waiting list?

Talk with your dealer. I asked mine to keep me on their list.

 

it is vague, some are saying december. production starts 9/30. agree with linus, keep in touch with dealer regarding when you can put down a deposit.

 

I would seriously not believe any dealer (unless you know them personally) if they tell you that the only way to get one is to place a deposit down. The supply might be tight at first, but will settle down. And we have Tesla to thank for that, as of yesterday. I, for one, am hoping Costco will be able to work some some Prime time magic and thus preventing a dealer from selling over sticker. I won't be the first in line that way, but I won't be a sucker either.

 

Toyota would be so lucky to have people lining up to buy the Prime at $30K+.
I think it will sell even less than the original PIP, which was a solid offering five years ago- but a 2017 model with only 22mi EV range?

VOLT II has 2.5x the EV range, a 5th seat and a $7,500 fed tax credit which will bring it in under the Prime price.
Tesla got 200,000 orders for the $35k Model 3 in first day: Tesla got 200,000 orders for the Model 3 in about one day - Apr. 1, 2016
The Chevy Bolt ($35k suggested price less $7.5k fed tax credit) with a projected 205+ mi AE range will be available to order this fall and actual deliveries are scheduled to commence before the end of 2016.

Too much competition, or... too little, too late. Toyota really couldn't have released the Prime at a worse time...
The only reason you'll be waiting for the Prime is to find a dealer that actually stock one for you to look at.

 

i'm sure there will be a decent number of people who only need 22 miles, want toyota quality, and everything that comes with gen 4 prius. agree that price will be important.

 

In fairness, Prime sales won't be with the limit of select state availability like the PiP was.

With current batteries, 20~ mile range seems to be the balance point of range and space. While many would have been happier if Toyota traded a little bit of efficiency for a fifth seat, there will still be plenty that will be happy with the Prime. Hopefully, this upscale talk about the car won't show up in the price.

 

agreed. at least not the base price.

 

When it comes down to signing on the line that is dotted, put yourself in this situation:
Ok, Mr. X... sign here for this $35K Toyota, or... sign here for this $35K Tesla- hamburger vs. steak IMO.

Yes, not everyone can take advantage of a full EV like the Tesla or Bolt, but at $35k and $30k respectively, it may make people think long and hard about the possibility of going full EV, or just what they can get for that kind of money in 2017.

If the Prime comes in at $35k which a lot of people seem to think it will- any prospective buyer who does even the slightest amount of research will see there are currently vehicles that go farther on gas, on electric, and for less $$.

I can't imagine any dealers wanting to stock the Prime for walk-ins, it may end up being pretty much order only.

FWIW- I'm not just picking on Toyota, heck- I really liked the Prius 5 and the PIP (both purchased new) I owned. Both gave me zero problems and were reliable. It's just sad to see Toyota being beat out of the market that they practically created years ago.
Besides Toyota, GM should be very concerned too. They did a great job with the Volt and the Volt II, the Bolt looks like a real contender too, and they threw a ton of money into R&D on it. But a $35k Tesla could be a real game changer and when you take 200,000 orders for a vehicle in one day- that says something!

 

i think your making some assumptions, and over reacting a bit. while the tesla news has been good, it's still a way off. we don't really know any prices yet, and yes some people will think about and purchase a bev if that works for them, and some will purchase a phev if that works for them. no need to worry about toyota or gm, they aren't missing out on anything with their cash cow suv's and trucks.

 

I'm not making up the numbers bisco, both Toyota and GM are probably shocked at the Tesla news.

As of December 2015, about 75,000 Prius PHVs have been sold worldwide since 2012:
Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Global combined Volt/Ampera family sales passed the 100,000 unit milestone in October 2015:
Chevrolet Volt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tesla got 200,000 orders for the Model 3 in first day:
Tesla got 200,000 orders for the Model 3 in about one day - Apr. 1, 2016

Seem nobody is lining up to buy the Volt or PIP/Prime, but they are lining up to buy the Model 3...

 

A man goes into a butcher shop and asks the price of porkchops and is told $2.50 a pound. "I can get them for $2.10 down the street" he says. "So why didn't you buy them there?", asks the butcher. "They're out of them" he says. And the butcher replied, "When I am out of them I charge $2.00 a pound."

Let's wait until the car is here before we bask in its perfection.

 

Fact is: 22 ev miles represents no more than a 1/3 of a gallon of gas in a Gen 4 Prius. So, a good balance may be 20-25 ev miles + Mr. MPG

 

there are and will be a lot of people who don't think a bev will work for them, but would like some ev before they use gas. there is room for many types and models. none of them are going to sell in earth shattering numbers until gas prices rise significantly.

 

(Old timer here) Back during the 70's oil crisis, I remember the same gag was circulating with respect to gasoline stations with cheap prices. You could get some real bargains at the stations that had sold out their allotment.

 

To answer the OP's question you can sign up here: 2017 Toyota Prius Prime | Let's imagine the new possible.

As it says:
"Be among the first to get early access to pricing updates, valuable incentives and exclusive opportunities to get up close and personal with Prius Prime."

 

thanks, i just did!

 

Also just signed up.

 

Deposits are one thing. Orders are another. Its very possible that Model 3 buyers won't get their ride until 2020. That coupled with no $7,500 tax credit = alot of cancelled orders.