Why are there so many 2012 Plug In Prius leftovers, and...

sure. i don't know if it's clear why they do these limited rollouts.

 

li-ion battery supply?

 

no question gm, toyota and maybe nissan are losing a fortune right now to the benefit of the savvy consumer.

 

yeah.......too bad you and I bought early

 

pretty sure one important reason was service department training. officially PiP can only be serviced at a pip-authorized dealer, which takes time to train, so it would make sense they initially start selling in states with the highest demand for the regular prius.

 

specifically remember someone using the phrase you can't poop out certified techs overnight

 

ugggh, ugggh,ahhhhhh

 

i would be shocked if anyone at my dealership could fix it if it was part of the pip system. they didn't even know what it was when i bought it. the only thing those monkees are certified in is cash extraction.

 

Today is a sad day. I am right in between jobs after moving (have an interview tomorrow). I want a PIP but I simply cannot afford to sign on the dotted line without being 100% sure I have a job for the next 6 months. I am NY and qualify for all the incentives

 

tough spot, all the best with a new job!

 

Personally, I don't think the PiP presented a good value until the new incentives came out. In six months, I saved 40 gallons of gas... about $175, less the cost of electricity.

Plenty of Prius buyers realized that they could get a fully-loaded Prius for less than a Basic Plug-in.

When you factor in the rebates and the green sticker, the value changes, but I think a lot of people don't want to deal with all that.

If I'm correct, this shows that Toyota probably made the right decision in keeping the battery small.

 

yes, if a 20 mile battery would have brought the cost up another 5k, i think you are correct.

 

Holman Toyota has 16 sitting on the lot compared to 44 liftbacks. Liberty Toyota has 21 compared to 28 liftbacks. I'd say they are sitting on the lots. Batteries for EV range are expensive & take up space. That's why the PiP lost the spare tire & storage space.

At the retail price of electricity EV miles aren't much cheaper than hybrid miles so I don't see expensive cars flying off of dealer lots in the next few months. I believe (with no basis in fact) that incentives will continue (but may be reduced) for the Leaf & PiP until the inventory is drawn down to an acceptable level.

How ironic & sad that some EV sales are limited by production while the supply of plug-ins exceeds demand.

If I were in the market & could get a comparably equipped plug-in for the same price or just a bit more I'd pull the trigger. It all come s down to your price point. How much is the car worth to you?

 

national average is .12/kwh. at .16/kwh, i'm paying about half the price of $4. gas.

 

Yes, unless you're paying super-high electricity prices, electric miles are much cheaper.

 

In my area, Staten Island, people are going to be buying new cars by the thousands due to hurricane Sandy. The gas lines here average 4 hours. (I don't know why the governor doesn't start odd/even rationing). People would be wise to snap up Prius' of all sorts.

 

We are about to find out if the PIP incentives will continue, stop, or maybe even get better.

There is also growing buzz about the Ford C Max. The hybrid version actually outsold the Prius V in its first full month of availability (Oct). Shocking?! The Energi plug in version is just arriving at dealers now - with double the range of the PIP (although w/ less cargo area because the battery is freakin' huge).

I am pretty sure I will buy a PIP at some point. But I am a bit concerned that, with all the inclusion of EV technology, cars are becoming more like consumer electronics - which can become obsolete overnight with the introduction of new or better technologies and cars. Check out the list of upcoming hybrid and plug-in vehicles mentioned in this article: 2013 The Year Plug-In Hybrids Become Mainstream? Oh yeah, they just opened a new Tesla store at the mall near me - those are sweet but pricey cars.

 

Seems like the $3500 bonus goes back to $1000. Inventory cleared?

 

New incentive program posted on Buytoyoya.com
Get 0% APR for 60 months on a new 2012 Prius Plug-in + $4,000 Subvention Cash!
Through 12/3/2012