Gen 5 Prius (possible in 2021) will we possibly see 60mpg?

I thought they did quite a nice improvement in efficiency, driving feel, with 4th gen. I’d be happy if they took a break from that and focussed on style, utility and ergonomics.

again, not holding my breath. I suspect “team Pokémon” is still holding the reins...

 

Ah yes, the Corolla line, a great value for sure. Yota smartly only introduced a limited features Corolla Hybrid (no hatch, leather n/a, HUD n/a, no sunroof, etc.), leaving room for the Prius lines. Impressed though the Corolla Hybrid is 2,850 pounds, lighter than a Prius.

 

Ergonomics? This is the most comfortable car I've ever owned and I lost count of how many cars I've owned. Style is pure opinion and opinions are like butts: everybody has one. Utility is where they measurably and spectacularly screwed up by getting rid of storage spaces.

 

I looked.

 

Ray you’re coasting to the win, only just turned 90k kms, and who knows: 5th gen this fall?

 

.

Not bad for almost 2 years later.

I'll be curious what the Gen6 looks like and improvements made.

I just won't be buying it since my CFO has put me on new car probation for another 4 years.

But that's long enough for the Rivian bugs to be worked out.

 

toyota - they (failing to secure inventory from manufacturer) are already saying they are battery constrained. Hardly able to handle china orders ... we're the redheaded stepkids here in the US) So this shortage gives the short supply advantage to steelerships, that are charging $60k in some of the most ridiculous instances. And that's before sales tax Etc. Not exactly what many can afford.

.

 

I’d expect the Toyota Prius 5th Gen to depart from the hybrid only propulsion system and be a Plug-in Hybrid as standard - with a 14.0 kWh total traction battery setup.

The actual hybrid battery should be bumped up to anything from 2 to 3 kWh, and the rest allocated to the plug-in power pack.

A total of between 75 to 100 miles per charge seems reasonable. This also encourages the Gen 5 Prius owners to get to grips with “mock range anxiety” that becomes a reality when you own a BEV.

By the time my theoretical Gen 5 gets on the market, more prospective buyers should be considering how to regularly charge up what they drive - instead of relying on Petrol only.
Don’t laugh at this idea;
In London UK, when I bought my 2008 Prius Tspirit in June 2013, I was literally the only one in the entire area who owned / drove a hybrid.

Fast forward to today, and there are 7 hybrids in my street! 6 of them are Toyota’s. The other is a Hyundai Ioniq.
Changes to vehicle taxation (based on CO2 emissions) in London now make it lucrative to drive either a BEV, a PHEV or at least a Hybrid. There’s even a Fiat 500 mild Hybrid () getting in on the act.

So by the time the Gen 5 arrives, it should hopefully be a generous plug-in hybrid which will extol the virtues of being a part-time EV (and encourage the crossover to a BEV in future).
A Prius with that kind of configuration would encourage owners to install chargers at home and charge up overnight - instead of relying more on petrol.
It would be the perfect antidote to range anxiety, and the fuel tank could also be reduced to 30 to 35 litres in size.
Of course, it should still look like something from outer space and have a dashboard straight out of Star Trek: Discovery if it will be badged as a Prius



Source: iPhone 12 Pro Max 512GB ? Pro

 

Japanese sites are saying, speculating, 2023 (calendar year, not model year).

 

Who knows, with our new administration - shutting down the pipeline & wanting to create high-cost gas to get rid of the ICE, maybe the Prius C will make a comeback. That little guy can DEFINITELY get over 60 MPG.

.

 

Here is what bestcarweb.jp is saying, posted today, translation by Google. Not a lot of detail. There had been previous speculation of the plug in drivetrain being dominant with a regular hybrid only being available in the base model but no mention of that today. Appearance date is for Japan:

● Toyota new Prius (appeared in 2023) … A new Prius under development with the aim of debuting in January 2023. According to the latest information, it is basically a keep concept, and the power unit will be equipped with a 1.8L hybrid of the current lithium-ion battery. However, the base engine dramatically improves efficiency and further evolves fuel efficiency. Attention is focused on the sporty design, which further evolved the low center of gravity form by TNGA and realized a low and wide body silhouette.

　It is said that it aims to look like a sporty coupe rather than a family car. In addition, the futuristic design of the interior will be a selling point, and the next model will be even more rejuvenated. Naturally, running should also evolve significantly.

 

My take on the above is that Toyota may be aiming the design at the Japanese market, like they did with gen 4, trying to make it "exciting". Unless they strike a better balance, that could disappoint many of us on PriusChat who are "old school" and want the ultra practical design features of Gen 2 & 3.

 

that reminds me, how people would say “I’m going to make a “viral” YouTube”. Optimistic and brave.

 

I recently found out that I accidentally made a Viral meme “How is Babby Formed “

It wasn’t by being optimistic and I would question how much braveness is required to write nonsensically for humor.

One has to wonder if that’s accurate, maybe it’s due to Nissans $250 epower engine one upping them?

Beyond 56% would require a specialty liquid fuel cell unless it’s a diesel

 

Dynamic force aside
Many realitively simple engines can achieve near 50% if the intake, exhaust, runners, cam and thermal recovery is all tuned for a single power output.

Tuning the intake and exhaust can add +3% (or more) but it takes up real estate to do correctly.

The 1.8 could potentially hit 50% at the cost of the width of the efficiency band around a specific RPM.

A PHEV Prius with a strong hybrid system could hold the ecvt at a single RPM, but at the cost of increased electrical losses at the wrong speeds (like the Volt during low speed gas operation)

 

I get 66.

 

That isn't the same as an EPA-scale 66 or even 60.

E.g. depending on trim, your Prius scored 52 or 56 on the EPA Combined scale, even though the various underlying CAFE tests measured somewhere in the 70s or even as high as 84 mpg before being massaged and discounted to the official EPA scores. And under excellent conditions, you can match those CAFE measurements.

The raw test measurements, before massaging and discounting, are here:
Download Fuel Economy Data