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Is the Prius Plug-in right for me?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by bina12834, Oct 8, 2013.

  1. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    I'm looking to get a Prius for my next car and have been debating whether or not the extra $$ for the Plug-in is worth for me. Here's some info about my daily trek:

    - 6.2 miles each way (normally about a 30 min drive)
    - no speeds above 45mph and even if i do get that high its only for a min or so
    - bumper to bumper for about 10 mins each way
    - only a couple of very small hills

    Now from what i read about the specs of the Plug-in it seems as though i should be able to make it each way mostly in EV mode (except when i hit the higher speeds). Am i understanding this all correctly? I know that sometimes i may hit the gas a little hard and the different weather conditions may effect the mileage a little bit.

    Also of note:
    - my house does not have off-street parking so when 'plugging in' i would have to run the cord from the street across the sidewalk and my front lawn to the outlet by my front door (not that i dont trust my neighborhood, but im paranoid about my toys so i would always be keeping an eye on the car/cord while plugged in at home)
    - my office building parking garage has outlets, but i have not yet confirmed whether or not they would be cool with me 'plugging in' during the day
     
  2. ewxlt66

    ewxlt66 Active Member

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    Your commute is optimal. Your charging situation might not be.
     
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  3. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    is the 3hrs for full charge on a 120v outlet a realistic number from everyones experience? if so i would not have a problem charging it for 3 hours when i get home from work every night despite my not ideal home charging situation.

    also if i were able to charge at work would i be able to make it home from work and back to work the next day without having to charge at home?
     
  4. zhenya

    zhenya Active Member

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    ^^^ Yup, exactly.

    I have to park my car sometimes on the street in front of my house and run the cord across the sidewalk. No problems yet either, but I too live in a very residential and trustworthy neighborhood.

    I would check first and see if you can charge at work - if you can charge regularly there, you may not need to so much at home.

    Run the numbers on how much extra you will actually pay for the plug-in over the regular model. For most people the payback would take a long time since even the regular model is near the point of diminishing returns on the fuel usage curve.
     
  5. zhenya

    zhenya Active Member

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    3 hours is about maximum if the battery is totally dead. 2 1/2 hours seems to be more common.

    Can you make it round trip? Probably. Depends on how steep the hills are, what the ambient temps are, and your personal driving style. But there is a very good chance you can. Even if you did fire the engine a bit, you'd probably still be effectively getting 200+ mpg so not worth worrying about (and not counting your electricity usage).
     
  6. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    well right now im driving a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek that gets 25/33 mpg that i usually have to fill up about once a week and the wife is diriving a 2006 Dodge Stratus that gets 19/25 and she has to fill up more often than once a week. When we get a Prius i'll be taking it and she would take the Subaru so we would def see a lot of change in the amount of money we spend on gas.
     
  7. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    only having to charge at work and being able to make it home and back the next day for another charge would be the optimal situation for me.
     
  8. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    OP- You didn't mention where you live, but cold weather cuts the EV miles down vs summer EV miles.
    My summer EV range goes up to 11.4, my lowest winter range was down to 9.2 (IIRC). Keeping that in mind, if you live in a cold area- you may not be able to make a round trip on just a single recharge.

    FWIW- I wouldn't stretch an electric cord across a public sidewalk for a few hours- sounds like a ambulance chaser's wet dream (think "better call Saul").
     
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  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Agreed!
     
  10. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    LOL. I literally have the T-shirt.

    Also, theft of expensive charge cables is all ready happening.
     
  11. 34Hupp

    34Hupp 1934 Hupmobile - Americas 1st Aerodynamic

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    Like ny_rob mentioned, the “northern seasons” will have a big impact on your ability to make it roundtrip on one charge. I have a 9.2 mile trip to work, with no charging capability. So I “manage the EV use” for my 18.4 mile round trip, allowing the engine to run and warm up at an opportune time (stretch of road with no stops) on both legs of the trip. During the short “warm season” in Upstate NY, the “projected EV range” goes up as high as 15.2 miles, and the round trip mpg runs between 150 to 170. During the “long winter”, the “projected EV range” drops into the low 9’s, and the round trip mpg is 90 to 110 (with "no heat").
     
  12. innerpri

    innerpri Junior Member

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    Seems like your commuter situation is perfect. What kind of trips do you take outside of work? Call your dealer and ask for an extended test drive. I had the car for 1.5 days. This way you can test how each direction will utilize the EV. I can take a back road to the city, which is eleven miles away and still have 5 ev miles left over for the ride back. Some ways I only get 10 miles. Temp. variables are there also, but most of us could tell you what kind of decrease and increase happens during the seasons. Also, check out fuelly.com and see some real world data. Have fun!
     
  13. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    I live in Maryland so we get a little bit of all the seasons here. General consensus seems to be that the plugin might benefit me more than the regular Prius.

    Now what I'm having a hard time understanding is if the non-EV fuel economy is on par with the regular Prius?
     
  14. jdk2

    jdk2 Active Member

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    Supposedly a little less by 1mpg but this site shows 1mpg better. Pick your poison: Compare Side-by-Side
     
  15. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    If you add window visors(which i highly recommend) You can do what I have done a few times when charging the car away from home in a somewhat questionable neighborhood.

    Roll down the rear right window, put the "brick" inside car, and run extension cord into car too.... roll up window enough to allow cords to not get pinched....with the visors even if its pouring rain no rain gets in. Then you plugin the blue end as normal to charge. This way noone can steal it.

    You will get better MPG with the PiP even when in HV mode then a Reg prius, the larger L-ion battery allows for more regen.

    You may end up with over 500mpg-999mpg average with your situation overall...wish i was this close to work.

    Dan
     
  16. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Not quite. The rear window visors don't cover the small angled portion toward the rear, leaving a gap that rain can get in. :(

    SCH-I535
     
  17. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    Compare prices with disciunts. I think that unless you're shopping a Two, you may get answeet deal on a standard PiP that combined with the tax credit would orice it close to the regular hybrid and you'd do much better in the PiP as a short-distance commuter. If MD doesn't have good discounts shop in NJ.
    As for the sidewalk issue, I'd see if you can ask about conduit under the sidewalk so you don't have a tripping hazard. It would be a relatively simple solution to the on-street parking issue.
     
  18. rockerdan

    rockerdan PiP Rocks!

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    Ive done it several times on mine...when you crack the window enough for a cord, rain does not enter with the Visors I have. If yours does not cover it, you could try the front window, as plug might still reach.

    Works awesome for me when i do need to do this, but its rare i need to.

    This is first car ive ever got vent visors on, and just love how much I use my windows now with no wind and little noise. Just love them. Rarely ever use AC.

    Dan
     
  19. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Unless you can access a plug to charge the car and/or buy one at a great price, it doesn't seem to be worth buying a PiP. Buying a standard Prius and driving as much as you can in stealth mode may be the better way to go.
     
  20. bina12834

    bina12834 New Member

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    The conduit is a good idea. That may be what I have to do if I don't have enough battery to make it home and back to work every day