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Anyone got bored of plugging in everyday?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by tlam47, May 8, 2014.

  1. tlam47

    tlam47 Junior Member

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    My friend is looking into buying a plug in prius but he is worried his wife will complaint about having to plugging and unplugging everyday. Having read through lots of pros and cons of plug in. I have not read anyone complaint about the trouble of plugging in and out day in day out. I mean one of the thing I like about my Gen 3 prius is not having to fill up as often. With the plug-in, it's sort of like filling up everyday. Any thoughts?
     
  2. vskid3

    vskid3 Active Member

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    I plug my phone in every day. Millions of other do, too. Haven't heard of anyone switching to gas powered phones. ;)

    Do they have a garage? If so, plugging and unplugging would be about as easy as opening the door to enter/exit the car. Just unplug and leave the cord on a shelf or something next to the car.
     
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  3. Priusmpg

    Priusmpg Active Member

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    Plugging in daily has become a habit, much like charging your phone. Just plugging in while outsides, like at malls or stores that provide changing stations, has become annoying.
     
  4. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...of course, Toyota expects to have the induction charging for the next version...so you just have to park. Maybe he can get his wife one of those high tech nextgen PiP's for Mothers Day in a couple years.
     
  5. tlam47

    tlam47 Junior Member

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    Thanks. That's something they might be interested in.
     
  6. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Yep. I got tired of the routine every day, so now it's like I'm basically driving a regular Prius, getting over 50mpg every day.
     
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  7. Michael33

    Michael33 Member

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    My housemate is not into cars at all. However, once she saw that plugging in adds about 25MPG, she became pretty darned reliable about doing it. She even has to back up 30' to do it, which she hates, but she still does it...
     
  8. -Rozi-

    -Rozi- Member

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    I got my PiP less than a month ago, so I am not exactly the right person to be smart about this.

    But, I love to plug in on every occasion. :love:
    It is this unique feeling you don't get with the regular car. Something new, fancy, exquisite, technical... Quite hard to explain until you own one.
     
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  9. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :confused:Note to self, don't get a Prius Plug In if you're lazy. With 75% lifetime EV miles, I'm hooked, and I like it. No excuse for not charging at home if possible. Charging away from home can be more difficult. Home charging takes me takes about 30 seconds to connect. Work, maybe 90 seconds. I've moved my home Level 2 EVSE three times for a optimal location. NASCAR teams couldn't do it more efficient.
     
  10. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Note, I'm not a PiP owner but I know a couple and plug in myself...
    Most owners of plugin vehicles find it MUCH more convenient to plug in than to visit the gas station.
    The convenience may vary, for your wife, by her driving habits. If she drives 10 miles a day, plugging in at home will virtually replace gas station visits.
    If she is driving 200 miles a day, there will still be a decrease of gas station visits, just not as drastic.
     
  11. ckam1989

    ckam1989 Active Member

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    Even without plugging the car in, the pip still gets 50-60mpg. I read somewhere in the forums that the car should be driven within an hour of being charged for otimpal usage. Sadly my schedule is unpredictable so I don't plug my pip daily. And my 200mile commute doesn't do my mpg any justice.

    All in all, plugging in the pip is an option. :) having the option is rather nice. I don't know if they're increasing the hov stickers thou. Good luck to your friend. Car shopping is fun :D



    SPH-D710 ?
     
  12. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    The only complaint I have about plug-ins, stupid as it sounds, is having to plug it in. Specifically, I'm talking about remembering to plug in. When I forget to get gas, I drive to the next station when the car beeps on low fuel. There's no such reminder for the PiP at least not for the base model. When I forget to charge my cell phone over night, I use the car charger or I charge at work. For a PHEV, it is not a big issue. But if I owned a BEV, then we have a problem. I've already forgotten to charge my car a handful of times.
     
  13. vajratlr

    vajratlr Member

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    I'm curious to know how much energy is lost during the transfer. With a conventional plug which also loses energy during a charge, it's almost a wash between gas and electric.
     
  14. GregP507

    GregP507 Senior Member

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    Electrical energy is lost as heat. If nothing is getting warm, the efficiency is fairly high.
     
  15. vajratlr

    vajratlr Member

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    I understand that, but typically induction charging loses more energy compare to a plug.
     
  16. SudeepHArya

    SudeepHArya Junior Member

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    Almost better then sex baby - I can't wait to put my charger into my prius charging recepticle :)
     
  17. jfschultz

    jfschultz Active Member

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    Two points:

    1) Plugging in is less of a hassle than getting gas. Just plug in and leave it until you are ready to drive again. With gas you have to wait until it is done and pay. So it takes less time out of you life.
    2) It takes less time than other daily routines like brushing teeth, shaving, etc.
     
  18. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    My BEV sends me a text message to my cell phone if I am parked next to a charger and not plugged in after 5 minutes.

    It is a habit. Turn the car off, press the release button, get out and plug in. When people ask how long it takes to charge, I usually start with the "30 seconds" answer. I don't care if it charges in 1 hour or 8 hours if it is just going to sit there the entire time anyways.
     
  19. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    I am not the expert, but this article below discusses efficiency (only in the comment section). Sounds manageable, they say up to 90% efficient best case, so let's probably think in terms of 85%. But many of us have much lower electric costs than CA and NYC, so it would still be cheaper than gasoline at today's prices. I am warming up to the PiP "induction" idea.

    Wireless EV Charging Successful In Evatran Demonstration Project
     
  20. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    Its not much harder than picking up a few dollar bills off the ground and that's what it amounts to :love: