I was wondering if the 2010 Prius was going to be one that I was going to run out and trade my 2006 in for. After watching the big unveiling of the 2010 model, I'm thinking I'm going to stick with my 2006. There aren't enough significant improvements in the 2010 to make it worth jumping further into debt over. Specifically the battery technology. The prior generations of Prius use the battery as an auxilliary power-source, there isn't enough storage capacity for it to be considered primary, even though when in electric mode the Prius moves fairly well under battery alone. I was really counting on the switch to Lithium-Ion batteries, which are purported to deliver up to 40 miles on a single charge and have higher current ratings. Pity Toyota couldn't put it together in time. My 2006 just turned over 75,000 miles and is showing no signs of stopping.. I'll drive it until the wheels come off.
I doubt it. Unless it was plug-in and you disregarded the electricity in calculating the mpg. A bigger battery has been shown to improve FE, but not by that much. My guess is that it would add 5 to 10 mpg. Of course, the real benefit would be with a plug-in that could function as a pure EV for the first 50 to 60 miles, so that the car would never burn gas in normal daily driving.
I don't think so. Testing on the gen 2 models has shown little or no improvement with bigger batteries for most drivers. The battery is used more as a flywheel than as a power source. Adding more battery does help for people who drive on really big hills, which might be the only exception. As pointed out above, improved mileage with a bigger battery normally is done by having a plug in charger. This isn't really better mileage, but simply a swap of electrical power for gasoline; kind of like having a short range EV attached to a gas powered car. Mileage figures with a plug-in are misleading, since they only reflect gasoline consumption. It's like me saying that my house heats efficiently because I use little or no heating oil, when in fact my house is heated by natural gas. Tom
They did mention they will be "testing" LiON in 2009 fleet vehicles, and will come out with the LiON battery in future years, and it may be able to be changed out on the 2010 as well. I just don't think it's worthwhile... If I am going to wait, I might as well just go with the Chevy Volt, which was designed as an EV from the very start. No need for a complex hybrid system... They are using an "AUX" generator which will start up when the batteries reach a %30 SOC, giving you another 300-400 miles of range, they are claiming 50mpg on those AUX miles, as it uses a 3 cyclnder 1 liter, engine to charge the batteries only, it has no capability to drive the Volt directly. I also think the Volt will be less money that the PHEV Prius, when they are both released.. yes, I will give Toyota the edge on fancy electronics and gadgets, but I can live without all of that. I'd rather have the 40 mile EV range from the get-go, than all the fancy electronics in the world. mitch
