1500W AC inverter in 23MY Prime

You can post pictures here as long as you just turn off JavaScript first; see where it's been discussed in this other thread. It's only the fancy JavaScript version of file upload that isn't working. (I do sort of wonder why it's taken this long to fix....)

 

I shut off JavaScript, upload the files, then reenable JavaScript and reload the page(making sure the draft post/reply autosaves at least once). It doesn't always work, but most of the time I get both the uploads and the full editing capability. PITA, but it works for now.

 

According to this discussion, the 1500W inverter has been available in Priuses sold in the US. I searched the Toyota website months ago to see if it was available on '23 Priuses and there was no mention of it there. The website was in English and it had an American flag near the top left of the pages with Olympic rings beneath it and that suggests that it was the website for Toyotas sold in the US, but I could not be sure because it did not say if it was or was not. So, apparently, the inverter was not available at that time in the US. I looked for it today for the '24 Prius Prime on the same website and there still is no mention of it. I did a word search for "inverter" on the Prius Prime> Features> Safety & Convenience section and I got no results so it's not standard equipment. I built a Prius Prime Premium, which is the fanciest version, and did a word search for "inverter" in the available options and I got no results so it's not an option. I have a DSL (which is slow) so doing all this searching is very time consuming. Does anybody know if the inverter is available but is just really hard to find on the website? Or am I on the right website for cars sold in the US? Also, is it available on the Prius hybrid?

 

You're on the right site, I think they just fail to mention it.

It seems to be standard fit on the Prime, and not available on the HEV - you can look at review videos on YouTube and see it's there on the Prime SE, but not on the HEV Ltd.

Because it doesn't vary by trim, they weren't prompted to put it into the spec comparison table.

(It's also a bit tricky to find out which countries in the EU do and don't have it. Most do, a couple don't).

 

Thanks for replying. I can't understand why Toyota would list "Extendable dual sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors" but not mention the 1500W inverter. Are you saying that it is standard equipment on all Gen 5 Prius Primes sold in the US? It could be very helpful during a power outage. I wonder how long it would power my refrigerator after a hurricane with a full tank. I think I have read that the standard household voltage in Europe is 240 but it is 120 here in the US. Is it still a 1500W inverter in Europe or is it 3000W?

 

Cos the marketing folks are used to padding out that brochure with stuff like that, so they scanned through the car looking for all the stuff they're used to, and missed this unusual one.

Given that it's not in any spec, I think if you received one without it, you would have no ability to complain.

But every US Prime I've seen (in pictures and videos) has the two outlets.

In Europe it's 230V but still 1500W. And there's only one outlet in the boot, none in the back seat.

 

It's also in the US Prius Prime manual(pg 468) and not with any sort of *if equipped sort of thing. And the button to turn it on is in one of the photos in the interior gallery. Occam's Razor: Toyota USA just forgot to include it in the specs on the website.

 

My 2024 Prime SE I drove home last month came with the two 1500W inverter outlets. I thought they were offered only on upper level trims. A true surprise as it wasn’t mentioned on the window sticker. So happy to have it!