IS THERE AN ALL-ELECTIRC PRIUS?

Looks just like a PIP, you should have looked at the other side where the gas tank cap is.

 

Looks like you could really get the juices flowing on these types of forums. A new member posting pics like these would be a great way to test the waters and generate interest, but what do I know I am a Prius newbie too!

 

Its an advanced plug in also. I wonder if he realizes how many gallons that generator uses to charge the battery

 

Just seems like a very lengthy post for a new member, especially one that just appeared on the scene? A team of engineers with an all electric PIP would not be concerned about generator fuel consumption when testing a new vehicle. Must be the conspiracy theorist in me, bring on the all electric Prius, I will buy one if it can travel 80 miles on a charge!

 

This just seems to be great irony. The most advanced Toyota car being being charged by a Honda generator. Honda powering a car that is crushing its own hybrids.

 

I wonder of Toyota might have been 'loaning' the Plug-In to some reviewer and wanted to make sure it was turned over with a full-charge?

It is a little late in the review cycles but I would be interested in what offices are in that building.

Bob Wilson

 

The Best Buy in Torrance is in a strip mall/plaza. There doesnt look to be any serious offices or office buildings in that parking lot. And if I'm not mistaken, it looks like they were parked in front of a Panda Express

Google Maps

Also, the OP doesnt appear to work for Toyota.. here's his Yelp page

And it looks like they were only about 6-7 miles away from Toyota Corp. Although its possible the R&D/engineers are in a different location.

Google Maps

 

Its just a guy making a statement,"screw the planet! I did this for the green stickers."

 

You can clearly see the exhaust pipe below the "HOV access" sticker on the first picture, so it clearly has or had an engine at one point. Sometimes a banana is, just a banana

 

Hummmm, hummm, hum-itty, hummm, hummmmm, hummmmmmmm.

The plug-in Prius has blocked the driver-side door of the pickup and is on the divider line for the parking place. This suggests the plug-in Prius pulled in after the pickup driver had gotten out . . . (perhaps for some Chinese?):

• A Toyota study of what AAA and other driver assistance folks would need to handle a plug-in that has a mechanical problem and needs a charge to reach a Toyota service center.
• Investigating 'range anxiety' for a plug-in.
• Set the plug-in display to some impossible distance in EV but miscalculated the last recharging segment and called a buddy to do a field-charge.
• The Chinese place wants to know how a plug-in would work as a delivery vehicle without first installing the charging station and Toyota decided to find out.
• A plug-in driver walked into the Chinese place asking 'for a charge and cup of water' and the owner chased them out brandishing a cleaver.
• Gov. Christy from New Jersey called and asked how a plug-in would work in a disaster area with wide-spread power outage.
• Toyota is testing a new ad campaign by posting these photos where PriusChat subjects are tested to propose a caption.
• Someone has decided to loan Top Gear a Plug-in Prius and plan to have an answer when the presenters try some stupid trick.

If Toyota decided to make an all-electric Prius, the engine and radiator would be replaced by a banks of batteries, about 250 lbs. There is no magic bullet so it would still have less than a 100 mile range but it would be . . . fun.

Bob Wilson

 

Is the apparent PIP charging at 240V with the Honda generator through the provided 120V charger cord?

 

Is this the same generator?

Generators, EU 6500 Watt Ultra Quiet Honda Generator

 

Toyota has already cancelled its EV roll-out a couple weeks ago saying publicly that EV is not ready for prime time, except I guess for CA compliance cars since CA mandates some EV's must be sold by each automaker, and RAV is the Toyota sacrfice to the CARB EV gods to best of my knowledge. Mitsubishi also made similar comments last week saying iMEV has no future. Unless this is the greatest corporate fake-out in history, we must look to another explanation for the crazy Torrance PiP. Maybe the PiP ran out of gas...both types.

PS- If you note my avatar, I muddied up the license number for privacy. The OP photos disclose personal license details of the PiP, such that with a little R&D we could write owner a letter and ask them what the heck is going on...but perhaps this detail should not be posted.

 

Yeah this is the most interesting part to me. Is that a peef-upgraded EVSE?

 

As the OP noted, he believes these are corporate cars. I totally agree with his assessment. Like the OP said, that license plate frame is a give away and they are only 6 miles away from Toyota HQ.

I know a fair amount of people who work at Toyota and I'd say most/all of them all have that "moving forward" license plate frame.

 

If the vehicles were factory cars, wouldn't they have manufacturers plates?

 

Yeah it has the green HOV sticker too.

 

John,

I think it's more interesting that you still have a Toyota Rav4 EV.

How long have you had it?
How many kwh is the battery?
How many miles do you get on a charge?

I thought all the EVs were confiscated when GM Killed the EV.
How did you get to keep yours?
How many more are around?

 

the EVs were not confiscated. Toyota attempted to recall all the vehicles but due to owner persistence they ended up letting people keep the cars. you can find this on wiki
btw, he didn't say which RAV4 EV he has. it's possible that he's leasing the new one.