2023/4 Prius Prime vs. used Volt?

i think the biggest disappointment over at bolt.org (many users went from volt to bolt) after cancellation of volt was that gm didn't apply it to other models like toyota did to increase mpg.

 

There was the Malibu full hybrid using it here.

The Voltec scales up to Two-Mode, and HSD can be mated to an automatic transmission as seen in a couple RWD Lexus.

The former didn't last long. Maybe it was too soon for the market. Cost of the system compared to fuel prices should be more favorable now. Though I recall it still having lower tow ratings than ICE models. I think it is still used in buses.

The later never made it into a truck. Toyota ended up doing what Ford and Hino did, and use a parallel hybrid.

Looks like GM is passing on full hybrids for now, and going with EVs. Down sizing the battery, and installing a generator for a PHEV is lower cost than developing a truck worthy hybrid system that may be of limited use in a plug in world.

 

Has it been mentioned how cramped the Volt’s headroom and legroom is in the back? At least that was my experience when I test drove one in 2020. I know there’s less headroom with the Gen 5’s design, but surely it can’t be as tight as the Volt’s.

 

In inches; rear head, shoulder, hip, leg
Volt; 35.8, 53.2, 51.3, 34.7
PP; 36.4, 52.8, 51.7, 35.9

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That's a link to the 2019 Volt press release.

 

That's why I just bought mine second hand.

Facts says that Gen 4 has better aerodinamics than the Gen 5.

 

Cd on the Toyota spec page is listed as 0.27 and 0,29 for the higher trims. Gen 4 was 0.24.
The lower roofline of the gen5 means a smaller frontal area, which gets the CdA close to the gen4.

 

I've never seen 0.29 for the G5, just 0.27.

Okay, checking now, I can see 0.29 on Toyota USA's web page for the Prime XSE and XSE+, but not the XLE or Ltd. Looks like we've got an anomaly here - I do not believe the PHEV has significantly worse Cd than the HEV (and enough to also be worse than every other Prius since the G1).

Plus it's 0.25 for the G4 PHEV, compared to 0.24 for the HEV.

If we assume the 0.29 is an error (although where did it come from?), then 0.25 versus 0.27 isn't that big a difference. Nevertheless my rough calculations still don't show the lowered roof of the G5 quite making up the difference in overall CdA though - I get roughly 0.59 (G4) versus 0.61 (G5).

 

Odd, I'm seeing the trim difference in Cd for both models at the site on my end. It was also mentioned in some articles on the release and reveal. Seems too high to be explained by the aero to normal wheel design difference. The increased(half inch) ground clearance with the larger wheels could allow under flow air to get more turbulent. It would increase the frontal area, but that won't show in the Cd.

Some reports for the gen4 Prime had it as 0.24. A rounding error can explain the difference in reports. Toyota did state that the Prime's front increased drag, and the rear countered it. Which is more than we got with the gen5 difference.

When asked about the increased Cd, a Toyota rep said the smaller frontal area made up for it; no numbers. A CdA calculation of the squared front profiles doesn't show much improvement in closing the gap, but the actual trapezoid measurements could get them closer.