Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Review
By Larry E. Hall
Toyota – after years of doggedly stating that the Prius hybrid system was not compatible with a plug-in system, and repeatedly warning that lithium-battery-powered plug-in hybrids were too costly and the technology unproven – will begin delivery of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid next March. Easily the most recognized hybrid on American roads, the new Prius with-a-plug defines perfect marksmanship.
As the hybrid pioneer and leader, it makes sense that Toyota would lead the way in the next cost-effective gasoline-electric technology. The chief benefit of a plug-in hybrid isn’t that it can be driven purely on electricity for several miles, but that it erases range anxiety. When the battery is depleted, the Prius Plug-in seamlessly becomes a conventional hybrid with the ability to be refueled with gasoline when needed and delivers fuel economy that exceeds gasoline-powered cars.
In general, Toyota’s position is that hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles with smaller and less costly battery packs – rather than pure electric cars with larger and very expensive packs – provide the most value and versatility for consumers overall. While the car itself hits the bull’s eye, the question is does the Prius Plug-in miss the target when it comes to price?
A Prius With More Electrons
Essentially, the new Prius PHV, or Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle, is a 2012 Prius Liftback with a more potent 4.4-kWh lithium-ion battery instead of the standard 1.3-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack, an onboard battery charger and an industry-standard charging port. As such, the Prius PHV can be charged and driven gasoline free for up to 15 miles at speeds up to 62 mph. But, under full acceleration or driving uphill while in EV mode, the system switches to full hybrid mode. And, like the regular Prius model, the PHV version shuts down the gasoline engine at a stop and accelerates away with the hybrid battery providing electricity to the front motor.
Under the plug-in’s sheetmetal, the standard Prius parentage continues. The engine is a 98-horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder that operates on the Atkinson cycle. The series-parallel hybrid system uses two high-output electric motors, one 60-kw (80 horsepower) unit that mainly powers the transaxle, and another smaller motor that works as the electric power source for battery regeneration and as a starter for the gas engine. Combined output of the gas engine and electric motor is 134 horsepower, which is directed to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
There is little that distinguishes the plug-in Prius’s exterior from its less-electrified sibling. Exclusive plug-in exterior trim includes a chrome finish on door handles and grille as well as blue-accent headlamps and LED taillight clusters. The most notable difference is the charging door on the right rear fender, which also has a chrome treatment. A close-up look reveals that the small front fender and rear badges are inscribed “Plug-in Hybrid” rather than just “Hybrid,” and a keen eye will notice the plug-in’s exclusive wheels. Both cars exhibit a minor 2012 refresh, including a revised front fascia and bumper, plus new head- and taillights. In other words, there’s no elevated, “Look at me, I’m really, really green!”
Current Prius owners will feel right at home in the new Prius with a plug. Five adults can fit comfortably, with the same 16 cubic feet of cargo room left over in back. The 60/40 split rear seats still fold flat, creating a surprisingly large cargo space for hauling groceries, strollers, large boxes, and gardening supplies – all at the same time.
Pre-Production Test Drives
In early summer, Toyota provided a pre-production Prius PHV for a week-long evaluation. The car was one from a fleet of 160 test vehicles spread around the U.S. and had slightly more than 3,000 miles on the odometer.
Sans the wild paint job and large "Plug-In Hybrid" graphics of earlier evaluation vehicles, our test driver was different from the near production-ready car driven by our colleague Brad Berman in late September. First, our Prius PHV had a larger Li-ion battery pack, 5.2-kWh versus 4.4-kWh, and it weighed in at 353 pounds compared to 176 pounds. The smaller battery not only frees up space in the trunk, it somehow provides more electric-only driving range, 15 miles in contrast to the 13-mile distance of our evaluation car. Toyota says the increase in EV driving range can mostly be attributed to the weight reduction. Battery technology also plays a role, but the company won’t release details until closer to the vehicle’s launch.
Another difference is the location of the charge port. Our development model plugged in on the left front fender instead of the right rear fender on the production model. This seemingly minor change helps reduce weight by eliminating wires that ran from the charge port to the onboard charger under the front passenger seat, and then snaked to the battery in the rear. Now the port, charger and battery are all close together.
Berman’s test vehicle had a new multi-function display not included in our development test car. It featured a readout that records the ratio of driving distance covered by EV power as well as an indicator of possible EV driving range when in the selectable EV mode.
