leased to various companies around the world ... in this particular instance ~ France: France EDF Energy And Toyota Join To Test Plug-In Prius Hybrids | The Motor Report: Auto News And Reviews Disney used to have a fleet of Factory EV Chevy trucks. I used to watch how my fellow employees beat the living $h1T out of 'em via charging neglect, and poor maintenance. This "worst treatment" scenario was in spite of being directed to "take care of them". Meanwhile these same end user / hate'rs of EV's whined about what crappy cars the EV trucks were. From this personal experience, I can't help but realize how all these Toyota PHEV's around the world will be treated. They too, will be subjected to the worst treatment, because the end user has NO vested interest in the product. Thus, the only thing Toyota will learn for their leasing efforts (making PHEV's available to FLEET USE ONLY) is how quickly & easily the PHEV's batteries will be destroyed. The fleet leases are under way, and Toyota is likely gathering the 'data' from the fleet users. Toyota made overtures that they'd ALSO get some of the PHEV's into the hands of individuals. Maybe I missed it. I know I tried & tried to get our boutique/corporate business on that list, only to find wewere beating our heads against a concrete wall. If we HAD been able to procure one, we would have REALLY made it shine ... just like we have with our existing hybrids. Who, if anyone made that short list of 'non corporate' end user? Someone must know, right? Anybody? Anybody? .
OTOH, since no treatment is worse than fleet use, Toyota will gain valuable information in a "worst case" scenario. If the cars survive this, they will probably survive anything in the hands of consumers.
You both make great points. But more than fleet results are needed. We need some 'hill' testers, and some regular folks who insist their brakes feel like other car brakes at every moment to get the full picture.
Nah, they should give it to me to test! I'd sort it out. If it could survive a few years with me then it would be well and truely tested
Didn't Toyota give some PHEVs to a fleet a couple years ago only to find out that the PHEVs gave barely the same mileage as the standard hybrid? Of course, what they later found out was that the fleet drivers never bothered plugging them in. Ever. I can assure you THAT won't happen when I get my PHEV Prius to road test.
Speaking of the PHEV Prius, any recent news from Toyota on the version that consumers will be able to purchase? Obviously, Toyota has been a 'little' distracted. But possibly there was some PHEV Prius news that got lost in the shuffle.
I think the average Prius Chat memebre would love to have a PHEV Prius. There are however forces who rue that day, like Oil Industry people, the politicians they carry around in their back pocket, and the auto makers who have neglected all these better technologies for so long they continue to flirt with bankrutcy. Since the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that there is No Limit on Corporate Money used to Buy Political Influence, don't be surprised when some 'issue' surfaces that kills the plug in cars.
