Featured Toyota Talks Prius Prime versus Chevrolet Volt, Mirai, TNGA, and CH-R

EPA cargo space in my mind allows shifting passenger space to cargo space for Hatch Backs. Almost 10ft3 in Gen4. Maybe Volt likes to shift the vol to passenger to make it look better. Toyota obviously striving to max out shifting vol to cargo on paper, by adjusting windows/floors or whatever it is that allows making that shift in the EPA volume methods.

I think Volt quotes like 10-11 ft3 cargo and 19 ft3 cargo by EPA. Maybe Volt'd rather use 10-ft3 in their passenger vol calcs (Passenger Vol = Total - Cargo Vol). Toyota in USA just quotes 27 ft3 EPA Gen4 cargo (are you kiddin me)? Note Prime wil be -7ft3 so Prime is closer to Volt but Prime probably still lots more. But if Toyota quotes EPA cargo for Prime, the Prime passenger vol will look smaller than it really is.

 

It goes to the EPA's size classes for vehicles; it is based upon total volume. Then there is likely some CAFE reason for identifying a vehicle under car or station wagon. A hatchback models seem to have no rhyme or reason as to which they get.

I think GM was trying to set some realistic expectations for those that research the Volt site. It is a hatchback with a very sedan profile. It gets cargo versatility, but not to the degree that a squared off hatch does. Plus, few people regularly pack even those squared off hatches over the rear seat backs.

 

it's the irregular times that create a problem.

 

OK I see you mean the "old" idea of v Plug-in...no I did not invent that. That was so unjustified.
I am in the *new* push for v plug-in camp to get back to 5 seats and cargo space Prime took away.

 

I may have been one of the 1st ones, way back when Toyota revealed the v (future prius family) to us up at Frank Loyd Wright's estate, top of Malibu. Writing here, I think it was you that suggested to me that the existing v's chassis or suspension was too flimsy (my words) to support a plugin traction pack. Hearing that ... I sadly dropped it.

why take away kWh's ?!? You'd have more room for not only that 5th seat, you'd have more traction pack room as well. Folks would want / (maybe even) expect more than the 4 seater's 20ish miles imo.
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By making Prime a 4-seater and giving a variety of tech goodies, it should be easy to see how a second configuration... like v... could compliment the line up. It's a sensible way to diversify. Too bad some focusing solely on Prime haven't figured that out yet.

 

while that's nice to hear, we have nothing from toyota alluding to the possibility. how could we figure it out?
and not only that, all this insuring of batteries into chassis not designed for them is a poor way to go about it. if toyota were serious, they would develop something with a place to hold the batteries without compromising cabin space.