What Happens If Not Plugged In?

I would say it works like any other non plug in Prius.

 

You can drive the Prime like a regular Prius and actually still get better gas mileage than a regular Prius. The Prime has an average gas mileage rating of 54 mpg while the regular Prius is rated at 52 mpg. I think it has to do with the ability of the larger battery to capture more regenerative electricity where the regular Prius will waste it after the battery capacity is full. Of course, you would get the most efficiency by plugging in as much as possible being the Prime is rated 133 mpge on electricity. It is the most fuel efficient plugin hybrid for 2017!

#1 in Easley,SC

 

Yes. But why ?
If you are NOT in a situation where you can plug it in almost every day (assuming a daily commute), then it will likely NOT be worth the extra cost.

 

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in many cases, a prime is cheaper than a lift back.

 

In particular, after you apply the federal tax credit and any applicable state rebates.

 

exactly

 

There are many experts who can tell you the right things, but what I understand is

In HV mode, it remembers the EV miles left and tries to maintain the same so that regular HV driving won't increase the EV miles much.
ex. if EV miles are 15 mi, HV mode could add some miles depending on the terrain and driving situation. But it tries to consume more electricity and by the end of driving, it will go back to 15 mi.

You can choose CHG mode in which the ICE works harder to move the car and charge the battery. I don't like this because it is noisy. And I don't know the most efficient situation you can use CHG mode. Uphill/downhill/leveled, freeway/surface.

What I sometimes do to increase the EV miles with HV mode is to switch HV/EV at the traffic light. When you stop at the light, HV regen adds 0.5-1 EV mile. While waiting, switch to EV and when you start driving, switch back to HV. Then it remembers the new EV miles so that at every traffic lights, you can add some miles. MPG may be as bad as CHG mode, but you can enjoy silence at the red light.

The best way is to find your favorite plug-in spots if you can't do it at home, though.

Hope this will help.

 

With federal and state tax credits/incentives it can actually be cheaper than buying a regular Prius.

 

Why would you not be plugging in, and why get the Prime if you can't?

 

Yes you can. I've drained the battery and drive exclusively on HV for several hundred miles already to test the HV mpg in real world. It works just like any Prius. Although in some thread somebody mentioned holding the HV/EV button to force charging to 80% capacity to climb hills, that part I never tried.

 

Yes, but I was hoping for a specific answer from the OP, because Florida is not one of those states.
The Jacksonville Electric Area offers a $1000 rebate for customers, and there is plug in HOV access, but that's it for big incentives in the state.

 

1. Incentives
2. Higher resale value
3. More future proof
4. Slightly better highway fuel economy, in part because engine can stay off at higher speeds (84 mph instead of 72 mph)
5. WAY better seeing at night, quad-LEDs
6. Options to plug-in at or near home may change based on one's circumstances
7. More J1772 charging stations nationwide will come online, making the option to charge worth it
8. Much longer electric range than Gen 4, by a factor of about 10
9. EV mode actually makes sense, no awkward 25 mph limit or warm-up required
10. More regeneration down long hills/mountains, without needing to switch to B
11. Blue magnetism color option

And the best part:

12. You can draw 200 amps from the Prime's battery flooring, giving you an INSANE amount of horsepower just from the battery, and that means, passing on the highway.


Prime Advanced is only 14% more expensive than non-Touring Prius Gen 4, and that's before incentives.

Did I convince you yet?

 

But you are charging it. Sounds like the OP will not be doing so.
The Southern Toyota networks are not Prime friendly. So local pricing for the gen4 and Prime could be more competitive.

The incentives that allow the lower Prime price mean it is going to have a lower resale value. Plug ins depreciate fast at this time.

 

Even prospective buyers who intend to plug in regularly might want to know that the Prius Prime can go without external charging, if necessary. People who plan to use a charging station in an apartment building or workplace, for example, might want to be sure that they wouldn’t have to replace their cars if they move or take a new job and no longer have a convenient, economical place to plug in.

 

I think this thread captured the essential points.

It's not just the state rebates but the Federal credits. If the Jacksonville area provides a $1000 incentive, that is on top of the Federal incentive of $4500. Assuming you can take advantage of the federal credit. In Massachusetts it is a $1500 incentive plus the $4500 federal rebate so I started with a $6000 discount that was not available if I purchased a regular prius instead of the prime. AND, that's not counting the $3250 toyota rebate those of use in NewEngland still qualify for. With that I'm up over 9000 reasons why I would consider a prime over a regular hybrid. No need to go beyond #1 on the list.

Whether the prime offers higher resale value relative to a normal prius is something only time will show. As this thread has said several times, if you never plug in a prime, it is essentially just a hybrid that gets slightly better mileage...I expect resale value to track relative to comparable cars and at five years old a prime will compare very favorably to a regular prius.

Anyhow, the primary factor here is actual sales price difference. If I could get a equivalently equipped non-prime for many thousands less than a prime, and never intended to plug it in, it might makes sense to get it instead.

 

Incentives on new are going to effect the price on used. Just look at the used prices on plug ins now.