Promoting Prius Prime by misleading about Prius PHV

Applying no value whatsoever to the substitution of electricity in place of gas is the same sales challenge the regular Prius has had since the beginning.

That perspective is a major problem for anything green.

For that matter, you're far better off financially sticking with your old car.

 

That belief of more EV being better hasn't proven the case so far and continues without substance. It's not so simplistic.

The true competition isn't other plug-in vehicles either.

Consider audience and production cost. Then think about dealer inventory and salesperson incentive.

 

All of the mentions of charging have stated 3.3 for the rate. What is your source?

 

The themes of "never enough" and "true competition" come up over and over again. Each new thread may touch the topic, but none really actually address it well. That's the challenge to overcome.

Volt just plain didn't attract the attention of the masses, even when gas was really expense. It was those countless other factors of influence discussion struggle to get into. So, it tends to just fall back on more EV is better. Interestingly, the topic of Tesla popped up today at the barber shop. Even with the 200-mile range, that simply wasn't enough. They just dismissed the idea of electric-only travel and moved on.

At least with some focus on 4 or 5 seats, we are seeing some movement beyond the trapped mindset of the past. Will people dismiss Prius Prime just as easily as Tesla was today? The supposed mass-market choices, like Volt and Leaf, certainly aren't coming up in conversations. Heck, we barely here mention of them here anymore.

Signs of change are finally emerging. The old daily blog for Volt has been void of Volt topics for quite awhile now. It has transformed into another venue for plug-in support discussions. Posts no longer find Prius a competitor. Reality is finally sinking in that traditional vehicles are really the true competition.

Consider how unappealing a plug-in vehicle is to a traditional salesperson. When you can get a commission that's larger and much easier, why bother? Selling a guzzler takes so little effort in comparison.

That's where Prius Prime comes in. Even though some here don't like the approach, the lower production-cost (equating to higher commission) and obvious appeal of EV make a compelling reason for salespeople to actually try. A simple test-drive will be enough to get potential buyers to consider the purchase. That's hard to do with a regular Prius when you encounter a loyal Toyota customer on the showroom floor. But with the plug-in offering a new twist on being green, but not requiring significant compromise, there's opportunity.

 

How about this...

Toyota is testing the high-volume possibility with this approach for RAV4.

That (lengthy pre-orders) isn't the audience Toyota is targeting. Being compelling to a showroom shopper (immediate purchase) is quite different from early adopters without a dealership.

 

Chemistry improvements may allow a deeper discharge. There's some facts we simply won't find out until later. Not that it matters. We're hardly representative of the masses anyway.

For ordinary consumers, the topic of PHV verses Prime really doesn't make any difference. Today provided a great example.

At that new grocery store, just 0.6 mile from our house, there are 4 charging stations... free and in high traffic locations. (It's a pretty sweet setup.) That draws attention to the Prius PHV. I've had people stop to ask about what I think of owning a car with a plug. They aren't obsessed with detail like many of us here in the forum. They simply want to know about convenience & reliability. Oddly, price isn't asked about. It really is just a matter of having confidence in the technology. That's the key. That's what will help sell it.

Today, my wife just stepped back and let me engage in a quick conversation with a passer-by. I answered a series of questions. Range wasn't even asked about. I eventually just mentioned my 72 MPG average and that the newer version coming out this Fall would do even better. Her curiosity, there in the parking lot, looked very much like what I anticipate at the dealership later with Prius Prime. Ordinary people will simply want to know more and the basics are all easy to convey.

We learned from Volt that attracting attention of customers wandering around on the showroom floor, just randomly shopping with the hope of stumbling across something to excite them, is vital. GM still hasn't achieved that. Sales for Volt come from conquest. Rather than appealing to their own base, buyers are from other automakers. That's a major opportunity lost and a sign of hard times to come.

The goal is to transition from traditional vehicles to cleaner more efficient choices. Not being able to appeal to your own loyal customers is a very big problem. Toyota is attempting to overcome that, trying to avoid falling into the same trap as GM. That's why Prius Prime doesn't fit the profile we've come to expect.

Change is challenging. I'm quite optimistic this approach will break out beyond current barriers. 22 miles seems small to us. But to the them, the resulting MPG will blow their minds. It's easy to understand and will be effortless to achieve. That's a winning formula for drawing in the masses.