When the Prius PHV arrived, the battery was depleted. Time needed to bring it to a full charge was around three hours from the garage’s standard 110-volt outlet, which is the same charging time for production cars. That time can be cut in half by plugging into an official Prius 240-volt charger with a price of $999, including installation.
With a fully charged battery, I backed out of the driveway and expected to feel the zip that comes with an electric motor’s instant-on torque. But, unlike Chevy’s Volt or the Nissan Leaf, there was no brisk, silent acceleration. Instead, a steady, almost sluggish silent forward motion, just like a regular ole Prius. Well, with one major exception – with a judicious right foot the PHV mostly maintained electric drive up to around 60-62 mph for 11 to 13 miles, depending on how quickly the car accelerated. It took only a couple of days to figure out the pressure to exert on the gas pedal to keep the car in electric drive for considerable distances without assist from the gas engine.
Berman’s experience was different. He said he found it annoying to hear and feel the gas engine of the Prius PHV production version come on so easily. During his eight-mile drive, it happened anytime he applied slightly too much foot pressure, even if it was just coming out of a parking lot. Brad is a longtime Prius owner who is quite adept at working the pedal for maximum electric drive operation. Since the car he was driving is still being tweaked before going on sale next March, software engineers possibly could make changes that favor less intervention of the gas engine.
From a dynamic standpoint, the Prius PHV is pretty much like its near twin. All the character and personality has been ironed out of these cars with little passion to be found underfoot. They are driving appliances meant to get you from point A to point B with the best fuel economy numbers of any car on the road, and that’s where both cars shine.
The garden-variety Prius has outstanding EPA fuel economy numbers of 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway and a combine rating of 50 mpg; the plug-in version has a better outlet for fuel economy.
During our week with the extension cord connected Prius we topped the fuel tank twice. Before the first top-off, we clocked 164 miles – 133 miles on the Interstate – and plugged in three times with a recorded fuel mileage of 63.7 mpg. Before the last fill-up we drove 99 miles – all in city – and plugged in after each trip that varied from 6 miles to 18 miles with a recorded 78.9 mpg. That’s an average of 71.3 mpg for the 263 miles driven.
To me, that says the EPA’s disclaimer of, “Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle” needs an addendum for the Prius PHV: “Your fuel mileage will vary depending on miles driven.” That is, long trips equal exceptional fuel economy; short trips and frequent recharging equal stellar fuel economy.
My conclusion after a week with the Prius PHV? If your round trip commute is 25 to 30 miles and you can plug in at work, this is a great choice. If you commute 50 to 75 miles and will employ driving techniques that produce fuel mileage worth bragging about, it’s still a good choice. The only deal breaker might be the vehicle cost.
Ouch! A $32,000 Price Tag
Toyota has stated that the mid-$20,000 is the ”sweet spot where the public wants to spend their money.” Last July Toyota’s Jana Hartline was quoted as saying the plug-in Prius would retail for $3,000 to $5,000 more than the standard Prius. With the base model 2011 Prius Two priced at $23,520 that would be close to the "sweet spot." (Toyota had not released prices for the 2012 Prius in time for this review.)
Perhaps those Li-ion batteries were more expensive than Toyota planned because the starting price is $32,000 for the 2012 Prius Plug-in. Add the $760 destination charge and it stickers at $32,760. That’s $7,000 more than the “sweet spot,” and more than an $8,000 difference over the 2011 Prius base model. And even after a federal tax credit of $2,500, the car is still above 30 large, but it is close to the top-end, fully loaded Prius Five’s price of $29,550, including destination.
Thankfully, there are various individual state incentives that can help ease the sting of the purchase price.
So, what do you get for your hard-earned money besides the eye-popping fuel economy? Quite a lot, actually: A "smart key" keyless entry system with remote air conditioning; power windows, locks and outside mirrors; tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio, climate, Bluetooth and voice-command controls; cruise control; and Toyota’s Touch Tracer display.
If you can’t resist bells and whistles, the “Advanced” Plug-in Hybrid goes for $40,285, minus the tax credit. It includes the above plus bonus features such as radar-guided cruise control, a pre-collision system, head-up display, navigation system, a rockin’ audio system and Toyota’s Entune Internet connectivity.
Is This Plug-in For You?
