LexFather

http://www.priusphv.com/

RXSF

want. I would really buy one if this became available in the next year or so. it makes soo much sense. Plus with the more powerful li batteries, im sure as a hybrid it will do very well even when the EV mode is deactivated

bagwell

nice...this is another reason I didn't buy a Gen III Prius....waiting for the plug-in; altho 13 miles at max capacity isn't great...I should be able to average about 100mpg in my 25 miles one way commute to work!

Still don't understand why they don't make a larger battery an option...plenty of room in mine...

Threxx

Have they mentioned a release date? Even with only 13 miles of range this could really take the wind out of the Volt's sails if it comes in, say, 10 grand cheaper.

LexFather

So let me get this right....it is a full EV but when the charge is gone, it then drives like a regular Prius?

If so, thats pretty good. 13 miles is pretty good as well for around town.

Threxx not sure of release date.

bagwell

from the site..

In early 2010, 500 Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles, equipped with lithium-ion batteries, will participate in a global demonstration program. 150 vehicles will be placed in the U.S. to demonstrate plug-in hybrid technology, educate and inform the public, evaluate performance and better understand the technology's benefits to future customers.

On the consumer side, this program will allow Toyota to gather in-use driving feedback and understand customer expectations for plug-in technology. On the technical side, the program aims to confirm, in a wide variety of in-use applications, the overall performance of Toyota's first-generation lithium-ion battery technology, while spurring the development of public-access charging station infrastructure.

In October, Toyota announced its first demonstration program partnership with Xcel Energy's SmartGridCity program in Boulder, CO. Ten PHVs will be placed with residents of Boulder who will participate in an interdisciplinary research project coordinated by the University of Colorado at Boulder Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), a new joint venture between the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

RASEI, Xcel Energy and TMS will use this program to gather data on vehicle performance and charging patterns, consumer behavior and preferences, as well as electric utility/customer interactions. The locale offers the additional benefit of monitoring high altitude, cold climate performance of Toyota's first generation lithium-ion battery.

Additional specific partners will be announced soon, with regional programs slated for northern and southern California, Washington D.C., New York City, Portland, Oregon and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each placement scenario will have a variety of ‘use cases’ or driving conditions (ie: commute length, usage type, access to charging) to gain maximum input to vehicle performance and customer needs.

As it becomes available, data from the 150 U.S. demonstration programs will be posted to this program website. This in-use, readily available data will help consumers understand how the plug-in hybrid vehicles are being used, how they're performing and if the vehicle might be right for them. In addition, demonstration partners will be sharing data amongst themselves and comparing usage and performance of the vehicles.

Toyota's PHV demonstration program provides a unique opportunity for customers to track the performance of these vehicles and make their own educated decisions about the technology. By providing transparent, accurate information, Toyota will ensure that the vehicles we bring to market will meet customer expectations.

Threxx

So there's no real release date for the production vehicle, just some test vehicles.

I don't think it's a full EV for the first 13 miles. It says it can get 'up to 60' on EV power alone. I think the current Prius will get up to 43 on EV alone. But that also means very gradual acceleration, and anything like uphill conditions, rain, or even a strong headwind would reduce its ability to maintain speed on electric power alone. I suspect to maintain full EV functionality you basically will have to drive like a grandmother and avoid hills and any highway where you want to do more than 60.

RXSF

No, i think when it is in EV mode, it is pure EV and does not act like a hybrid where if you gas a bit more, the engine turns on. Only after the battery pack runs out of juice does it turn into a hybrid where you have to have a sensitive foot.

My understanding is that even if you floor it, it will be pure EV, but it just means a shorter range

Threxx

Then why does it say it can function in EV mode up to 60mph? What happens at 60? My guess is that the electric motor doesn't provide enough power to get over 60 so the gasoline motor kicks in. Similarly I suspect if you floor it to merge into traffic the electric motor will not be able to supply enough power to let you safely merge so it will kick in the gasoline motor. Who knows where the fine line between EV mode and EV+gas mode is in terms of throttle position but it sounds to me like it's in there somewhere, otherwise there wouldn't be such a low max speed.

The Volt functions as an EV no matter what... any speed, any acceleration demands, it's driven by the electric motor non stop. The gasoline engine only turns on to recharge the batteries so even once the batteries are 'depleted' it continues running on the electric motor.

SLegacy99

13 miles would cover much of my current commute, but not make much of a dent on my future one. Still taking a chunk of 13 miles worth of gas out of that drive would be nice.

RXSF

I took the "EV mode up to 60mph" to mean a top speed of 60 when EV mode is on

spwolf

62 mph, yes... for up to 13 miles and 62mph it uses EV mode, after that it runs as a prius, with added benefit of larger battery.

basically for around town you use EV mode and when you go out on the highway, it switches to standard petrol mode.

i am pretty sure this is an test fleet to determine how customers use the vehicle... they might offer different versions in 2011/2012...

... i also have to add that i drove today our european Prius, which is probably a lot sportier than US one... damn thing is a beast around town in PWR mode and still spends no gas, has bolstered seats, wraparound dash and firm suspension that handles better than my GS... did i just say that Euro Prius is sportier than my GS350 AWD? hah!

spwolf

p.s. 20km range would be perfect for me... i wonder what the price would be... it all depends on the price.

spwolf

p.s. i would also guess that you control the modes like in current Prius... meaning if you press the gas to the metal, you get full acceleration with petrol engine. So it might have EV/ECO/NORMAL/PWR modes that you use depending on where are you going.

Nextourer

Well it can be, yes. But you can control when to use the battery and when to make it operate like a hybrid. Think of it like the current EV Drive Mode but expanded.

Keep in mind that people that aren't able to full make use of the plug-in (either because they live in an apt or their commute is longer than 13 miles) can still take advantage of the stronger, more powerful battery. You'll get faster acceleration (if they beef up the elec. motors) as well as longer EV Drive Mode (which means you can last longer in bumper-to-bumper traffic before the engine comes on). Those that are in hilly areas can also take advantage of the added capacity of the battery by regenerating more and using less of their brake pads.

Nope. Just that they'll start leasing to Japanese and European selected customers (i.e. fleet) very soon and to the US in 2010.

That's how I understood it.