Some insider notes on the 2017 Prius Prime

What part of 'MY seat is very comfortable' didn't you understand?

 

Don't tell her, or let her drive. Do either with caution.

 

The US roadblock has to do with meeting very stringent Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations. Toyota hasn’t been able at this point (November 2016) to laminate the photovoltaic cells in a resin that won’t shatter during a rollover crash, however, the roof panels do meet safety standards in Japan & Europe.

 

Gen 3 was available with a solar charging moon roof option. What happened since then?

 

link? Fiskar Karma had almost their whole roof done in solar - & came out amout ½ decade ago ....
Toyota said it added too much to the cost
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See below to see how easy it is to add a 1KW inverter to the Prius.

 

Any reason something similar (to the 1KW inverter) couldn't be done on a Prime? I've been using an inverter on my '07 Prius when I go camping and on telescope outings to power my electronics. I'm thinking of upgrading to the Prime and I'd like to keep the option.

I wish Toyota would offer a ~500-1000W AC output option from the factory. Personally I'd take something like that over the (kind of gimmicky, IMHO) solar panel option any day.

 

no reason at all, the operations are the same. pm bob wilson, he may be doing the same with his prime, he had it on his 2010.

 

That outlet accessory ^ is limited to 100 volt - the voltage of Japan. In theory, the 1000 watt converter project could be done in a Prime, but the 12-volt battery to attach it all to is now up front instead of inside the rear hatch. That makes it a bit more complicated, wouldn't it? (unless there's a 12v battery direct bus to wire to that is also somewhere accessible in the back of the car)?

 

Yet, isn't that Prime plug thingy some ridiculous price?

EDIT:

Tea kettle needs or not, that's some wacky pricing for a limited use item. If the dealer sold it, they'd probably add $1,200 or more.

 

Depends on how accessible everything is. If we are lucky enough to simply thread electrician fishing tape along the main power cable, or other conduit, running a cable from the 12 volt to back won't be too much harder. A stereo installation place could likely find the easiest way.

 

You can buy a 750 Watt inverter from Harbor Freight for $39.00. It clips to the Prius 12V battery and runs, runs, runs...

 

Be aware that that inverter is a "modified sine" inverter, meaning it produces basically square waves instead of sinusoidal waveforms. That means power quality is low and some things will run hot and others will not run at all on such an inverter.

For this reason, I have a 2000W modified sine inverter for heavy loads like refrigerators and a 300W pure-sine inverter for more sensitive loads like CFL and LED lights and electronics.

 

I tried (see above) to reply to the Ford/ Toyota thread but not really sure how to do so. For me it is not just about the manufacturer but the local dealers. What is available and what the local dealers are known for. A great car sold by a shop I would never want to do business with is nothing. I have had very positive experiences with a Toyota dealer and awful ones with the local Ford dealer. That is why I am a Toyota buyer, why I have made repeated purchases there and will continue to do so. All vehicles have failings and drawbacks and so do dealerships. Go to one that works for you and buy what works best to fulfill your needs. The Prime has not really been available in Dallas as yet so getting acquainted with one before buying could mean a 2018 model. We have had good experiences with Prii and will continue to buy them in one form or another.

 

Fair enough, there is a Toyota dealer here I won't step foot into because they required a credit check before telling to price of a used car. Perhaps I am lucky in having multiple dealers for each brand to pick through here.

 

They easily met fed standards on the Gen1 Fisker karma in the U.S. too - which although gimmick-ie (even though it had the highest output of any roof top solar), the juice provided was paltry.
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Exactly, no fifth seat and no continuous cargo area with the seats down is a deal breaker for me.