Hi everyone! I find my way here in search for information for my mom, who is in the market for a Prius! Two years ago, her beloved '00 Celica was totaled (a big rig ran over it...) and since she has been waiting for the new Prius to come out with the lithium battery. During this time she has been driving my grandmother's 92 Celica (not the best replacement car) since she is determined to wait it out for the new release. Does anyone have any information on when/if the Prius will be released with the lithium battery? She was under the impression that it would be 2009/10... I just picked up a Yaris on Friday for a killer deal and now she is debating on getting a Yaris too until the Prius is released if it'll be within the next year or two (the Yaris holds it's resale value very well from what we've seen). Of course, this all depends on how long she'll be waiting for the lithium battery Prius. If it'll be out in 2020 she may end up going for the 3rd gen Prius and not wait. Thanks for all the help! ~Kasey
Why the big deal with the LIon battery? Go ahead and get a good deal on a 2009 with the standard battery and average 45MPG. Or wait t a few more months and get a 2010 and average 50MPG. Neither will have the LIon battery but both will hypermile laps around a Yaris and a Celica.
I upgraded to Prius from 00 Celica. It was well worth it. Passing on the highway is easier. It is just easier to time because of the responsive power and torque from electric motor. I got the same hatchback functionality but now bigger... Not to mention two extra doors.
It's a big deal because my mom is 61 and believes that this will be the last car she will ever own. When technology is changing (it's basically right around the corner), she doesn't believe in buying something and then regretting it when she could have waited for that newer/better technology (Lith-ion battery or the like). It's just something that she believes strongly in... I simply am here to try to help her out.
Re: A newb [with a mother] in need of *Help*! Of course, Toyota isn't saying when the Li-ion batteries will be out. What they have said is that about 500 Li-ion PHEVs will be released into the world as fleet lease cars around the end of 2009. These Prius won't be available to consumers, only fleets. After a couple of years (2011?) Toyota expects to have enough real-world data/experience, and manufacturing capacity, to start selling them to the public. If your mother is willing to wait until 2012 for a Li-ion plug-in Prius, go for it. Or she can get a deal on a 2009 now or a 2010 in a few months and immediately start reducing her carbon footprint and cutting back on green-house gasses. The price of gas will not stay at $2 for long, so demand will go up. The longer she drives her mother's Celica, the more pollution she puts in the air and the more money she spends on fuel.
It is not true that the Li-ion battery is always better than the NiMH on hybrid vehicle under current situation. However, the plug-in Prius will have the Li-ion. Ken@Japan
And besides the track record of Li batteries is scary (think exploding laptops). If ever there was a reason to wait a year for a technology to mature, this would be it. Therefore 2012 before I would recommend an Li powered car.
Technologies are constantly changing. When 2012 comes along and there is a plug-in Prius available, they will be talking about an all electric vehicle coming in a year or two. You can be waiting forever for something better.
Hers is an excuse to not buy anything, which is perfectly reasonable. If saving money is the goal, keep the Celica. If she wants a low-petroleum highly reliable new car, a 2009 Prius is now an excellent value.
Will the Yaris be the last car she owns, or will she trade it in on a Prius at some point in the future? That's what I thought. Tell her to think of the 2009 or 2010 Prius as an upgrade to the Yaris. She can still trade it in when her ultimate Prius becomes available. Tom
Nothing official, but I expect to see LIon prius around next year. But they'll probably come with a hefty premium.
A lithium battery Prius ... uh huh. My Mom's waitin' for that too. Most moms are, what with most of 'em knowing battery chemestry so well.
I'm waiting for the Pu-238 powered, super-capacitor model before I buy the next Prius. That one should be good for 87.7 years.
