Prius Prime launch again delayed!

I hope they do it, but doubt it. Seriously, they're probably losing a half of their customers without the 5th seat.

 

then they should do whatever it takes.

 

There are so many ways I can think of that improve the Prime. The Prius Prime is becoming more of a niche product the more I think about it. 22 miles of range, 4 seats, the extra expense for the Prime over a regular Prius. I thought Toyota was going to show us a truly great range extender that could beat out the Volt. Even though the Volt has the unusable 5th seat, at least the 5th seat is classified as a 5th seat. The Volt comes with 53 miles of electric range versus 22 for the Prime, which more realistically is 12. I'm just not seeing the vision Toyota is seeing in the Prime. Who knows, maybe it'll be a big hit. I'm excited

 

My wife's car broken last week and while checking for cars I came across Prius Prime. Assuming it would launch late fall we decided to wait. But 4 seats is a deal breaker for my wife. Now she is thinking about Audi A4


iPhone ?

 

Like I said four posts before a half hour ago, they'll lose half their customers. I've already found one a half hour later: bobusa.

The Audi A4 is a sweet car. I almost got one over my gen 4, but I didn't feel like waiting and I wanted good MPG.

 

i almost bought one, but i have enough friends, and didn't want to spend that much time with their service advisor.

 

How is "big hit" defined? What is considered "vision" for a plug-in?

Most people feel pushing limits is how sales are achieved. Why?

In reality, high-volume volume acceptance from the masses comes from making a product affordable. In other words, it won't offer amazing capacity.

Notice how the most popular sellers, Camry and Corolla, are just good all-around vehicles. They really don't have any standout traits, yet they sell in great quantity.

Positioning to capture a new market is quite a challenge. None of the plug-in offerings so far have reached the mainstream yet.

Toyota is giving a new approach a try.

 

sounds like you've come back to earth john, i wish them all the best. agree with you on the market. it's timing as much as anything else.

 

...I have no trouble seeing the vision (could be wrong) but I am saying picking up CA ZEV credits...

 

Why a press release date of May?

 

I just feel that the regular Prius is an overall better deal than the Prime. I hope the Prime does become mainstream (similar sales to a Prius), but I think hybrids (non plug in) have more potential in the future than a plug in. Toyota could turn the regular Prius into a 100 MPG gasoline hybrid in 20 years. If the Prime had 50 miles on a charge, I would probably go for it.

 

Maybe they could make a center 5th booster seat only for children, but how would that comply with different laws in different countries?

 

Yes, that would be the easiest solution.

 

Yeah really confusing. Any forum member can get confirmation/clarification from Toyota?


iPhone ?

 

Gen4 Prius is the No. 1 car in Japan, so presumably Prime can get some support there. However, I don't believe PiP went over too well in Japan.

Maybe Toyota knows the proposed HOV sticker situation in CA has changed or delayed 1-year? I do not know someone in CA tell me what's going on behind the scenes. I thought there was supposed to be a HOV bill on Gov Browns desk by now. I'd be expecting a tough road for PHEV without more CA green stickers.

Maybe GM feels they can sell Volt2 without HOV stickers for a while, but I'd predict latter half 2016 and 2017 will be slim pickens for PHEV unless we get some more green stickers.

I've now seen a Volt and a Leaf with CA HOV stickers with Virginia plates, so gotta be room for 2 more vehicles in the CA HOV.

 

Going off what Toyota reps have said in the past, a fifth seat will require reinforcing the rear structure for the extra weight. Doing some might require retesting for rear collisions. Which is why I don't expect such a change so quickly.

The new Prius is a big hit in Japan. With this delay affecting the Japanese market only(at this time), it is most likely over a shortage in some shared component.

Translator glitch?
Ignore 'May' and the alphanumeric date is August 3rd.

Or March 8th.

The PiP had to compete against the Prius with incentives in Japan. I'm pretty sure those hybrid incentives are now gone.

What exactly is this new approach?

What's new only appears to be new to Toyota.

I've stated that a 20 mile EV range is a good balance point between cost, range, and packaging. We've already seen it in the C-max Energi. The C-max is a poor seller. Much of the reason can be rooted to the use of a heavy ICE platform, with Ford trying to pull a fast one with the window sticker MPG figures breeding ill will. Yet, the ratio of Energis to hybrids sold is still the highest of PHEVs.

While the 2017 C-max will be seeing an increase in EV range and fuel economy, the Prime has Prius efficiency, and will likely have better EV performance. Not surprising when the gen3 Prius bested the C-max hybrid in fuel economy, and the Prime is a newer model that can take advantage newer battery tech. Despite using newer batteries, and being built on hybrid platform, instead of an ICE one, the Prime loses the same 6 to 7 cubic feet of cargo space like the C-max Energi does. Though what cargo space is left is better packaged for most, the Prime also loses the fifth seat. Which the C-max Energi managed to keep.

The Prius was able to catch the hybrid market by being a good all-around car, but it also had very few competitors to highlight any drawbacks. The Prime doesn't have that luxury.

 

You and Mr. Musk have startlingly different visions of the future.