2015 PIP to will have a significantly longer range

that's it! i'm planning everything around my trade in starting now!

 

Bigger battery. Gotta admit, that was pretty obvious.

 

Ooooh. I want one so bad...

 

As I think of it, the current PiP sets the limits of price and battery size and you'll only get extra capacity as the price, density and stability allow it.

Despite the fact that range is a personal factor, I think the initial imperative to increase range will come indirectly from the desire to raise the performance limits on EV mode.

 

You mean... It's About the Money?

Seriously, I think Toyota did all the right things with PiP. No question that 2-4x battery capacity would be better (Why not 100 miles range? 500 mile range? 5,000 mile range?). But the PiP today works precisely because it is a Prius, and it's built on a proven, 50 MPG platform. There isn't room in this chassis for 2x or 4x the battery. By 2015, they'll have time to integrate battery cells into the frame.

 

Ah, most excellent! I wonder if I might be able to do an up-grade. That is, retrofit my 2012 PiP with the 2015 extended EV range....

r

 

Hear, hear!
I'd been planning to find some third-party solution for this after the warranty runs out in five years or so but if Toyota can double or triple the range in 3, I'm there....

 

It will really depend on battery energy density. If higher wattage batteries are availble to fit in the same physical space as the existing batteries, then yes. If they redesign the 4th generation to put the pack underneath the car, then the upgrade might not be possible. At any rate, it will be a third party providing the upgrade, there is ZERO incentive for Toyota to provide any upgrades to past models.. They already do that... it's called a "new model year"

 

There is a lot of work going on now on improved Lithium Ion batteries which can have up to 3x the energy density and 3x the charge rate of current batteries, that are limited by the anode material. Here is a link that should be of interest:
WSU News Center - WSU researchers create super lithium-ion battery
If affordable and if they meet the other performance characteristics of existing LI batteries, then these next gen batteries will truly change the face of transportation in the US and the world.

 

A lot of aftermarket conversion companies can put 8KWH and even 12KWH pack into the same space as PiP's 4.4KWH pack and achieve 40-50 miles pure EV range. I think Toyota over-engineered the Lithium battery system and too conservative. The overall energy density in PiP is very poor in my opinion. We can do better with EXISTING battery technology and don't need to wait for new one.

 

Hopefully the temporary spare will be back with next gen PIP.

 

The approach in the past has been to entice people (like me!) to part with their Prius early, resulting in prime used models becoming available. It's been a win-win situation.

Don't forget that there is still room in PHV for additional capacity. Toyota did not fill the entire area underneath the false floor. Realistically, the new model will fill that combined with an energy density increase. It will make for a compelling new model without compromising affordability.

 

Well, I won't part with either of our Prii until there is a significantly better EV range. Double won't do it for me, but quadrupling might. 60 miles seems the sweet spot for now. However, the ability to go HV is also important. High speed really eats up the EV and hills kill it. So for now, I'm content with my local trips going gasless while longer forays still net 65-75 MPG. But if the EV went to 60 miles, that would make owning a Prius PHEV a no brainer. It will happen, and three years sounds about right.

Dianne, would you please start taking names for that eventuality? LOL

 

I thought the present EV battery was "right sized" and bigger was overkill, sounds like you want a PiP with a bigger battery to me.

 

If Toyota could have practically fit more KWH in the space, they would have. The federal rebate goes up, so the net price might be the same. If they could have jammed a 16KWH pack in it, the rebate would be $5,000 more. When the cost of that additional 11.6KW is less than Toyota's additional cost, factoring in the additional rebate, and there is physical space to put it, I don't see why they wouldn't... Other than weight, which could be considered a negative, given where the pack currenty sits.

It's likely the price will come down, and there will be a major redesign for the 4th gen, that's when I t will happen... Not before.

 

Generational improvement is a normal expectation.

So is product diversity.

 

Toyota seems to do everything in measured steps. I highly doubt the EV range will increase enough to blow our minds (60+), but anywhere from 30-40 EV would be great when paired with a 50+ mpg ICE.

 

We already know there are engine thermal improvements being developed for the hybrid, since Toyota pointed that out as a goal and even provided numeric targets. Getting that on the plug-in model isn't too far of a stretch.

 

That pretty much describes a Volt!
Tesla offers three batteries, denoted by the kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy they store: 40 kWh, 60 kWh, and 85 kWh. Traveling 55 mph, the kWh figures can be translated to the stated range capabilities of 160, 230, and 300 miles, respectively.

The Tesla is a role model, EVERYBODY else who is trying to do EV machines should take a serious look at the mileage numbers. It makes the current PIP seem like a joke! If I had the money, I would have one of these! I would only wish for the future prices drop dramatically so "Normal" 99%'ers can afford this technology. This is what all of us should be driving, forget gas completely!