My retired parents really want to get a 2017 or 18 Prius, The don’t drive much at all and have been told that it won’t be good for the battery if it’s not used regularly? Can you tell me if this is a good idea for a retired couple who live at the beach? Thanks
What sort of kms a week? The NiMH battery in NZ & Aus cars - I've left mine for 3 or 4 days often and it's still reading the same number of bars as when I parked it - but then, I still do 2-300 km/week. I would imagine something like 100km/week minimum should keep it going. The only issue would be - if they're paying a premium in capital expenses, say over a new KIA Cerato or Hyundai i30 (to pick 2 random cars with similar interior and boot space), and then not driving considerable distance to amortize the higher capital in fuel savings (capital could be $10k dearer), then there's no advantage (other than knowing that the car they're driving is lower CO2 emissions).
it's probably a waste of money for them, but the battery will be fine. the bigger issue is the 12 volt battery, which should have a battery tender connected if the car is only driven every few days. hybrids only pay off if you do a lot of driving. plus, repair shops are hard to find and dealers are abominable all that being said, it's a fun car, and i don't drive much either. if they can afford it, go for it!
Get the mid to cheapest you can find (in that range, closer to the cheaper end) ... since they are not driving all that much. Why does it matter buying brand new? Unless they specifically requested for it.
Our situation is maybe similar to your parents. It's garage stored, and I keep it hooked up to a smart charger, commencing any off day. If they have a garage that'd work for them.
I don't think they have the diverse range of models like in USA. We only get 2 options here - base and i-TECH for $8000 more - NZ could be different, but I thought I'd read somewhere that they get the same as us.
Kia Ora, I have been a Prius owner for 10 years (Gen 3 and Gen 4), and my usage profile is probably quite similar to your parents. Car gets quite light usage - car can stand for a week without being used. We do a 'long' round trip of about 250km every 2-3 weeks to visit mother-in-law. No battery issues. The 12V battery in the Gen 4 is larger than in previous models, and is not used to start the car - it just runs the electronics. Personally, I wouldn't worry about a trickle charger if the car gets a reasonable run on a fortnightly basis.
It doesn't provide the oomph to turn over the engine, but if the 12 volt is dead, the car won't start.
