Featured Hyundai IONIQ - Prius competitor?

My interest has shifted to the Tesla Model 3 .... the first production vehicle now starting to appear "in the wild." IMHO, an absolutely beautiful vehicle.

Hyundai has a pure EV and it appears in pictures I have seen to be very handsome. I have yet to see one in person.

What is Toyota's plans? I (think) previously they were casting their lot with hydrogen .... has that changed? Have any artist depictions been released? The Prime is better looking than the Prius .... hopefully the Toyota EV (if that materializes) will continue that trend.

 

i don't think anything has been announced. are they actually delivering model 3's to placeholders?

 

they've recently claimed to be working on a 'real' ev .... IE, not another roller skate sized - 50 mile golf cart, like the last feeble attempt. How far it will go? That's still to be determined. They're late to the party but at least they say they are now going to show up. I hope it's a model 3 killer. Or at least a Chevy bolt killer.
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After posting my comment (see above) ... I read about the 2018 Camry. Wow; I like what I read.

Hill mentioned a "Model 3 killer." Time will tell. I will be interesting to see how it "shakes-out". Personally, I really love the looks of the vehicle and I have put a reservation down. But I will not follow through with a purchase unless all of the other important considerations are favorable (fit & finish, comfort, reliability, maintenance, insurance cost and etc.)

From everything I have read ... the Bolt is not selling well, inventories are bulging, and assembly lines have been halted for 30 days (as I recall)

Model 3's are showing up on the road now (mostly in California). On the 28th, a big party has been scheduled to hand over the first vehicles assembled to owners.

 

A Toyota competitive EV will need a new, standard body that puts the battery assembly outside the interior. Inside is range limited.

Bob Wilson

ps. No interest for a decade.

 

Just did a refresh on projected long range EV projects. Toyota is looking to have it ready by 2020 ... 2 1/2 years out. Then, while fishing around, i find Volvo tossing in their hat . . .
Volvo plans a long-range electric car for 2019, details to come (updated)

SUV looking. So that's ANTHER wow.
Now for comfort? fit & finish? safety? that'd be a nice company to keep in mind imo. Our Tesla lease will be up by then too. It might not do 0-60 in 2 seconds like a top end Tesla, but after pushing into the 60 years of age decade? that's ok.
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From another site.
"Factory source says Bolt production capacity being Increased during shutdown

Quoting Don Lockrey

"I work at the factory. You’re article is wrong. We added an extra week for shutdown because of slowing sales of the sonic. I am assuming because of gas prices, as a 16k car isn’t as prized when gas is low. Another reason for the extra week was to complete bank systems and re do the assembly line to INCREASE Bolt production. The jobs are all set to produce bolts on a 2 Sonic, One Bolt mix. They are changing the mix to a 50/50 split which requires adjustments."

 

El Dobro - I stand corrected. I read an article on "Inside EV's" that substantiates everything you said.

While browsing around, I read an interesting article on "Hybrid Cars.com" by Jeff Conn entitled '2017 Has Been The Year Of The Toyota Prius’ Decline.' By no means is the Prius lift back out of the running, there is just so much more competition.
The article doesn't specifically mention it, but I still feel that Toyota self-inflicted some 'hurt' with the new design. I know it turned me off; I went from an almost sure buyer to a 'no-way' buyer .... and it was then that I started looking around, and became interested in the Tesla Model 3.

 

Prius sales have been declining for the past couple years. I think the self hurt has more to do with the Prime plus incentives. The person still buys a Toyota, but I suspect Toyota profits less on the Prime.

 

In order for manufacturers to compete with the other, it becomes necessary to offer up something similar to what the other guy has, especially if those competitors' cars are selling well. The trade-off is that it often undoes the sales of your own similar cars. Ergo we have Bob's thread, that pertains to the bolt ... but it's not just a gm problem - it's also a Ford, Toyota, Honda AND Hyundai problem:
Bolt the cannibal and used hybrid/plug-in generator | PriusChat
Call it vampire sales, cannibal sales or whatever - it means the same thing
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it's such a tiny portion of their businesses, they likely don't care. if they need more carb credits, they'll just discount some more, and more than make it up on loaded yukons.

 

I don't think Toyota is selling as many Tundras and Sequoias.

 

Well sackcloth and ashes for the Prius: http://wardsauto.com/engines/ioniq-slow-seller-not-quite-says-hyundai?NL=WAW-04&Issue=WAW-04_20170727_WAW-04_736&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPENT000000095975&utm_campaign=13084&utm_medium=email&elq2=db8f4187ac4d43ab94e1ed540d0ace41

This is my comment:

Toyota has collision avoidance, dynamic cruise control, called TSS-P standard on the Prius. My understanding is the Hyundai Ioniq requires an additional $1,000 package. A fair comparison would include the standard parts of each car and include the optional, extra cost of the other.

TSS-P or the equivalent is a mandatory requirement for our family as we have it on both our Prius Prime and BMW i3-REx. Having driven through dense fog twice, we really appreciate the radar, dynamic cruise control, for that extra measure of safety.​

Bob Wilson

 

interesting read. My take away from it though reminds me of all the pages here, talking it up how Bolt sales are Volt vampire sales. Is it a fair takeaway thought that the Hyundai lineup are Prius vampire sales?
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IMHO, Prius has and will mainly lost sales inside Toyota, potential new buyers have other options like Rav4 hybrid and in the mean time, the new Camry hybrid. Happened in Europe with the Auris/AurisTS hybrid versions.

 

Tesla comment:
The first release of Model 3's are now in the hands of private owners. With the release, Tesla announced prices.
In my opinion, the Model 3 is the best looking EV on the road (in my price range). But, there are disappointments.
The larger battery (300 mile EPA) cost $9,000. Black is the only standard color .... and anything else cost $1,000 or $1,500 for select colors. Some of the desired add-ons are bundled in $5,000 packages.

Many point out that Tesla is only assembling the higher priced versions initially. Could be .... but the first bunch are all clustered around $49,000 not the $35,000 that was touted.

From people that have seen the car, fit & finish are complementary; indeed, Motor Trend has written a terrific article praising the vehicle.

 

i don't think 9k for an extra 100 miles is disappointing, it wasn't promised for 35k, and i think you get fries with that.
i'm willing to wait until the 35k models are available. from what i can see, even though there have been hiccups, musk has been doing an amazing job for a new car company.

 

Consumer Reports' latest issue compares the Prius Prime with the Ioniq and the Kia Niro. CR now gives only capsule reviews of cars, and it seemed to me wrong to compare the Prius Prime, at $29,000, with vehicles that cost substantially less and are not plug-ins. And it seemed weird for CR to slam the Ioniq for having a dual back window when the Prius has had one forever.

 

And this is why CR seems to be relegated to the bottom of the parrot cage lately.

 

I cancelled my subscription to CR several years ago .... and never reconsidered the decision.