49mpg for the Plug-in Prius seems low!

if you want to get US numbers, dont read EU ones.
TMS announced 15 mile range and pricing for US region.

You need to read US PR for more info:

http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+introduces+2012+prius+plug-in+hybrid.htm

 

The U.S. press release doesn't identify which test cycle the 15 mile electric range estimate is based on. They certainly don't claim that number as an estimate for any U.S. EPA test cycle.

Do you think the U.S. version of the 2012 Prius Plug-in is going to have significantly different electric range than the European model under the same test conditions? If so, why? All the basic specifications between the two (electric motors, battery size, weight, etc.) appear to be the same.

 

UK press release said 14.3 miles at 53 mph. For the US, 15 miles could be at lower speed, perhaps EPA city cycle speed? It averages less than 20 mph.

 

EU and EPA cycles are drastically different, as Volt numbers show (as well as real usage - it is also drastically different)

I dont understand what is your point.

I also pointed out how they improved battery pack, any comments?

 

My point was that the U.S. Toyota press release "15 miles" number isn't very useful since it says nothing about how they got it except they kept the speed under 62 mph.

However, the European press materials are more useful because they say the 23km (14.3 miles) number is based on Toyota's internal run of the European test cycle and therefore that number is more useful and can be compared to numbers for the Volt and Leaf.

Assuming, that the U.S. and European Prius Plug-in are essentially the same car and get the same electric range. I think the evidence points to that being true.

 

Reading the document, I cannot find where it says the 23 km electric range is based on the Eropean cycle.
It does say (in the specs) that they expect 2.1 l/100km based on this cycle.
Can you enlight me please?

OK found it - in the footnote in page 14: European homologation cycle.

 

Obviously US PR talks about US numbers. Are you shocked that they are testing against EPA at the same time they test against EU cycle?

Yes, same car but different numbers just like Volt.

Why is it hard to understand?

No comment about pack info? I guess since it is actually improved, there is no need to comment it anymore, right?

 

This is another case where our focus on MPG distorts the public's view. A gallonage perspective -- gallons per 100 miles, similar to the L/100km used by most of the metric world -- is more useful.

The difference between 50 MPG (2.00 gal/100mi) and 49 MPG (2.04 gal/100mi) is just 0.04 gal/100 mi. This is peanuts, especially compared to the 2 to 3 gal/100mi savings over common nonhybrid cars. 50 mpg is mostly a psychological milestone for marketing.

This slight loss of efficiency will cost a typical PHV driver 8-10 gasoline miles per tank, while the great majority of them will be gaining many hundreds to a few thousand all-electric miles for each gasoline tank refill.