Toyota says the Prius that plugs in will travel up to 15 miles on EV power, have an estimated fuel economy rating of 87 mpg equivalent, and get 49 mpg (combined) during hybrid operation after the battery is depleted. With those numbers in mind, ask yourself how the car will be used. If your one-way commute is 10-12 miles and you can plug in at work, you would use little, if any, gasoline all week. However, a 30 or more mile run to the office and no chance of plugging in means fuel mile closer to the 49 mpg. That suggests the conventional Prius with its 50 mpg combined average is the wiser choice.
Then again, if the one-way trip is around 30 miles with a place to plug in, perhaps the Chevrolet Volt with its 30-mile EV range is the best choice to kick the oil habit. Sure, it appears the 2012 Volt, with its $39,995 sticker including delivery charges, is nine grand more than the Prius Plug-in, but that is somewhat misleading because the Volt qualifies for a full $7,500 Federal tax credit. That means the difference between the Prius Plug-in and Volt works out to only about $2,200. Whatever your driving habits are, you might want to wait until next year to make a decision. Ford’s C-Max Energi plug-in will debut around mid-summer, and it’s possible that Hyundai’s Elantra Touring plug-in hybrid will arrive not too long after. Ford has been tight lipped about the Energi’s price, but reports indicate Hyundai intends to best the plug-in Prius.
If you’ve done the math, and the new Prius PHV makes sense, you can order one now from Toyota with deliveries beginning in March 2012 in fourteen states – California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. The full national rollout is planned for 2013.
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78 / 63 MPG n/a L/100km
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BODY TYPE:
Sedan
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TECHNOLOGY:
Plug-In Hybrid
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BASE MSRP:
$32,000
2 years ago
I think to keep the price down, 10 miles of electric before the engine kicks in is a good idea for the entry level plug in vehicle.
Ford had better keep it's 2011 delivery date for the EV Focus and 2012 for their plug-in/next gen hybrid Focus, Fusion and Escape. It's a good idea that Ford is planning to offer a mix of EV/Hybrid and Plug-In on their cars, which i am sure Toyota will do also.
What would also help is to be able to pick a model, match it with a mode, Petro, EV or Hybrid, then select our battery 10, 50, 100, 200, 300 miles. The same battery should work on most all models/modes for the carmaker, and we should be able to upgrade/trade in the battery whenever when we need to.
This way it helps with the fear of buying too much battery or not enough and being stuck with it.
2 years ago
It's a trial version. I expect Toyota will use this model to prove the technology, and then refine it into something with a full-commute range.
2 years ago
alancamp, the idea of picking out a battery of "10, 50, 100, 200, 300" mile capacity is a good concept. The only drawback that I can see to it is that the car manufactures must build in a standard battery space in their cars that could accommodate the largest battery or state in the car specs what the largest capacity battery that would fit the car. That way, if one needed a car that had a 300 mile capacity, they would not buy a car with specs that state its battery space would only hold a 50 mile capacity battery.
2 years ago
A 10 mile range? Seriously, a 10 mile EV range?
Frankly, where I live a 10 mile range doesn’t get me to the gas station and back. I’m not impressed. And for double the cost of a standard Prius, it’s a no brainer for a Prius owner to *not purchase* the plug-in
Hell, maybe Toyota should talk to the guys at Hymotion. I think their upgrade to plug-in costs less than $20,000.
The final boneheaded move is pricing it $8,000 above the ridiculously priced Chevy Volt when it will get 1/4 of the Volt’s electric range.
Sorry Toyota. I won't even give you a "nice try" on this plan.
2 years ago
At the same time the Mercedes Benz Vision S 500 Plug In Hybrid is certified to get 73 mpg, can go 18 miles on electric power, and charges in 1 hour with a 20kW power source. It looks like the sub 20 mile range and 70+ mpg is going to be the standard for this first go round of plug-in hybrid cars.
Now all we need is the garage docking station for charging. A simple electro-magnetic configuration like the MacBook uses connected to a parking stop like device should work. This way it's automatically plugged in every day.
2 years ago
I agree with the posts pointing out the lame 12.5 mile electric range at slow 62 mph (100 kph) speeds. This dog will never show and Toyota will say they told us so as people form a line out the door of Nissan, Tesla, Chevy, and all the rest who make useful plug-in vehicles.
I would like to ask alancamp why I can manage to plug my MacBook in by myself but I need a docking station to plug my car in? Are you implying that the car needs to plug itself in for some reason?
2 years ago
Timeout!
Man its amazing how many fall under the spell of public relations nonsense. If you read articles from this site you should clearly make this connection go back and look at what PR they have been spinning and what they actually do, hint look at articles related to plugin vehicles.
