Red Alert - Battery Mileage Varies on Prime Models

Why is this a surprise? Think it through for a second. Mostly because of the larger wheels, the XLE and Limited get about 5mpg less than the LE. Did no one think this wasn't going to have a similar effect on the battery range of the XSE and XSE Premium over the SE?

If max efficiency is your top priority, get the LE/SE. If creature comforts are a higher priority, get the mid/high trims. Personally, the XSE Premium has my name written all over it and I've got no problem with the range. 32 miles is way more than enough if I plug it in every night(or even every other night).

 

Prius Prime isn't the only case of this. Look at the MPGs of other models and brands too.

 

Extra features add extra weight. This doesn't just apply to the Prius, as fuzzy1 mentioned. The leather, the larger 19" rims, the power seats, the glass roof, etc. - this will add a significant amount of weight and leads to a less efficient vehicle. It's just physics at play here.

For comparison, I drive an MX-5 Miata and it is significantly quicker off the line and gets better mpg than a Corolla. The both cars have a 4cyl engine with roughly 150HP. The difference? The Miata weighs 2341lbs and the Corolla weighs 2722lbs.

On an EV or PHEV, weight has an even greater impact on range than on a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The only way around this is to add a larger battery and electric motors. However, this would add significant cost and may not fit the Prius, seeing as they already cannot accommodate for AWD due to the limited space for an electric motor over the rear axels.

 

TBH, I am not surprised in the slightest. If I go with Prius PHV 2023, I will definitely try to beg at dealership for wheel "upgrade" from 19" to 17" or be defeated and will shell the cash and buy 17" set (which is insanely expensive).
One of the best comfort making "things" on a Prius PHV 2016→2022 are those 15" tires ... not to mention how it affects the range. + Good luck finding good 195/50 r19 tires when the OG ones need a replacement in a few years.

 

Same here. Different Prius for different priorities.

I never expected the heaviest weight Prius with options and big 19" wheels would be as frugal as a base model on smaller wheels.

I'm willing to give up some mileage for options because that range falls within my commute.

If your ultimate goal is EV motoring, the less equipped models are the way to go.

 

Hold up there... while I prefer leather seat covers myself, I've seen plenty of 20-year old cloth Toyota seats that held up just fine. Not like the rest of the car is going to last that long anyway.

And then: It's not that hard to get factory cloth seats re-covered in leather. Outfits like katzkins and clazzi have pretty much turned it into a kit, and good Toyota dealers know about it and can even coordinate installation. Note that there could be a delay for '23 availability since it's a new design.

This is how many thousands before you solved the "leather in the base model" problem. If you come up with something better, I'd love to hear about it.

 

It would have been nice if the 19" tires were an option on the higher trim levels, rather than a requirement.

It's quite a conundrum for me, as I've always valued driving economy and have regarded all the bells & whistles as mostly tech that can fail, requiring expensive repairs. But now I'm middle aged, so I'm required by law to get the midlife crisis package. Can one fight it?

 

Hey, you can always post a want-to-swap. Somebody is going to buy a base model and be upset that the fancy wheels weren't an option.

It's a drag that the factory can't accommodate, and most dealers aren't interested in the extra work involved but this stuff is possible.

 

That's an interesting possibility I'll inquire about.

 

I can't seem to edit my previous post but these are my further comments.

I really don't think Toyota is being misleading, at least not any more than the other manufacturers. Given that their original estimate came from a press release where not all details were finalized, it doesn't really make sense to take it all as gospel. The 50% number was used before they had EPA approved figures, and was intended to highlight the capability of having more range than the outgoing model.

I'm more interested to see actual real world testing with different wheels/tires to see how much they impact the range. I'm planning to try and fit 16" wheels on there and throw some Michelin CrossClimate 2's on so I can rock this thing year round on a single set whilst reducing weight.

 

why are there 2 threads on this?

 

US an' them lol.

 

I could see an individual dealer taking steps to facilitate this if appropriately incentivized, but I really can't imagine anyone upstream getting involved.

 

This post is about battery range being slightly lower on Prime SXE model. So driving Prime as a hybrid will definitely give me less mpg than driving regular Prius XLE? The extra weight of the second battery?

 

Neither did Toyota say the 57mpg was just for the LE at the time. They may not have specified it that was city or highway at the time.

That fine print has been on some Lexus for years.

Here's a secret. The fuel used for EPA testing isn't gasoline. It is a defined blend of hydrocarbons. While they are found in gasoline, no consumer gas pump dispenses that blend. The octane of it is also 93. Same is true for CARB testing, except the octane is 91.

Another secret. The 91 RON on pumps in most of the world, including Japan, is equivalent to the 87 AKI on US pumps. Early window stickers of the first Tundra had 91 under octane because of RON to AKI confusion.

People that did a PHEV conversion to the gen2 saw improved hybrid fuel economy. Same with the old Prime, which actually has a slightly better EPA than the Prius. A bigger battery lets the hybrid operate for longer periods with the engine off, and does a better jog of recapturing energy when braking. Without a plug, it just isn't cost effective to install that bigger battery.

Now, there is a point at which adding battery capacity stops helping hybrid efficiency, and the weight starts hurting it. Can't say if the new Prime has gone past it. I won't bet on it being worse than the equivalent Prius though.