What is double the EV range worth?

I know that I would, but my housemate, the car's primary driver, wouldn't. We're sort of lucky, in that the car has more than enough EV range for the weekly trips into town, and not nearly enough for the commute, freeing us from trying to stretch out those meager electrons...

 

As long as it didn't also decrease ICE mpg. A lot of us got the PiP because we have short range commutes within the PiPs limited EV range. Then we may have multiple long trips per year that make it a vehicle that uses less gas for our driving patterns than the Volt and some other PHEVs with longer EV range.

Keeping our fingers crossed for the next gen PiP, but 25-50% more EV range seems to be about the best educated guess around here.

 

Any information on options to increase the current PIP range would be interesting. While I'm currently at 76% EV after one year and 6000 miles, any additional increase in EV range would be welcomed. With the Gen 4 Prius around the corner, probably best to see what happens there. I'd like to see a minimum, solid 35-50 mile EV range. Please don't offer the Volt (javohl) as a option. I can wait for the next Prius.

 

I'd settle for at least 50% extra range, but also think there should be a lower spec and thus cheaper version. The PIP here is fully fully loaded and priced accordingly. Probably why only a handful are sold.

 

sign me up!

 

If I have power steering, electric windows and a/c, I'm happy.

Don't need any of this fancy nonsense in the top end cars

 

agreed, that's why i have the base. to each his own, a la carte options would be nice!

 

But we don't have a base PIP here, just the fully loaded super duper one.

 

understood. we have things you want, you have things we want. frustrating.

 

Since a major priority of the design was to keep PHV competitive with the true competition... tradition vehicles ...it's not realistic to expect a major increase in battery-pack capacity. Too much would easily push the cost out of reach for mainstream consumers. That would sacrifice both cargo-space and depleted-efficiency too. Toyota could offer an additional model with higher specifications, but that's clearly not what the masses have been asking for.

I drive close to 20,000 miles per year. Being able to recharge at work is nice. It doesn't cover my entire day though, not even close. I also take frequent trips well out of that doubled capacity's range. There isn't even a pattern. Each day is different... as these graphs of my daily driving clearly show:





Fortunately, the demands of real-world are well suited for the Prius design. Lifetime MPG is above 75. That makes the benefits of the plug, despite lots of miles per year, very easy to see. Toyota delivered a system available as an affordable choice without having to give up the aspects of Prius which made it a popular.

The next generation will build upon that. We'll see improved engine efficiency and refinements to EV mode. A modest capacity increase is realistic too. But don't forget about the importance of keeping it competitive with the true competition.

 

agreed, i'd be happy with a 33% increase in capacity, 10% increase in mpg's, return of the jedi, er, i mean spare tyre and a total redo of the interior logistics. is that asking too much?

 

My one year of ownership got me 40% EV with 100 MPG gas consumption.

Fuel economy breakdown showed I got 56 MPG on gas miled and 132 MPGe on electric miles.

Refining on this with a bit more EV mile would be nice. They really need to put electric defogger. Heated electric seats are fine.

 

I was very satisfied with the PiP-A's EV range until my son and I went halfies on the Ford Fusion Energi with its reliable 23 - 25 mile EV range. Grrrrr..... I realize it's purely psychological.

 

I always thought that the factory OEM module battery system
Would be perfect. Meaning, sell the car as is currently but also
Have a system in place that allows users to add a certain amount of batteries
From Toyota. That way up they can keep the cost down AND allow certain users the ability
To add ev mileage as needed. I hope someday there is a OEM system for this.......

 

It's difficult to determine what the market is that's willing to give up significant storage capacity. Look at C-Max for a great example of the tradeoff required.

 

cmax is just bad design for a plug in. best move on the gen four would be to design for the plug to have same space as current liftback and give the extra space to the new liftback. unless they can't pull it off and keep the mpg's up. no doubt we are expecting a lot, but they are very good engineer's.

 

and heated steering wheel!

 

another change i'd like to see (which shouldn't cost much) would be a vent position for defrost only, instead of defrost/feet. then i wouldn't have to stuff foam in the foot outlets every year.