I don't see why most don't pick up on this marketing technique. The national print ad promoting the company’s future eco-friendly technologies (Prius Plugin) is trying to keep public interest in Toyota's hybrid products long-term, while at the same time focusing consumers on their current production of vehicles.
I don't see why people can't get this, Toyota is betting early EV's and Plugins will be expensive and folks like GM and Nissan will have major production problems. Remember also that limited quantities of these cars will be released in the first year with the possibility of full production coming online 3 to 5 year into production.
As for the engineering quotes by Toyota, I would say that's garbage expect similar distance/ range from a Prius/Lexus Plugin Hybrid so don't get to excited about fake PR numbers, because behind the scenes they are working on developing a plugin option for the next gen Prius.
2 years ago
Thats ok Samie,
Most of my friends are waiting for a real plug-in vehicle. They can wait another year or so for Nissan, Ford, GM, Tesla, etc to work out the production bugs without having to buy another Prius. Toyota's only hope is that Prius sales don't totally tank while people are waiting for the others.
2 years ago
I like everything about this car but the price. Perhaps because I drive 12 miles a day now...
Still, 12 miles a day, 300 days a year, 8 year battery life, $3.00/gallon gas, 50 MPG Prius... adds up to only $1728 of fuel costs saved over the life of the battery.
How can I justify paying an extra $25000 for that? I could get a nice rooftop solar system with that money.
2 years ago
There are conversion companies that can take a used Prius and give it the 70 EV mph top speed and 25 miles of all electric driving for $15k. Along with a 10 year warranty on the battery.
http://www.pluginconversions.com/picc_pressrelease61009.html
2 years ago
Folks, lithium batteries are a known “unknown”. My one associate just spent a week blowing up over $20,000 worth of lithium batteries for his EV conversion company. Some cities are requiring that all their utility vans be EV and they are bidding on the contract to convert the vans. Hybrids will not count in this case; they have to be EV. Along the deliberate blowing up of the batteries, he also has been doing charge testing on these designs. Their particular battery design is endothermic, not exothermic. The battery has to be heated to a certain temperature before charging or the lithium plates out. He indicates that above that temperature, the batteries can be charged without any permanent damage to the battery. He has indicated that the car will rust out before the battery will significantly degrade if properly charged. At higher temperatures the battery can be recharged in as little as an hour and a half. If fast recharged at 150 degrees, the battery temperature will drop to 125 degrees within a minute (endothermic). The batteries that he blew up that caught fire were put out using water with minimal effort since the blowing up did not produce lithium metal and the lithium compound does not burn readily.
Now, tell me what other battery type has these kinds of properties? And if all these properties are so well known about lithium batteries, why is my associate still testing lithium battery properties?
All car manufactures and car EV conversion companies are still hedging their bets. Toyota is no different. The lithium battery future looks really bright – once they learn what they have and which lithium battery to use.
2 years ago
12.5 miles isn't far enough for many. They are designing a car that would work in a compact metro areas, but useless in a massive megalopolis.
2 years ago
Simple Comment
Prius is at the end of its life so toyota is behind so told there PR department to hold off until they scramble for a better system.
Toyota had a nice run with it like the SUV days.
It was a good intermediate technology.
But EV is the future.
The prius name will fade away just like ford explorers have
GMs new volt and others will be superior in a matter of months now not years.
2 years ago
I saw a plug in Prius today on my walk to work. It was a generation 2 Prius. Toyota is already and has been experimenting with plug in technology on production vehicles. The Volt is still more than a year away. By the time it arrives I suspect Toyota will have a plug in option for the Prius. I bet it will have an all electric range somewhere between 18 and 28 miles and will be priced significantly less than the Volt.
I doubt the Prius name will fade any any faster than the Corolla name.
And where are those Novas and Vegas and Cavaliers anyway?
2 years ago
My gut reaction is to say that people won't even bother to plug in a car that has an under 15 mile electric range. But then, why would they pay double if they don't intend to plug it in?
If that Nissan Leaf really comes out, has a 100 mile range and costs not much more than $30,000, it might develop a significant niche market that could pave the way for better and cheaper future versions of the car.
I'm skeptical that any of this will happen until I see these vehicles available for purchase. However, it looks like we may be starting to take our first baby steps towards significantly cleaner cars.
That said, I'm happy to stick with my walkable city neighborhood and transit. This strategy has the advantages of being cheap, clean, giving me exercise, and being available now.
