More Details and Photos Released for Prius Plug-In

[usbseawolf2000]

...the nickel-metal hydride battery pack replaced by a new, high-output lithium-ion battery – a first for a Toyota hybrid vehicle. The new battery is more compact and has a higher volumetric energy density, so it does not compromise vehicle weight and packaging.

Nice, it does not add weight nor give up the spare tire. It fits in the same location as the current NiMH pack.

Perhaps more importantly, it can be recharged much more quickly than the nickel-metal hydride type

Regen brake should be so much better! It would recapture faster and store more with less heat generated.

[ml194152]

I'm starting to sour on the PHV Prius. Toyota waited too long to come out with it. With the announcement of the all-electric Nissan Leaf with 100-mile range on a single charge, why pay for all the complexity of a gas engine along with electric motors? My wife is a stay-at-home mom and only drives within 5 miles of the house all day. The Leaf would seem a better choice for people like her.

[finman]

This is the point! CHOICE! some will want/need a plug-in gas -electric hybrid. Some will want/need an all-electric plug-in vehicle. 'bout time these types of choices get to us.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by ml194152

I'm starting to sour on the PHV Prius. Toyota waited too long to come out with it. With the announcement of the all-electric Nissan Leaf with 100-mile range on a single charge, why pay for all the complexity of a gas engine along with electric motors? My wife is a stay-at-home mom and only drives within 5 miles of the house all day. The Leaf would seem a better choice for people like her.

Originally Posted by finman

This is the point! CHOICE! some will want/need a plug-in gas -electric hybrid. Some will want/need an all-electric plug-in vehicle. 'bout time these types of choices get to us.

Precisely, CHOICE. I for one would have little interest in a PHEV vehicle from any maker unless the price was no different than a 'traditional' Toyota hybrid. I drive too many miles for a 12 or 20 or even 40 mile EV-range to have any benefit for me.

Now at 50-60 gas-free miles and a $30000 pricetag I'm beginning to be interested. The smaller all-EV's that will be coming out are immediately disqualified...too small and too basic.

The current HSD vehicles suit me much better.

[drees]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

I drive too many miles for a 12 or 20 or even 40 mile EV-range to have any benefit for me.

How much do you drive, exactly? You must be driving 200-300+ miles at a time without stops?

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

Now at 50-60 gas-free miles and a $30000 pricetag I'm beginning to be interested.

What's so magical about a 50-60 EV range vs 40? That's only 25%-50% more range.

[hobbit]

There's no way anyone's going to pull 60 kW out of that battery.
That's 300 amps at 200V, or 200 at 300 if they up the voltage,
so a system commeasurate with the listed motor output capacity
would have to be a total redesign rather than something
piggybacked onto the existing Prius design.
.
_H*

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by drees

How much do you drive, exactly? You must be driving 200-300+ miles at a time without stops?


What's so magical about a 50-60 EV range vs 40? That's only 25%-50% more range.

I drive 150 mi every day over the last 10 yrs. There's a dual 'trigger' for me. The EV range would have to cover about one third of my daily drive and the price would have to be about $30000 max for me to consider any PHEV.

A vehicle for me is simply a 'driving tool' that I hang up in the garage every night. Like most tools I simply want it to work every time at the lowest possible cost. It gets dirty, scratched and dented a little with repeated usage.

Which to choose? A $25000 HSD Prius or $30000 PHEV Prius? A $40000 PHEV Prius ( or any vehicle ) is out of the question.

[Airbalancer]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

A vehicle for me is simply a 'driving tool' that I hang up in the garage every night. Like most tools I simply want it to work every time at the lowest possible cost. It gets dirty, scratched and dented a little with repeated usage.

I find this a hard statement to understand
You write you are Sr. Hybrid Specialist at Priority Toyota Chesapeake, and you think of the Prius it is just a tool that you have no passion for
I just do not get it

[wwu123]

Originally Posted by Airbalancer

I find this a hard statement to understand
You write you are Sr. Hybrid Specialist at Priority Toyota Chesapeake, and you think of the Prius it is just a tool that you have no passion for
I just do not get it

Well, I'm not sure he meant "just" a tool. It sounds from his sig that he works with many tools everyday in the garage, and he values a good quality tool - not flashy, a workhorse that takes a bit of abuse, but does what it does reliably and consistently, i.e. substance over style.

But I'm just speculating on what he said as well....

[David Beale]

Unfortunately up here in Canada we also need cabin heat for about 6 mo of the year and big time cabin heat for 4 of those. I doubt -very much- the PHEV would work well during that time.

But it's still cool and useful.