Toyota claims plug-in Prius averaging 65 mpg
By Paul Miller 
posted February 3rd 2009 9:43AM
posted February 3rd 2009 9:43AM
posted February 3rd 2009 9:43AM
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on top of that the car does not remain at 65mpg over time, after the plug in charge is gone, it will revert to just about the same mileage of the regular li-ion prius (when its released) if not worse because the plug in will weigh more.
im sorry, but 65mpg is awesome, but they are only doing the plug in prius because they want the "plug in name" what this car does not do is what the Chevy volt will be doing when it is released in a year, that is driving 40 miles without using any fuel at all, and considering i rarely drive more than 40 miles in a day, that means i'll rarely be using any gas at all, now that is what a plug in hybrid is supposed to be, toyota through this together for the game, not the technology.
How much does this thing cost me to charge per mile? Is it a wash, I don't mind being green but I do not want to pay equivalent to $4.50 a gallon of gas.
charging from the wall during off peak hours (night time charging, plug in before you go to bed) is dirt cheap. the Volt would cost an average of $20 a month to charge every single night at a full charge (meaning the full 40 miles) that means you get about 1200 miles for $20.
most plugins are pennies per mile compared to gasoline prices.
I think the last time I did the math..it was like 1.60 per gallon = 45miles or 60cents in electr = 45 miles.
I forget the exact numbers but it was less than half the cost of 1.6 a gallon gas pricing.
Also, if the 65mpg is for 50 miles then it's great. That means that 95% of the time I will be getting 65mpg.. and the other 5% (when I go on vacation long trips) will be 50mpg.
(.95 x 65) + (.05 x 50) = 61.75 x 2.5 = 64.25 mpg. Yep thats the breakdown.
Add in a solar/wind charger for the house.. a cheap one that I can just sell electric back to the grid while I'm at work or sleeping.. and it would negate the pricing all together.
Still I love the volt idea of all electric with gas powerplant as a backup. I'm holding my hopes up high that GM can pull it off. If they really put all their eggs into the basket I think it will/can be a winner.
I'm a current prius owner (wifes daily driver) and debating on buying a new one (as my daily) or holding out to see what else hits the market in the next 2-3 years.
How much 65mpg is in metric notation?.
27.6 km/l.
Well, I don't consider the A2 to be a car, rather just...a thing^^
This is a part of Audi history that has to be forgotten.
And if you open the hood of a modern car you don't see/can't do much anyway. When I open the hood of our VW Golf TDi 4motion, all I see is black plastic. Same thing with any VW related car (Audi, Skoda, Seat etc)! You can see the motor of a Porsche, but you are still unable to fix anything (or at least I wouldn't dare to touch such sophisticated and expensive tech)!
I actually find the MPG numbers a little disappointing. There are already people who converted the existing Prius to a plug-in using Li-ion batteries that can make you either run completely on electricity for your daily commute, or average 100 MPG with slightly longer trips!
I think the problem is that Toyota's Li-ion batteries aren't production ready, so they're just trying to start by using NiMh batteries that don't perform nearly as well.
Incidentally, this is a perfect opening for GM and their Volt, which they are testing using Li-ion batteries and a purely electric motor.
65mpg is supposed to be "real world", i.e. normal driving, not short trips or hypermileing.
I'm sure you could get close to 100mpg if you are careful.
nice
Doesn't beat the Volt's 100mpg and the Volt looks a lot better.
except the volt does not exist beyond a prototype, the batteries for it haven't been made, its projected cost is $40k, and it will be manufactured by GM, if they're still in business.
that is also the 2009 prius, the 2010 has had a facelift, and has a solar panel roof for a/c.
so... are they doing something in addition to fueling by gas? "Plug-in Prius" makes it sound like they're also charging the battery, which obviously means comparing this to the non-plugin version isn't fair.
I completely agree that the Honda Clarity FCX is the way to go for the future of motoring. A zero emission vehicle that only expels water vapors is fantastic. For cars that have batteries the size of 1000 laptop batteries in a car is really inefficient for a car, and the weight of it is ridiculous.
If you need a blue print for how cars should be made in the future, I'd go with the Honda Clarity FCX.
come on, my vw lupo 3l 1.2tdi doing 100mpg, and its made in 1999...where have you been for a last 10 years toyota;]]]]cheers
come on, my VW LUPO 3L 1.2TDI doing 100MPG, and its made in 1999....where have you been for a last 10 years toyota;]]]]cheeeers
you can't be serious..
Lupo is rated at 78mpg US - not 100. So if you are getting 28% better numbers then you can safely suggest you will get 28% better on the Prius as well.
78mpg x 1.28 = 100mpg
65mpg x 1.28 = 84mpg.
Also, the Lupo has 0-60 time of 14.5 seconds. The Prius is a sports car compared to that at 9.5-10.5seconds.
The Freeways here in the US would NOT work for a Lupo!
Also, a small 2 door.. BARELY 4 seater cannot compare to a Prius.
The Lupo did employ some weight saving measures (expensive) aluminum and magnesium which are way too much to employ. Also, there is no way we could make a car that light now and roadworthy.
The Lupo weighed in a 1830 lbs. When a company tries that now.. a Lotus they are hard pressed to keep it under 2000lbs with all the safety features AND the car can't be an everyday driver.
I think once the Prius matches the Lupos numbers AND gives you 5 seats, a good size trunk, safety, luxury its WELL worth it!
yea but a Jetta TDI can get this to depending how you drive!
BTW Here is a review of the VW from 1999 USA Today:
One way to cut fuel consumption is to eliminate the weight and power drain of accessories. So the 3L Lupo had
no air conditioning
no power steering
no anything.
You can add such options, but there'd go your three-liter claim
Not only did the seats turn torturous after about 90 minutes, a cup holder came apart in the first 10 miles. The economy-enhancing, easy-rolling tires and lightweight suspension transmitted not just noise but a roar to the passenger compartment on cobblestones, bricks and rough asphalt
To work its magic, the transmission seeks the highest gear ratio that the engine can handle without stalling, resulting in acceleration so sluggish it almost can't claim to be acceleration at all.
Also, this car was $17,000 in 1999!
Driven normally, the little Lupo turned in 70 miles per gallon, mainly on two-lane roads through stop-and-start villages. That was 3.38 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. Others on the test drive, trying to better the target, sipped just 2.79 liters per 100 km, equal to about 84 miles per gallon.
In my current Prius I can get 60+ mpg on suburban 2 lane roads at 40-50mph.
I'm sure if I took out the Prius motor and battery and put it into this car it would probably weight about 2100lbs and return WELL over the 50-65 its getting now. But then again.... who wants to drive a car with NO AC, No power windows locks, STEERING! No sound deadening..
"This is a part of Audi history that has to be forgotten."
I'd agree, but if humanity was to forget every 'mistake', sooner or later we'll make the same mistake again.
As for "When I open the hood of our VW Golf TDi 4motion, all I see is black plastic. Same thing with any VW related car (Audi, Skoda, Seat etc)!" also true, but guess what? It lifts right off! (I have a Fabia 1.9TDi) It all depends on how much of your own maintenance you're prepared to do. Audi figured out that the average A2 owner was pretty unlikely to want to get his hands dirty, so tried to make it simple. Just made it look ugly and not particularly pleasant to drive, by all accounts
Benson; Nice One!
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