I have seen threads about the foam under the deck behind the back seat. I needed to learn more and so I opened it up. There are two black plastic fasteners (one for each foam piece). They have heads about the size of a nickel and it is completely flat. They do not unscrew and must be pulled straight out. I started with a butter knife, once i could get a grip on the head I pulled it straight out. The shaft of the fastener is bristled with plastic fins that angle towards the head. Once I had each fastener out, I folded the back seat down and removed both foam pieces. I found that the shape of the floor and the equipment installed in this area was different than the photos I had seen on the internet. Perhaps those photos were taken in a Hybrid Prius and not a PHEV Prius Prime? My intent was to fabricate my own trunk deck as low as possible so that I could have additional space in this area. However, I found that much of the under foam area was either used for electrical equipment or a large round hump in the middle of the steel trunk floor. I think that more than 50% of the underfoam area is only about 2 1/4" below the top of the foam. Most of the rest of it is about 4" below the top of the foam. There are some small sections that may be 6" below the top of the foam. In order to create a new,, lower deck in this area I would only be able to locate it about 2" below the original deck. This would come at the cost of sound insulation and may be pretty tight to the components on the trunk floor. This is my first post, so I hope I successfully included the photos I took.
We were concerned about cargo space for a trip we are taking. My daughter and I loaded up the cargo area with an Ice Chest (23"x17"x18") which we use for all our cold storage needs when we camp or travel. It is pretty big, but not massive. We also have three carry on bags with hard sides and one soft side carry on bag. There is a bit more space around the perimeter of these items. We think this will cover most of our traveling needs for a family of four. I am pleased.
Those are very informative pics, a lot of new Prime owners will be happy to see just how the foam in the trunk is laid out and what's under that foam too. especially the Prius Campers. Zooming in on the measurements it looks to me like they are 2' 10" wide and 2' 11" length wise and the foam where you measured it around 4" thick. Thanks so much for posting them and your observations of the trunk floor too.
do you mean, with the styro in place? No modifications? My intention is to make a new floor exactly at the same level of the measuring tape, same level of the existing side flat surfaces left & right. It looks possible.
Something does have to actually be able to take weight, and not break if poked. The existing thickness arching over the equipment doesn't seem super generous. And note that it is expanded polypropylene, not polystyrene. If you're going to attempt to anything thinner, I'd recommend making sure you use EPP. Someone here did replace with polystyrene, but that was going for the more straightforward fill around a tyre in an HEV, not the arching-over-PHEV-equipment shape. 2023 - Prius or Prime - spare tire? | Page 15 | PriusChat Also be aware that the pictures show 1 of 2 possible configurations for the PHEV - if you have the solar roof, then there is the control unit for that on the right-hand side too, presumably mounted on the holes you can see opposite the charger unit. If that was present, there would be a different right-hand piece of expanded polypropylene with a shallower compartment. Not seen images, but the solar control unit can't be as tall as the charger, given that it still gets a shallow compartment above it.
I wonder where they hid the prime EV battery? In the last generation, the battery was where the foam is now, as shown in the photo. There is very little information, just like there is very little new Prius.
Prime EV battery is under the car now > In the Prime PHEV, the battery goes under the car. It's in roughly the same place, but the sheet metal floor goes over the battery, and the battery is encased in a weatherproof container. So to remove the battery, the car is placed on a lift and the battery is lowered like a transmission or rear differential. 2024 XSE traction battery location & Li chemestry ? | PriusChat
