Prime destined to be doa?

I think you are absolutely correct.

There is a lot of competition now, and more major car manufacturers are coming into the the market.

The consumer will have more options this time around.

 

This.

 

Personally I believe there is 0 (as in zero) competition from Tesla and in particular the Model 3. Toyota will have delivered the Prime for almost a year before the 1st Model 3 comes out. And given Tesla's predilection for production delays I'll be willing to bet it'll be a couple of years before there is a steady supply to meet 1/10th the demand. The Model 3 ain't here yet and it won't be here for a while.

By that time the price for a Prime will have dropped and the deals will be pretty good. Just like they were for the Plug-in Prius. And oh yeah you'll still be able to take advantage of Federal Tax credits.

 

I completely agree with you, by the time the Tesla MODEL 3 will show up for deliveries,Toyota will have already a very good discount on the Prime, and will be logical because their expected sales will be sooo loow that in order to get rid of the non moving merchandise, will have to literally give them away.

 

Pre-ordering the Model 3? Some things to consider… | PriusChat

 

I understand some people got their PiP for less than a plain old Prius.

 

That is the most disturbing part of all of this. Should have waited and gotten the PiP for a steal, but who would have known?

 

Uh, NO. The Prime will probably start shipping -next- January from what I've read. What was shown was a "prototype" - testing the waters? But you could be correct if Tesla's delays continue.

 

Two sets of insurance, registrations, inspections, servicing, and trying to keep the 12v battery charged are just a few reasons. And for most folks who don't live in the great wide open like Kansas or south Texas, they don't have room to park another vehicle.

That's why I love a hatch/wagon. I just loaded/unloaded 500 pounds of sand yesterday for a home project. No way I'd attempt that with a deep trunk nor did I need a truck.

 

Competition.....
Let's not forget about the Bolt... actual "cars in driveways & garages" are on track to happen in 2016.
$35k- $7.5k fed tax credit, with 200+mi all electric range... pretty slick!
GM by now has an excellent track record in building and delivering it's PHEV's on time and with high quality. There's no reason to doubt the Bolt will be any different. GM has invested a fortune in the Bolt and took on LG as a collaborative partner to source/build components for the Bolt.
The pricing seems reasonable, the build seems practical, GM/LG are more than capable of building the vehicle... let's see what happens this fall.

 

Right now CA buyers have to plan for future after imminent 2018 death of green HOV stickers for PiP/Prime and their PHEV ilk. That future is Model-3 and Bolt because they have long term white HOV stickers for BEV.

However, stay tuned...as Mark Twain once said, rumors of my death...

 

if you're in that position, you'd be fuelish not to put a deposit on a Tesla, you can always cancel if you want a bolt when it's available. though i have to wonder how many they'll start making and what the demand might be.

 

Maybe CA needs to allow more green HOV stickers as GM and Tesla can't make enough BEV's to meet the HOV lane demand. Yikes Model-3 orders, apparently speculative to some extent, are out the roof.

 

i suppose carb will have to keep a close eye on model 3 production ramp up and weigh the available spots for each coming year.
might be a good time for nissan to introduce the new leaf.

 

LG usually excels in hardware and design, but falls short on software. if GM can make up for this, then this should be a strong competition

 

I think only carrying 4 is a big mistake but I have to handed it to the prime. It will have class leading range + class leading MPG + class leading MPGe. These three items are the real selling point over the Model 3 and Toyota marketing needs to push these items very hard so no-one forgets it.

 

I like the thought but not sure it prevails in USA market...

 

not right now, that's for sure.

 

To your comments I have to add that the Prime's hatch loading capacity have been minimized, about an iPhone 6 width; so the loading floor is about 3" higher due to the extra traction batteries. First time I saw that, it took me by surprise.

 

Just editorial: it's an iPhone width, not height. Significant tho.