Prius Plug-in and Volt Pros and Cons

I'm not a heated seats fan, I always feel itchy down there when I have them on. 10 minutes of engine running is enough time to warm things up in the interior of the car.

 

Nope, I paid $41,000 MSRP (including destination fee) in 2010 to get one of the first modern J1772 plugin cars delivered (VIN 42) and have been happily driving it for just under 3.5 years and 82,000 miles. I could have waited for prices to drop but had already been waiting years for a real plugin hybrid and I wasn't going to wait any longer.

I have a long commute and can recharge at 240v at work so I typically drive EV 80-100 miles per day without range anxiety. I think of it as having saved $50,000 by not getting a Model S.

 

Our thoughts and PIP experience are almost identical. No other EV plans for me at the present.

 

The source is from a paper GM wrote. That's where all the misinformation are from.

I lived in Queens, NY. The electricity isn't cheaper than gas but cleaner. If it weren't for the very short commute, gas would have been cheaper to run.

Short trips are bad for gas due to cold start up penalty. You won't get 50 MPG, more like 35-45 depending on how short.

That's where the benefit of short EV range comes in.

Now that I am in NJ, the electricity rate is lower.

 

Huh?

 

Welcome to Jersey!

 

Chevrolet recommends using the seat heaters rather than HVAC to keep warm during Winter.

 

It's a pdf from Chevrolet, see if this works.
Chevrolet Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Crossovers and Vans/.../02_pdf/2013%20Volt_ColdWeatherTips_Nov%2012.pdf

 

I drove all winter with just seat heating, but hay it's no big deal, how much does a car warm up in 4 or 5 miles unless you fire it up in the drive and let it idle a long time before you depart. Plus short trips are bad for the engine and exhaust system. Plus short trips in the winter in my 2010 Prius were low mileage on gas. I would only get 35 MPG most of the time and occasionally 40 MPG.

Anyway I just filled up on my way home from church today, first fill up since 12/28/13. 598 miles driven, 95 straight highway (interstate too)miles driven all in one day and the rest local rural roads and some highway 7 miles highway every Sunday. Took 3.9 gallons. Of that total 95 miles were all on one day of 60 to 75 MPH, that would be around 95 miles/56 mpg= 1.7 gallons, so the remaining 403 miles rural mostly EV during this winter 403 miles/2.2 gal= 199.5 MPG and 92 kwh of electricity ($11.50 for electricity). This was mostly winter miles with temps in the 20, 30 and 40 deg F range. So $11.50 for electricity and $ 7.70 for gas is $19.20 / 403 miles = $0.0476 per mile.

A Volt would not serve my need as well as the Prius Plug-in because we drive 600 miles a day in the Prius when we go on vacation. When on the freeway driving 70 to 75 MPH I will get 56 to 58 MPG. So if you want a all around PHEV that excels in both worlds then the Prius plug-in is the class leader in my book.

 

Can you expound on this sentence please? Total miles for the mileage stated and was a fully charged EV part of the equation?

I'm trying to wrap my head around a 56-58 MPG trip at 70-75 MPH. I don't doubt you but I'm just very curious as I would think are others.

 

I made nearly exactly that same trip last night, going home from the farm in my PIP. I had a full EV charge, but I deliberately turned off EV mode, and kept the car in Eco mode all the way home, which was almost exactly 120 km (76 miles). The temperature was about 10C which is about 50F. It was a fairly busy 4-6 lane highway, and traffic was moving at a fairly constant 120 kph (75 mph). My tripmeter showed 4.2 L/100 Km average, which equals 56 USMPG.

I won't say the EV charge didn't help, because it went from 18 km EV range when I left to 15 km EV range by the time I got home, but I doubt it was very significant to the overall mileage. What may have helped a bit was the slipstream of other traffic, but it couldn't have been very much, as I maintained a distance of at least 4 car lengths behind other vehicles.

 

When on the interstate I drive at an average speed of 70 to 75 MPH and in HV mode get typically 56 to 58 MPG.

Of the 598 miles(all in HV mode) since I last filled up on Dec, 28,13 , 95 miles were on the freeway driving. The other 503 miles were regular local city/rural miles of which 7 miles per week were on a state route back and forth to church on Sunday (50 t0 55 MPH), all other in town. So (i see a mistake in my previous post) anyway. That 503 miles was around 80 plus%
in EV mode. The result energy usage was 92 kwh of electricity at $ .125 /kwh or $11.50 plus 2.2 gal of gas for $7.70 or total $ 19.20 for 503 miles or $19.20/503= $0.038 /mile.

The point was the 95 miles was in the 598 miles since I last filled the tank. Those 95 miles were all 4 lane freeway miles driving at 75 MPH and the gas consumed would have been at 56 to 58 MPG, so I used about 1.7 gallon.

The remaining 503 miles were short trip local rural driving from 12/28/13 thru today when I filled up the tank with 3.9 gallons. So the 3.9 gallons minus 1.7 gallon estimate sets the stage for my winter driving of 503 miles on 2.2 gallons and 92 kwh of electricity. Shows how little or infrequently the ICE ran in those 4 month's.

I know I went around robin-hood's barn a few times here. Hope it is a little clearer as to what I am trying to say.
(for volt owners that think the Prius plug-in can't do much in EV mode and has to be forced to do EV.......)

 

Thank you.

 

Actually I had a headwind that day, I was traveling east to west.
You did not read my info did you or full comprehend what I said. I have the 2014 PLUGIN Prius, I agree in my 2010 Prius IV I only got 50 to 52 MPG over the exact same route!!! I guess you just hate to see 56 to 58 MPG in HV mode compared to your VOLT.

I base my car purchases on overall value for sure!

 

I am not acting like electricity played no part but it did not, I was driving from Baltimore Maryland all in HV mode as my EV charge was DEPLETED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO RECHARGE AS I WAS FROM OUT OF TOWN. 410 MILES ALL IN HV MODE AT AN AVERAGE 57 MPG.

 

The best I ever got in my 2010 Prius IV was 52 MPG on the same trip. The extra battery capacity in the Plug-in helps recover more energy on this particular trip, Baltimore MD to Columbus OH. Hence 57 MPG even with a headwind. This is a trip we make frequently, exact same route.