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Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/video

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by cwerdna, Jun 28, 2010.

  1. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/video] — Autoblog Green

     
  2. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    I don't think they subtracted $2,917 tax credit from their calculation. This would make the PHV Prius $1k more than the standard Prius.

    It sounds like a great deal to me!
     
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  3. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    $4000 less the credit seems like a much more reasonable price than originally floated. If both were available when I bought my 2010, it would have been a no-brainer to have gotten the phv-prius versus standard. My mileage is around 42mpg because of multiple short trips, things that would make my real mpg with a plug in much higher than their estimates. My purchase of the prius had more to do with using less gas than saving money, and I'm sure many owners have the same criteria. The real question will be how it looks compared to the volt, plug-in focus and other new designs when they are all available.
     
  4. joe1347

    joe1347 Active Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    62 mpg for the plug-in Prius vs. 50 mpg (EPA) for the non plug-in version of the Prius? I don't believe the 62 mpg number from Inside Line. The low mpg number sounds like most of the 500 miles of test driving was long distance highway miles with infrequent recharging as opposed to daily recharging of a 'commuter car'. Other predictions point to well above 75 mpg for typical commutes for a similar sized PHEV battery pack.

    A123Systems :: Applications :: Plug-In Hybrid

    As for the $4000 price premium for the PHEV, one would assume that Toyota isn't including the tax breaks. Seems like too good of a deal at this price (without the Tax break). I guess I'm skeptical. - or ready to place an order :) if my out of pocket costs for a PHEV Prius are only a $1000 premium over the cost of a standard Prius.

    So, Toyota - when can we buy one?
     
  5. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    Why all the fuss about pay back times?

    It's important to me as the car is a tool for the job, but other drivers will buy it for other reasons such as reduced air pollution etc. You don't buy a tow bar for your car and wonder how many times you must use it before it pays for itself.

    Joe above has it right - When can I buy one :)
     
  6. joe1347

    joe1347 Active Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v


    I don't think that anyone is listening (reading) :)

    I guess we can speculate and assume that since the Prius PHEV is a 2012, we'll have to wait until next fall to buy it. Hard to believe that Toyota will wait that long to respond to the Chevy Volt that's coming out in just a few months. Plus, now Ford and Hyundai seem to readying cars that could rival the Prius.

    I'm guessing that Toyota will be moving faster than they've been letting on and that Toyota has more up it's sleeve - such as a cool looking Prius coupe - to ensure that they stay the leaders in all things Hybrid. Otherwise, the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is pretty cool looking and has lithium battery tech.

    Maybe Toyota might even wake up and start taking a few styling hints from the German manufacturers - like Hyundai who pretty much ripped off Mercedes Benz for their new Sonata styling. For example, for a new Toyota hybrid sports car - what about taking a styling cue from the Bugatti Veyron?

    [​IMG]
     
  7. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    Is that 62 mpg after just one plug in and a continuous drive till they drove 500 miles? Or is that from plugging it daily with say an average of driving 50 miles a day?
     
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    ^^ Exactly, burritos man.

    $1000 for PHEV is too good to be true. I'll also start two years early, and start mentioning that tax credits are vulnerable to income phase-outs and AMT.
     
  9. rebenson

    rebenson Member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    maybe playing down the phv since it's not available until the NEXT model year? Want to make sure people that are ready to buy , buy the current model that's available now!
     
  10. PriusSport

    PriusSport senior member

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    Re: Inside Line puts plug-in Prius to the test, hits 62 mpg, payback period at least 215K miles [w/v

    Where was it I saw Tom Hanks had his 04 plug-in Prius up for charity sale? Tom is part of a group of conservationist (not conservative, mind you) celebrities in LA-LA land who own Priuses: among them, Ed Begley Jr, Larry Hagman, Jay Leno and Harrison Ford, and probably quite a few others. Jay collects cars, including a few racing Porsches. Ford owns and flies 7 airplanes, including a helicopter. His car is a Prius. Remarkable. Hagman has an incredible 25000 sq ft house which is completely solar--he has enough solar panel power to sell to the LA grid and doesn't pay a dime in utility bills. Gets about $300K back per year from the power company. Begley has a green show on that planet channel. He's a much smaller scale greenie with a dumbish but pretty blond wife. These guys fill their homes with windmills and solar panels and smart electrical switches. More power to them. No pun intended.