Toyota Plug in Website now up!

The lithium-ion package in the technical video looks huge. It is like almost twice the size of the current module.

 

Usually the plan is a can of 'fix a flat' and the road-side assistance plan. While I don't love the idea of no spare, I have only needed the use of a spare two times in ten years. A can of 'fix a flat' would have done the job for one of those two times.

The numbers for the Prius PHV look good, while a 13 mile range is short, it is enough for many people. If supply of batteries was an issue (it is currently) putting out 3x as many cars with a 13 mile range would save more gas then 1/3 that number with a 40 mile range (IE Chevy Volt).

 

I wonder if there will be any way we can "upgrade" our current 2010 mods to the new plug in? Would it just be a matter of installing the new L-i batteries?

 

Nope. It is "integrated into" the 2010 systems. New programming, new cabling. New battery. Then there is the issue of where they put the battery, and what was there before, including some things they probably had to move and install new fasteners. And of course the actual plug in port on the side of the car.

Notice, for example, they use one of the readouts to indicate how far you can still go in EV mode. -THAT- isn't in the current car's firmware, or hardware. Firmware for the indicator, hardware for the sensors.

I could "test" one in the "rugged" Canadian climate! Hint hint.

 

I think that would be a superb idea.

(side thought: how many months out of the year can you get at least 75% of max output from a solar panel up there? Define max output as what you would get on a sunny summer day)

 

I wonder what the cost will be?

 

Don't worry. We will test under many conditions.

This is a demo program so there's no real cost to any entity. Pricing, as they say, will be announced at a later date.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

original rumors were $10K more than a similarly speced prius. The low number of cars looks like market research. If other electrics take off toyota wants to be ready, but it doesn't want many in the field if people are disapointed.

Problem I see is short milage means little justification for the pure electric in the US. Let's hope for a lighter car with bigger bateries. Turn on the engine for distance or acceleration.

 

The way I look at this is the same as it has been for THS/HSD for the past 9 years... production capacity increases.

That opens up the oppoturnity for taking on the next step while at the same time helps to lower cost.
.

 

PriusTeam, the Youtube video on the PHV website is EXCELLENT !!!! You need to air this on television as the commercial for the regular Prius. If you had done this commercial instead of the flower commercial (not that the flowers were bad), you would have sold BILLIONS of Priuses by now!

Please air this commercial on television! It is SUPERB!!!

 

You really need to talk to the City of Houston. They're even doing Prius plug-in conversions.

 

I'm not going to do the math. Too depressing. Right now the sun just clears the horizon, as it skims the power lines. The curbs on E-W streets cast shadows into the driving lane! At least we get lots of clear blue skies, with temps in the -10s down to -20C. Later it gets much nicer, with temps down to -50C. It gets real quiet when it gets that cold. Still, can't complain, as there is almost no snow, ...yet! In the summer we can "get by" without A/C, as max. temps rarely go above +30C (about 80F). So at least we save a bit of energy there.

Talk about a mileage hit! This week I've been getting 5.5 l/100 km and it's not even "cold" at -5 to -10C. I must have been a bad driver or something.

 

ok, i clicked on link and got "untrusted site" warning...

so what's the deal. is there some sort of virus on the site that will cause my regular Pri's mileage to drop making the plug in more attractive??

 

Since our business is incorporated, we've tried beating down the doors to find out how to be considered as a fleet - end user ... and how small / large a business has to be in order to make the consideraton list. Talk about a useless / frustrating waste of time. The web site simply makes it more frustrating ... like flashing a cash-filled wallet in front of a homeless person. It's just not right


yes ... I am a cry baby.

The first thing I'd be doing is seeing how many more Kwh I could stuff in there.

.