2022 Prime or Wait for 2023 yikes!

But isn't "titanium glow" gold, @pghyndman? Your Mercedes look gold, too (no pun intended).

 

Black cars can be harder to see at night.
However, that is what lights, and the required reflectors are for.

As for the BS statistics, that is exactly why those "studies" are 100% worthless.
They do not show cause and effect.
Those studies don't analyze the real and actual accidents, just the reported accidents.
Maybe, every person that drives a black car is mentally deranged? And, their deranged and damaged mind couldn't handle any car color other than black????

There is no such thing as a "silver car", nor "red car", nor "black car".
In regards to human color perception , those articles are 100% pure BS.
Human vision is much more sensitive to movement and change.
Just remember, if a T-Rex is chasing you, just stand still. They won't be able to see you.

A moving vehicle reflects light in many ranges.
Any non-stationary light on a stationary vehicle reflects light in many ranges.
Stationary light on a stationary vehicle also reflects light in many ranges.


In computer vision, for many decades, there have been many people/papers in dual/multiple majors (biology, computer engineering, electrical engineering, etc).
(Btw, it also semi-relates to why Tesla vehicles in self-driving mode, just drive full speed into trucks that are stalled, and horizontal across a lane. Another important fact, is the so-so cameras used.)

As famous New Englander said: "There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics." ;-)





Many of the Prius Prime colors are "Metallic".
"Metallic" colors vary.

For many reasons, I love the Metallic Gray.
One reason, is because it's the most "Metallic" of the the Prius Prime "Metallic" colors.
In general, "Metallic" colors have real metallic flacks in the paint. That makes it more difficult to paint and to have a top-quality paint. However, it reflects light more, and at various angles.
Some people prefer the standard "Gloss" paint look.
Some people, like me, prefer the "Metallic" look.


Fwiw, for Prius colors, I strongly suggest that people get close (1-2 feet) to a clean Prius of that color, in good daylight, and check out the real color. Imho, just walking by the car in a parking lot, isn't a good indication.

The first time I saw a clean Red Prius Prime up close, I was surprised. Imho, it's a very nice color!
Imho, with the body side moldings, it may even kinda/sorta/maybe beat my Metallic Gray.
Fwiw, body side moldings are a dealer-installable option. And, surprisingly, not expensive.

Extra Credit: Why exactly do the body side moldings make the Red Prius Prime look "so much better" from a design, and artistic view point?
Extra extra credit: Why Red, and not so much the other colors?

 

My family and I were discussing car colors over some time, as we agreed that the Lexus RX looked good--or not--in the darker metallic red. My wife's Gen2 RX330 just didn't look good in that color. However the more angular Gen4 does. We couldn't put a finger on why we found this to be true for us, but it just does.

We agreed that, to us, there's some effect of the body's shape that made the color make or break. For that reason, it may be that for the Prius in red, the addition of the body side moulding adds some sort of styling element that makes the color work.

 

The rumored possibilities seem possible to me, but as a MY2023, it seems unlikely. The gen4 Vegas reveal was Sept 15, and it went on sale in Japan in December. I would think marketing would be at least teasing things for a redesign by now.

Gold was listed as a safe color, mainly because it is uncommon. They is probably for real gold. The golds available now look more like a tan.

The actual studies disclose their limitations.
The three times difference between tradition red fire trucks and the high vis colors is too big to be explained by other factors.
The difficulty of the human eye to see red in peripheral vision is a real thing. A red car and greenery behind it can look the same then.
Red-green color discrimination in peripheral vision - PubMed

Low vis grey is a real paint color used by the Navy on ships and aircraft. It wasn't chosen for aesthetics. The silver used on cars can be really close to it.

Studies like these, and in house ones, are what insurance companies use to adjust rates. They don't ask for your car's color just because.

Daylight running lights can help with some of the drawbacks some paints, but raises another issue. Drivers forgetting to turn on headlights at night. So they are driving around, using headlights at half power, and no tail lights on, in the dark.

Should other drivers be getting close to see them?

 

"All cats are gray in the dark"... and, alas, on my registrations the DMV lists each simply as gray.

 

Cats don't have a great color vision.

The blue magnetism (aka spirited aqua metallic) appears like a colored car in a black & white or sepia world (for example see your profile picture). I don't know how it's seen by the cat's eye though.

 

Hypersonic red and supersonic red are nowhere as great as the amazing Mazda soul-red crystal metallic though. Every time I see it, the beauty of the paint job shocks me.

Motion-capture sensors create Mazda's soul-red crystal metallic paint process on the Mazda6 and more—Kristin V. Shaw

 

Perhaps you need an EV?

 

That's a shame.

I see you're located in Connecticut (as am I) which, along with local utilities has really good rebates going on. We just got a check for $1100 for installing a Level 2 ChargePoint and $200 credit each year for using Eversource connected solutions WiFi program.. After the install cost we actually made money and charge the car in less than 1/2 the time of Level 1. ​

 

Unfortunately, most local and federal charging-infrastructure credits have expired. I'm not sure why Biden didn't reintroduce them in his "inflation" bill.

However, there is a 30% discount for installations in 2023 or later if your area is low-income.

Alternative-fuels data center: Alternative-fuel infrastructure tax credit

 

The IRA did reintroduce them, you linked to it.

26 USC 30C: Alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit
26 U.S. Code § 30C - Alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Alternative Vehicle Refueling Property Credit Limited Under Democrats Bill
The last has a link to a mapping tool of eligible areas.

 

AFAIK, rebates are still available for Connecticut Eversource customers (Daisy555's location):

 

I fall in a yellow area, which makes me eligible. Interestingly, the few city blocks in my old Westside neighborhood that I used to live in also fall in a yellow area, even though they are renting my old one-bedroom apartment for ~ $3,500 now after it was renovated.

 

That's over twice my mortgage, and I'm not eligible. What is poverty level is relative to location.

 

Well, I'm glad I bought my current place because that's also over twice my mortgage.