2 years ago
Man,
They'd better have an upgrade in mind for 2010 owners. That EV mode button is there for a reason. It should involve a battery pack swap as seen in mods available now. The Prius just needs an energy-dense battery with plugin conversion.
It's not rocket science ...
2 years ago
Hey,
I'd plugin my Prius in a heart beat. It's hardly a big effort ... If the battery pack gave me 12.5 miles, I could drive fossil-fuel-free to and from work.
Heck yes, I'd do this.
2 years ago
Hymotions battery pack for the Prius is about $11,000 with installation, does not void warranty and will give you about 100mpg for the first 40 miles.
2 years ago
Looks pretty pathetic compared to the Volt or am I missing something here? I can say without a doubt that the Volt immediately looks better, but performance wise?
Seriously is this a joke?
2 years ago
Only one question. How much does it cost to charge the batteries per mile driven. How does this compare to $2.50 per gallon of gas?
2 years ago
Why wait?....Some of the conversions that are available now may do better than what Toyota will have trouble delivering before the end of the year http://smilingdogsranch.com/priusblog/
1 year ago
There have been conversion kits used to recharge hybrid batteries for years, the process is simple, why is Toyota and other hybrid producers dragging their feet!
1 year ago
My idea is to make 2 sets of battery. One set should be left for recharge fully and change everyday.
My next concept is to have (2sets battery)both set inside the vehicle and recharge everyday. The only downfall may be the cost of battery. This way millage range will be even better.
1 year ago
i have two words for plug in and electric concept:
emissions elsewhere !
1 year ago
Personally, I think most people are missing the REAL problem with getting these EV or hydrogen technologies to market, its POLITICS & MONEY (and I don't mean the cost of the batteries). Think about it. EV's have been around for a hundred years or so, but can't seem to get it right. Look at the recent GM EV1. From everything I have read and seen, it looked like a vehicle that worked excellent as a plug in EV and seemed to have been loved by those priveledged few who had the opportunity to test/lease them. If you haven't seen it, be sure to see Who Killed the Electric Car and you will get my drift.
Main issue is MONEY, not capability. I've heard from insiders at Toyota who have said that the plug in Prius is fully tested and was TOO good with reports on conservative drivers getting 175 mpg! These reports of 12 miles are preposterous. A true plug in will ELIMINATE gas stations, gas TAXES (absolutely huge), power brokers in the gas and oil fields would lose billions rather than make limitless billions, and the oil companies OWN much of the patents that would allow simple EV and Hydrogen technolgies to prosper.
I've PERSONALLY seen (not an I heard from someone who heard it from someone else story) a hydrogen model 31 years ago that ran on hydrogen that came from tap water and simply made hydrogen at the injector by splitting the water molecule. No fuel cells or filling stations or infrastructure needed! No taxes on this fuel as I can get this from my tap or my lake! Wonder what ever happened to him. He left town a few weeks later with no forwarding address. Hmmmm.
Look up the Scorpion supercar now. Its doing this as a power/efficiancy booster and this is by a small Texas company. Why can't the big boys do this? Battery shmattery, its all just a deception and a good excuse for not addressing the real issues. When these technolgies do emerge, I'm sure some form of "infrastructure and taxing mechanism" will be right there with it. I'd love to hear other comments on this thread from "those in the know"!
23 weeks ago
What if car companies standardized the size and shape of the battery for their EVs? Kind of like a massive AA. That way, in stead of finding a place to charge our NiMh car batteries for 11 hours, we pull into a servo, they pull a pre-charged 'AA' battery out of a warehouse, swap it with our depleted one, we pay them for the power it cost them to charge it and a nominal surcharge for their service, and away we go.
We can always plug-in and recharge at home, but being able to quickly swap out a depleted battery could be an easy way to solve the current range (i.e., mileage) problems we face with current EVs.
23 weeks ago
P.S.
It would also solve battery replacement costs which would be covered by the surcharge at service stations. Furthermore, batteries would be free to evolve through various Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Polymer incarnations with minimal extra cost to the consumer.
Look at how far battery technology has come in the past 5 years alone. For example, on the 26th of October 2010, a Lithium-polymer battery was used to power an Audi A2 600km on a single charge (http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6150836,00.html).
13 weeks ago
I guess the challenge will be to drive it 15 miles without the engine kicking on. It could probably be done on perfectly flat roads.....
MrEnergyCzar
13 weeks ago
Looks like the Volvo might be the king of the hybrids when it arrives...
http://www.caradvice.com.au/142035/volvo-v60-plug-in-hybrid-confirmed-fo...
