in the market for a new Prius a v or plug-in??

The charging cordset (L1 EVSE) that comes with the Prius Plug-in plugs into a standard 120V outlet, so if you have a regular wall outlet available at work, you can charge it.

 

I don't think a prius plugin makes sense for a 85 miles commute. You can check out the volt. I hear it can do about 50 miles on the charge, so if you can plug in to a regular outlet at work, you've got yourself an all electric commute. It wouldn't fit your dog though...

 

I heard that the charging cable is $1k, is there a way to secure them while charging in public places?

 

I noticed on another thread that the charging cable does not lock when in use. It seems to me that it's quite possible the thing will grow legs someday. So I asked my dealer the price of a replacement.


Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/securing-the-charging-cable.105077/#ixzz25jV2kjow

 

I have two sons and a Sheltland Sheepdog. The v would be great for the baby. The backseat in the v is great plus the middle seat has a lot of room. I put a Costco dog bed in the back of my v and my dog has lots of room.
Hope this helps.

 

If you are using a 240V charging station, you are using the charging station's power cord and J1772 plug. And if you are using a ChargePoint 120V station, there is a locked box you can put your EVSE in that is locked/unlocked with your ChargePoint card.

 

really..........all the ChargePoint stations I've gone to can only hold the plug and cord. there's not enough room for the brick

 

Given your distance and space requirements the v may be the best fit!

That said, there is a case to be made for the PiP for long commuters particularly if you can find a way to charge during the day. At least with that commute distance you know that you'll always be getting your money's worth out of the battery

If you can only charge at home, you'll offset about 15 miles of your 85 miles/day. At 55mpg, that will cut your fuel use from 1.55 to 1.28 gallons per day (66mpg). Assuming you commute 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year, and gas is $4 that's $1488 (372 gal) vs. $1229 (307 gal) saving $259 (65 gal) per year on gas, but you'd likely pay back about half that in electric costs.

If you can charge at home and work, now you'll offset 30 miles out of 85/day. At 55mpg now your daily consumption is cut from 1.55 gallons to 1.0 gallons (85 mpg). With the same assumptions annual gas cost goes from $1488 (372 gal) to $960 (240 gal) for a savings of $528/yr (132 gal), but again you'll probably lose half that paying for the electricity.

Interestingly with a long commute you're really no worse off than someone with a seemingly more "ideal" commute. Either way, if you can only recharge once a day you'll offset 15 miles or 30 miles recharging twice. From a return on investment perspective, the key is basically maximizing the number of times a day you can completely drain and refill the battery. Once you've paid for it, you've got to use it to start earning your money back From that perspective, a commute that's too long for the range of your battery is actually better than a commute that's too short. With a longer commute you'll save just as much gas/money as the "ideal" 15-30 miler, your mpg numbers just won't sound as sexy. With a commute that's too short, every time you either skip an opportunity to recharge or recharge a less than empty battery you're throwing away some of that potential gasoline offset.

With current prices its unlikely that a PHEV will pay back its initial cost over its life, but you can at least try to get back as much as you can. A longer range PHEV or even EV would get you more gas offset/savings, but the bigger battery usually cost more and may have other compromises (vehicle size (Volt), range limitations (Leaf), etc.) If you are feeling adventurous, another avenue you could explore would be to look for a used Prius (or a new V!) and put something like the 10kW Plug-in Supply conversion kit in it. You'd get a lot more gas offset (40-50 miles per charge?) and probably come out cheaper than a new PiP, but I don't think conversions get the CA carpool sticker.

Ultimately you just have to weight the cost difference, value of the carpool sticker, value of the extra room, value of using less gasoline, etc, etc and decide what makes sense for you

Good Luck!

Rob

 

imo you should decide between hov sticker or extra room. you won't save enough on gas to make a big difference. although there is one thing not taken into consideration here, the pure thrill of driving all electric, especially if you do any evening or weekend local driving/errands. is the extra time with your family worth cramming your daughter and dog into the back? all the best with your decision and let us know what you buy and how it works out for you.

 

The cord can lock. I have also just plugged in and driven atop the cord too. No one can get it that way.

 

The difference isn't just the 45 minutes less driving a day, it's the 2:15 of less hassle free driving. I take the LIE HOV lane and it's so much less stress driving in the HOV lane rather than the regular lanes. Besides, you can spend 45 minutes more a day with your baby girl. Enjoy these times, because they grow up fast.

Another thing to take into account is that the PiP will get you better gas mileage when in the HV mode than a regular Prius. So, that will add to your cost savings.

BTW - what is your other car? You will put on minimal miles when you have a full load, compared to your daily commute.

 

I am sure if you check the PlugIN section, you'll find them there well published. Just updated today.

 

It costs me about .19 an hour to plug in at home. That's approx 60 cents a day, so
$18. a month.

 

You might also consider the incredible luck of timing. PiPs are currently being sold at unbelievable discounts off MSRP, largely because gas is incredibly cheap at ~$4/gal.

Do you want to gamble that PiPs or gas will ever again be this inexpensive?

Financialy speaking, I gambled and lost by purchasing at MSRP minus $500 back in November. You can do much, much better now.