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Prime destined to be doa?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Prius Five Guy, Apr 1, 2016.

  1. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Yes . . . . for now that's true . . . . and actually some stores know about 3 models in some instances .... helpful to the handful of roadster owners, wanting to know about the 400 mile upgrade package ... which is pretty darn unheard of, that a manufacturer would continue supporting an older/production discontinued model. To date, I've only read of a couple persons who've opted for the upgrade. It's all about the training. And paying enough to keep the trained, once you've invested the time with the employee. Traditional dealerships often hire based on years worked, no matter which manufacturer, no matter how ignorant the sales people - or how honed their 'huxter' skills may be.
    Dealership problems imo have a way to go. We had an issue with our genII, and the service bay was ignorant about the problem (hadn't yet gotten notice of the TSB) - so we called around, found another dealership was 'aware' - and took care of it. Got a corporate/confidential survey regarding the 1st service department, & I'd commented on the survey that it was frustrating to make an appointment twice because CORPORATE wasn't making sure their peep's know what's going on. Next time I went in to the 1st dealership, the service manager commented, "I see you gave us a bad mark on a survey". Thanks corporate Toyota. I sure felt comfortable after that. So much for anonymity. Good luck getting any anonymous feedback from us from now on.
    :mad:
    .
     
    #681 hill, Jul 31, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2016
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  2. mozdzen

    mozdzen Active Member

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    I'm just coming back from a Phoenix to Lake Tahoe to Yosemite to Phoenix trip with the Model S. Very fun to plan to hit the superchargers at the right time. 400V at 300 amps (120 KW). 2.5 hrs driving, then a rest for a snack or to walk the streets and explore the town you are stopping in for 30 mins. Without superchargers, I certainly would not have considered driving that far all electric.
     
  3. SUPERCOOLMAN

    SUPERCOOLMAN Junior Member

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    Mirai wouldn't have allowed that as of now
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    agreed, vcv has a long way to go. but looking for, planning on and waiting for superchargers is not my idea of fun. i'll stick with hybrids and phev's for long trips as of now.
     
  5. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    vcv?
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    thanks, fvc.:p
     
  7. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    Thanks. I was wracking my brain to figure out vcv. Best I could think of was vaginal collection vial but that doesn't relate to this thread. fcv makes sense.
    I'll blame it on the Stupid autoincorrect...
     
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i do get the re underline. sometimes it changes it, and sometimes it doesn't. also, more recently, it doesn't change it until i post. and editing can't undo it. very strange spellcheck.
     
  9. mozdzen

    mozdzen Active Member

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    No waiting for Superchargers. Most of the time I was the only one. No looking for them either, evtripplanner.com on the web and the built in Nav system tells you exactly where they are. Not everyone's cup of tea for sure.
     
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  10. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    I don't know about the waiting part for Superchargers. We have a couple around here but they are empty every time I drive by. And from the checkins on PlugShare they don't seem too busy. As for convenience, one Supercharger is right off the Thruway and the other is near a major highway as well.....just like the gas stations right around them.



    Unsupervised!
     
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    we don't have any, except at tesla dealers. not exactly the kind of place i want to hang around while on a long trip.
    when all the hotels have them, it will be a piece of cake. you can reserve your charger with your room.
     
    #691 bisco, Aug 3, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2016
  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    must be the R rated spell check software .. gives a whole new meaning to Prius v.

    .
     
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  13. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Hehe, I wish we "don't have any" like you "don't have any

    We didn't charge at a single Tesla store or service center on our out of state trips (7000 miles so far).
    It's fine if you don't feel comfortable with the infrastructure, but for most people, there are plenty of convenient places to charge.
     
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  14. mozdzen

    mozdzen Active Member

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    Hotels and Tesla dealers are not the ideal places to charge. When you have 250 miles of range, you can easily pull into a hotel with 100 miles left and get on to the next charger in the morning if needed. If your hotel has a charger or two, that is a bonus. Figuring out how driving electric plays out in real life is one of the reasons I took the leap and got the Model S. I wanted the chance to experience what it would be like first hand and I must say it is different and better than I thought it would be.

    One thing I've learned though is that 240 V, 40A is not fast enough for recharging while you are on the go. This level of charging will get you ~25 miles of range per hour which is fine if it is at the hotel you are staying at and can charge all night. 240 V, 40A is ~ 8 KW. The superchargers are 120 KW - 15x faster. Anything less wouldn't be acceptable to me as I wouldn't be willing to wait hours to get the 25 miles of range per hour. So for any pure EV cars not able to charge at 120 KW (max - at the beginning when the battery is near empty), then I'll agree with the critics that road trips are not practical for these cars.
     
    #694 mozdzen, Aug 3, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2016
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  15. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    iduno but ~ Might it be that DC isn't listed as a CARB state simply because it isn't a state? .... too many high school Civics Nazis would maybe be wanting to correct their technical 'error'?
    http://www.ncsl.org/research/energy/state-electric-vehicle-incentives-state-chart.aspx

    That map & the accompanying incentive list seems to indicate all of the ZEV perks are there, unless I'm missing something.
    .
     
    #695 hill, Aug 3, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2016
  16. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...Wash DC is considered a state in the Clean Air Act, but who knows. A couple years back I asked Toyota Team to explain all their CARB warranty rules to me, including DC status etc, and they said it was all case by case, so that did not help too much.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think the attitude that, 'there are plenty of chargers' is not helpful to promoting ev. it maybe there are plenty for people who have purchased, but there are not plenty for many who are trying to decide what will work best for them. many of us who are accustomed to traveling in a certain way, aren't willing to change, just so we can drop 70k on a tesla.
    i don't find the quantity on that map to be 'plenty'. part of the reason we're still driving hybrids and phev's.
     
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    this is well laid out, and why there are so many reluctant to change. time will bring more and better charging, and more people will make the switch. nothing wrong with a gradual process.
     
  19. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    No need to change much.
    For those that would need to change, sure, take some more time, let the infrastructure grow.
    All I am saying, is the current infrastructure is suitable to lots more people than are currently driving plugin vehicles.
    I am not saying you are one of them.

    I found plugin vehicles far more convenient than ICE vehicles, with far less infrastructure than you currently have.
    For all I know though, you drive 80,000 miles annually, which would make an EV really tough.
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you're confusing my argument.read post #691 again. we don't have any, except at tesla dealers. i can't expand your map, but it's pretty obvious.
    i'm not arguing that there aren't enough, or that people with bev's are unhappy. i'm silly saying it's a process, and there currently aren't enough for me.
    reading bob wilsons thread, you might trip over all the public chargers in huntsville. that's not the case around here. one whole foods in wellesley, ma is the only one i can find.