Archives

Toyota says the plug-in will go about 7 miles on battery power only, before switching to regular gasoline-electric hybrid mode. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2008-01-17-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid_N.htm)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/PHEV_Prius.jpgJames R. Healey - USA Today - Jan. 18, 2008

Seventy-one miles per gallon.

That's what the trip computer read after a 4-mile loop through downtown and a short freeway blast in a prototype of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid.

Skip the freeway run, go lighter on the throttle downtown and the reading could have been infinite, because the car would have stayed entirely on battery power, never tapping its gasoline engine for help.

The best of the current, regular hybrids — the Prius non-plug-in variety — has mileage ratings in the mid-40s…http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2008-01-17-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid_N.htm

New info to me--the combined hp went up by 26 and weight by 220 in this prototype. According to my quick math, looks like a win-win on performance and efficiency. Maybe Toyota should consider skewing a future production Prius even more towards efficiency with, say, a 1.2 or 1.3l?

I love the plug in option but I would want at least a 20 mile range on battery power only. Maybe the new battery technology Toyota is developing will deliver.

I would gladly accept one of the 400 they claim will be tested.

From the article:
"How soon? A few in demonstration fleets now, more coming late next year as Toyota pushes to get 400 into service worldwide to collect data on charging and other issues.

Don't expect regular-production versions for at least two years, probably longer. "

So it will be 2011 or so before I can reasonably go buy one (hopefully with LIon by then?). Not quite the same story as exel's teaser yesterday. Where is the line to be a tester, and what are the terms of that?

Does 'late next year' above mean late 2008 or late 2009 (for the 400 test units)?

Oh Gawd! I only had to scroll down four comments after the article to see that the Prius is worse than the Hummer, environmentally.

Ugh!

Oh Gawd! I only had to scroll down four comments after the article to see that the Prius is worse than the Hummer, environmentally.

And no one mentioning well-to-wheels emissions of even coal-based electricity being by-and-large better than gasoline. *sigh*

This sounds like a great car. It is not the perfect car, but close. I drive an average of about 20 miles per trip in the city. My city driving accounts for about 75% of my driving. I have an 07 Prius. I currently average about 60 MPG per tank. I think that with this PHEV-6 Prius, I could increase my MPG significantly in the city driving. I would buy one if offered.

The 7 mile range limit is kind of a drag. If Toyota can somehow boost it to 10, it would have sufficient range for me to get to work and back on batteries. I wonder how much the plugin option will cost?

This is a Prius for Dummies question: what is the EV range on a stock Prius II?

If Wayne hadn't threatened me about force-charging the pack I'd go check it out.:D Actually, it seems to be around 2 miles give or take.

I believe Toyota's claim on the EV range on the current Prius is only about 1 mile. I suspect that they are officially claiming a smaller range than is actually available. This is possibly the case with the PHEV-6. It could likely get 7-8 miles or more, but Toyota just wants to be sure that it will get 6.

If Wayne hadn't threatened me about force-charging the pack I'd go check it out.:D Actually, it seems to be around 2 miles give or take.

Yeah about 2 miles if you milk it. If you accelerate "normally" (as you would with a pulse) it eats charge insanely fast. I did Wayne's course this weekend and didn't light the ICE until I turned onto a semi-main road, accelerated "normally" while still in S1 and watched the SOC drop like a rock from 55% to 47%!

DWL like crazy and very easy acceleration and you could pull more than 2 miles from a force-charged pack.