Not sure what Prius to buy

there really is no 'best' option. unless you want a plug in conversion kit, (it won't pay for itself) get a 2010 prius. great prices right now, $4,000. off msrp. unless you want to wait for a factory plug in. probably won't be able to get one for 2-3 years.

 

You have more research to do
The solar panel does not charge the battery at all
it powers a fan to circulate the air inside the car when it is off

We got the sunroof because the wife likes a lot of light in the car

 

The solar panel doesn't charge the battery, it just runs a small fan that circulates the outside air through the car to keep the inside temp closer to that of the outside temp.

The computer controls the battery level, when it gets low, the engine kicks in to charge it. Nothing to worry about, just drive and enjoy...

 

That's an aftermarket add-on... The solar panel that comes with the solar roof option only operates the fan as mentioned above...

 

I understand your question better now... So, my questions would be: Are you looking at a 2010 Prius (Gen 3) or the 2005-2009 (Gen 2)?

I noticed the web site you referenced sold the 2009 and older Prius already equipped with the solar panels for $25,000 as is... This seems pretty steep being as you can get a new 2010 Prius II for under $20K, and they make a plug-in kit for the 2010.

So, it would seem to me that you could get a 2010 with the after market plug-in for less. Keep in mind the plug-in just extends the range (the same as the solar kit), and it would still work as any other Prius otherwise, i.e. once the add-in battery depleted.

Having said all this, it seems to me the plug-in is the better deal because you can charge it overnight and get the added benefit on your way to work, which would give you the advantage of extended range 50% of the time, and net you a new vehicle for less money... Just a thought...

My personal opinion would be to forgo either option and just be happy with the 50+ mpg you'll get from a regular Prius! That additional $2500 - $3500 will buy you a lot of gas!

 

FYI... Do a search of this forum ref: 2011 Prius. It's been reported by the Toyota Design Team that the only real change for 2011 over 2010 is the availability of Bisque interior with Black exterior and the addition of the brake over-ride that is supposed to kill the engine if the accelerator and brake are both pressed at the same time.

If you're not wanting to wait for the PHEV, then it would be more beneficial to take advantage of the end of year pricing and get a 2010. I paid $3000 under invoice for mine, that would more than cover the cost of the Enginer 4Kw Kit you are considering!

I would think that plugging in 5 out of 7 days would still net you some savings, but you would have the same issue with the PHEV. Being as pricing has yet to be set on the PHEV, you'd be better off getting a 2010 and adding the 4Kw Plug-in Kit.

I still think the best bet for you would be to not worry about the add-ons, especially if you don't think you'd plug it in and it doesn't appear they have a solar kit for the Gen 3 Prius... The saving from not purchasing either kit would fuel your new Prius for a year or more...

 

Given the length of your daily commute and other information, I would recommend a 2010 prius and not add any type of after market battery enhancements. I have a similar daily commute (mine is 70 miles round trip) and I figure to put on 25,000 per year. I considered maybe getting a used second generation Prius and having an aftermarket kit added to it, but for most of the kits, I would only get about 25 miles range before the kit would need to be recharged. This wouldn't greatly improve my overall mileage. Had I a daily 20 mile commute and could do it on a single charge, I would have strongly considered getting an aftermarket kit.

I'd skip the aftermarket stuff and get the 2010 that you'd like. There is no change that has been mentioned for the 2011 that makes it "worth" waiting for. The engine change was from the second generation Prius (Model years 2004 - 2009) to the third generation Prius (Model year 2010).

Hope this helps.

 

What battery are you referring to here? If you're referring to the NiM HV battery in a Prius, don't worry about its state of charge. The car will prevent keep the SoC between ideal ranges. (From my experience on my 2nd gen), 80% is full. The car does funky things once you get near or at 80% and are coasting to prevent it from going above it. When you shut your car off, the SoC could be at nearly 80% or almost "flat" at ~4x%. It doesn't matter.

I agree w/both of the above. I'm not sure why the OP is so hung up on aftermarket kits. The Prius, as it's shipped is not an EV. It has a bunch of limitations like the ICE having to spin >=46 mph (please correct me if I'm wrong on 3rd gen value, it's >=42 mph on the 2nd gen). It won't let you go very fast in EV, if you turn on EV mode via the EV button.

Although I don't usually read http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-phev-plug-in-modifications/, the OP might be advised to do so. http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-p...er-almost-non-stop-electric-vehicle-mode.html seems like a useful starting thread.

Also, the HV battery and many HV components are warranted for 8 years/100K miles. If the OP is in a CARB state, it's 10 years/150K on the HV battery. I'm not very familiar w/the Enginer kit, but although they say it's unlikely their kit could cause any vehicle damage, if it does, they don't seem to offer any assurances of covering your repair costs.

I have never heard of http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/ until now, but they don't even list a price, let alone any sort of warranty assurance.

I also find the claims on their site like those on http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/products.shtml and http://www.solarelectricalvehicles.com/faqs.shtml to be questionable, esp. "The electric mode driving range will be up to 30 miles per day depending on driving habits, speed and conditions." and "The SEV system provides up to 30 miles per day in the battery solar mode, increasing fuel economy." That seems VERY unlikely given a supposed 215 watt panel output. (1 horsepower = 745.7 watts)

To be of much use, one would need to add an extra battery w/FAR greater capacity than that stock NiMH HV battery to store up that extra electricity. One can only go a mile or two on level ground the stock HV battery before the ICE kicks on.

It's unusual (to me) for prospective Prius buyers to even consider aftermarket kits or panels before even having the car.

From what we've seen w/the Prius PHVs that have been loaned out to some folks (and is being deployed to fleets), what it offers (including its changes) does change the equation significantly. But, we'll have to wait awhile for it and the price is unknown. It's also unclear how different the final production ones will be. I'd imagine that some of the quirks (e.g. no EV mode button/toggle) will be addressed.

Nope. The larger ICE came and higher total net hp (134) came w/the 3rd gen (2010 and beyond). 2nd gen was had a smaller and weaker ICE and total net hp of 110.

The thread on this is http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/82748-my11-prius.html. Also search for other posts by the user Prius Team in that thread.

The folks posting as Prius Team are official Toyota Motor Sales marketing people.