But of course we have to wait to see it in the skin. Interesting times.
13 weeks ago
I have been in one of the demo cars. I was impressed at how well it did in a city where 40mph+ is the norm. At 15 miles on a charge, and the rest gas/electric, this will be a very economical car to own and operate for local and regional use. I am considering this as an option....when the time comes.
13 weeks ago
Darn it Toyota. I guess I'll just be sticking to my 2nd gen Prius for now. It's averaging 47.3 mpg. I'll wait a few more years before I trade in mine.
13 weeks ago
15 EV miles go a lot of places in the city and 48 MPG go very far on the highway with a gallon of gas.
The synergy of two fuel, power this 5 seats family mid-size Prius.
If Toyota offers a more affordable trim with less standard features, it will be perfect.
11 weeks ago
I think you got it backwards. The Volt is $8,000 more than the Prius, and fully loaded Volt doesn't even have all the high tech stuff in the Prius like the HUD, Pre-collision system, radar dynamic cruise, and LED headlamps and daylight running lights, not to mention the Prius is bigger as well.
The purpose of the Prius plug-in is its fast charging time where you can go anywhere and charge really quick. It only takes 3 hours to fully charge on the Prius with a regular outlet. The Volt takes more than 8 hours.
Also, the Prius has a much longer range when combining both electric and hybrid miles of more than 500 miles. Volt can barely pass 350 miles. Also, even the engineers at Nissan who made the Leaf mentioned the current Lithium Ion battery technology is still young, which means its capacity is cut in half after about 5 years (their example was the Leaf with 100 miles range will reduced to 50 in five years; actual from EPA is only 73 miles so after five years you only get about 36 miles...Volt gets about 35 actual miles per charge and five years later 17). This is the reason why Toyota doesn't want to use a big Li-Ion battery just yet and found 15 miles to be just right at the current market.
10 weeks ago
Adding an extra Plug-in battery system to existing or new Prius is an alternative. Like Enginer's 4KWh plug-in add-on system is only $3500 but with 20 EV Mile range, 50% longer range per charge, plus you can still have a spare tire. You can also install a 8KWh system for double the range to 40 EV miles. 800 units have been sold since the product was introduced two year ago.
5 weeks ago
Well I have been driving a 2010 Prius 5 until the just ordered PHV is produced.....i think the key here is HOW YOU DRIVE THE Prius and what part of QUALITY most others do not get.....the Toyota full line of vehicles have been at the top of most consumers mindsets.....we must remember that the prius has withheld both earlier on testing ....15 years t the least and the Hybrid Synergy Drive produces a seemless change as you drive the vehicle....toyota simply tokk the record of the 3 generations of quality and left well enough alone simply by adding a feature that will undoubtedly DOUBLE the MPGestimate as well as the already stellar 49plus MPG for the standard Prius liftback.....if you drive to waste fuel as most do thats what you will achieve.....the Prius is a vehicle that was created to make us slow down and see how going 60 plus mph has become the standard driving pace.....this is where we all should say to ourselves...... if want to make a change in a world that has taken a turn to the negative CHANGE HAS TO HAPPEN.....all I can share with all is that TOYOTA cares about the environment and has a record of doing good for us ALL follow there articles on many websites and press releases as well ...you may find that they are so far AHEAD of GM/FORD and other manufacturers without a doubt......I have not only gotten up to 59 miles per gallon with my 2010 3rd gen.....Prius but also have enjoyed driving my Prius and knowing that the future lies in where we place our energies and gee did everyone know that Toyota is where Ford educated themselves on how to come up with there Hybrid vehicles...read and you will open your eyes to who has the technology of the future.....I will bet that when I receive my new PHV I will exceed the 87 mpge as well as the combined 49 will also be exceeded....SLOW DOWN......life is passing us ALL by too QUICKLY....and guess what Toyota has been the only car company moving forward....i can go 700 plus miles per 11.6 gallons of gasoline each 14-16 days I fill up my Prius....use the technology Toyota has pains takenly timed out for our future you will be pleasantly surprised with your savings if you use it wisely.....happy 2012 .........
3 days ago
As usual this car is priced as a deterrent to purchasing it, and the 10 mile range is also a deterrent. They do it because they are corrupt companies, they have been corrupted by the oil companies. They make it look ugly as shit not for wind resistance but to keep people turned off the vehicle.
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