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Toyota: Plug in Hybrids will have limited appeal (from N.Y. Times)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by royrose, Jun 7, 2009.

  1. royrose

    royrose Senior Member

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    Here is a link to an article on the front page of the Times. the gist of the article is that Toyota made a presentation at a conference in New York in which they said that the added weight and complexity will reduce milage for those that regularly drive beyond the plug in range:

    Toyota: Plug-in Hybrids Will Have Limited Appeal - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

    It includes a nice pic of a Blizzard Pearl 2010.

    Roy
     
  2. pdth

    pdth Member

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    I'm inclined to agree that plug-ins have a limited market in the near term, but I think it looks a lot better in the longer term. I'd buy one right now if our household power were from a renewable source. Unfortunately, we get our power from IREA, which swears up and down that dinosaurs still roam the earth making hydrocarbons, and will defend its coal-fired power plant investments to the death or bankruptcy.
     
  3. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    This may mean Toyota has a better solution. I am thinking a smaller and lighter pure EV?
     
  4. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Prius has linited appeal to, and it was very limited in the early days of Prius.
    Build it and converts will come.
     
  5. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    I guess we'll be finding out how 'obsolete' the Prius is becoming (according to some) .... based on sales of the 2010.

    I really don't think it will fade away. I like my car a lot and the new one is much better.
     
  6. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    This may seem like nitpicking, but ....

    what happens on a plug-in hybrid when one rarely uses gas in the tank? Don't you end up with some pretty stale gasoline after a while? Or do you end up using fuel stabilizer?

    Or, I suppose plug-in folks end up using gas anyway for the freeway, high-load conditions.