My last Toyota was a 2017 Prius Prime: I traded a 2017 Prius Prime for a 2019 Tesla Model 3 in large part because of the control laws. This video makes me angry, again. Inside the pack: Bob Wilson
lane alert instead of lane keeping - it would 'nudge' the car back toward the center but lacked basic PID logic to stay there. After the third "nudge' it was headed to the ditch. too easily enabled ICE - when I want 'EV only', that is what I want, not unexpected ICE operation. Bob Wilson
I've worked with computers long enough to know that they do what you tell it to do; NOT what you want it to do.... I don't use and turn-OFF my lane keep assist, Don't need a nanny or back seat driver trying to tell me what to do. If you have that turned-on, you better be using your turn signals; otherwise it'll always nudge you anytime you get close or go over a line. I've never had my gen4 enable ICE when it didn't have to - in fact I force the ICE ON when I'm up to speed on the highway; because it's more efficient beyond 50+mph. Switch back to EV mode when I'm on city surface streets again.
In my 2024 RAV4 Prime, LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) feels too intrusive, so was quickly turned off. I didn't use it long enough to determine if it was trustworthy. "EV-only" has worked worked perfectly, apart from the one coldest ski morning in Colorado where "Start" went instantly to HV mode, skipping EV.
I suspect the premature ICE activation may have been a first model year, bottom trim problem and operator training error. Over the air update was not a feature so the replacement Model 3 solved my Prius Prime problems. There were other irritants in the control laws (I.e. software.) But lane assist and excessive ICE were enough! The 25 mile EV range when my daily work commute was 20 miles didn’t help and the 16 A maximum charge rate only on J1772 just salted the wound. My 72 mile EV range 2014 BMW i3-REx had 30 A charging and 50 kW fast DC charging Bob Wilson
ICE activation also bothers me in my Avalon. There seem to be quite a few hills around here that I end up parked at the top. So, as I go down the first, at about a speed the car could coast in neutral in and maintain the same speed, the engine just has to idle all the way down the hill. Then, when I get to the bottom, it's warmed up, so it kicks off, and then runs on battery as I go up the next, turning the engine on and off, on and off, until the battery is fully depleted, and now the engine runs the whole way down the next hill to try to charge the battery back up again.
I’m comfortable with the way our ‘24 hycam works. 50 mpg is nothing to complain about for this class of car. I don’t care about when the engine fires or doesn’t. Boston to Florida, $75. Plus tolls
I don't fault those who settle for regular or PHEV Prius considering the other alternatives. I was after ultimate efficiency and automated driving so I had to go beyond. So far, I've been happy with meeting my expectations. Not always perfect but Good Enough." Bob Wilson
The Gen 4 Prius Prime PHEV is the best PHEV out there by far. Not everyone wants to have the headache of owning a BEV. I get a range of close to 800 miles on my Gen 4 Prius Prime, and refueling takes a few minutes. And, oh, driving on gas is cheaper than on electricity in California, where we pay 45¢ a kWh. And no high-cost maintenance associated with BEVs like frequent tire replacements, battery replacements, etc. Even in Alabama, where the electricity is almost free, you ended up spending a fortune fixing your Model 3. And I drive in the BEV mode in the city. I use the HEV mode on the freeway. It is not only the best PHEV but also the best car out there in my opinion, hands down.
You must be under PG&E or Southern Edison. There are pockets of city and county wide grids outside of those two that only charges us $0.12 - $0.16 KwH and $0.38 during peak hours; that's excluding the penny and a half discount for registering your car with your utility. You obviously wouldn't recharge during peak hours. I don't see why anyone would shell-out extra for a PHEV, if they're paying more than $0.38 KwH; since free charger are few and far in-between now-a-days. A colleague of mine that's still at work, stated that the facility started charging for plugging-in mid last year. It used to be free with our monthly parking pass; assuming you could get a hold of a free plug. It was so bad; parking service installed cameras, sensors, and more chargers - limited those parking slots to 4 hours, plus a waiting EV slot for every two slots. BTW, our facility was located in a $012 - $0.16 KwH district; though most employees was under PG&E, which explained the high usage of those chargers.
SCE. Off-peak is close to 45¢/kWh after taxes and fees, and it will keep rising as EV usage increases and natural-gas appliances are sunset. So, what is good for the environment is not necessarily good for your pocket. But then gas prices will keep rising, too, as the state shuts down refineries. I heard they are already importing gas to California from Caribbeans.
