Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
That power has now been channeled into the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Toyota, which has almost singlehandedly built up global acceptance of hybrid-electric propulsion to the point that most every automaker, including sports car and supercar makers, has a hybrid or plug-in electric in production or at least on the drawing board, needed a plug-in just to stay on the cutting edge, and rather than coming up with an all-new exclusive plug-in model the best-selling Prius was the perfect candidate
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Before I delve into just why the Prius Plug-in is more advantageous than a regular Prius and therefore the best choice, let’s discuss why the regular Prius does so well in the first place. Of course, there’s something called critical mass. Your neighbour bought one and always raves about passing by gas station after gas station not to mention boasting about all of its other fine attributes, and then your brother-in-law was talking to him about it over the fence during the holidays and therefore just bought one too, plus every time you turn around there’s another smiling Prius owner driving by (at least they’re smiling until they start sneering at you in your gas guzzling SUV), and now you’re feeling the pressure to go green from all
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Some
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Why not indeed? Fuel economy would benefit from the decision, to a claimed 2.0 city, 1.9 highway and 2.0 combined, exactly half the gas used by the regular Prius. The reality is that you might not use anywhere near as much fuel as estimated if you live in an urban environment where EV mode likes it best and don’t travel very far each day. Then again if you have a longer commute via the highway you’ll
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
After a full night’s charge my Prius Plug-in showed 15.2 kilometres of potential EV range. As I’ve learned with other plug-ins and EVs, you can’t go by this range indicator alone, with projected range extended if you drive slower or faster, or in the case of my first outing, 0.2 kilometres were added as I rolled down my alley and coasted down the connecting road. Range clicked off incrementally as I silently made my way through urban streets, with nothing ticking off at all while lined up in thick morning traffic on a downhill grade ahead of the highway onramp. Once on the highway, purposely averaging just under 100 km/h (100 km/h is the point where EV mode kicks over to HEV and therefore uses gasoline), power
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
When back home I immediately recharged it to full in about an hour and a half, and on my next outing, which was primarily urban, found my EV range went a great deal further than the 18.2 km now showing on the indicator. After a week of similar
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Along the way the Prius Plug-in Hybrid was the same comfortable companion as the regular Prius I’ve tested many times before, and while the 153 lb-ft of instant torque from its 60 kW electric motor makes sure it takes off quickly the car’s continuously variable transmission (CVT) remains a bit less than sporty, then again its handling is a lot more engaging than you’d probably expect. That’s because of its light 1,435-kilo curb weight, only 55 kilograms more than the standard Prius, although the standard 15-inch alloy
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
I’d love to hear someone at Toyota try to explain that one. Search “Prius reverse beeper” on Google and the first entry is “How to Disable Reverse Beep in a Toyota Prius: 11 Steps,” the second result titled “Disable backup alarm in a Toyota Prius. Stop the Beep! – YouTube,” and all additional results either complaining or helping owners disable the annoying feature. Obviously I’m not the only one who strongly dislikes it. One post claims that Toyota added it to inform new Prius owners that their car is in reverse, the odd shifter possibly causing confusion to new buyers. Well, that odd shifter has been on the market now for a very long time so maybe Toyota
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
I happen to love the shifter. It’s an efficient little lever that looks especially nice topped off in digital-patterned clear blue plastic trim. I’d appreciate seeing more of this cool blue plastic used elsewhere, as the mostly light grey on dark grey two-tone cabin could use a little more pizzazz. I suppose practical Prius owners don’t need such excitement to spark enthusiasm, but the rest of us would enjoy a few more soft-touch surfaces to go along with the car’s impressive assortment of high-tech displays and mechanical wizardry.
Toyota will point to recyclability being the Prius’ priority instead of luxury, and they have a point.
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
On that note the Prius Plug-in, like its regular hybrid sibling, is packed with top-tier
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
The Technology package on my tester added AVN premium navigation integrated into a larger seven-inch display, a great sounding eight-speaker JBL audio system, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, auto-leveling LED headlamps, headlamp washers, fog lamps, those Softex leather seats I so lovingly mentioned before, plus Toyota’s dynamic radar cruise control and pre-collision system.
And how much more does a Prius Plug-in cost than a regular Prius, let alone a Plug-in with all of the Technology Package model’s extras? First of all, the base conventional hybrid version starts at $26,105 and the Plug-in starts at $35,705, plus $1,620 in freight and pre-delivery preparation charges (although your computer
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Before you get discouraged at the improbability of ever paying back that much money in fuel savings, you’ll need to factor in the governmental rebates that are available. If you reside in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec you qualify for provincial government rebates of $5,000, $8,000 and $8,500 respectively, dropping the base price to $30,960, $27,960 or $27,460. In other words, in Ontario and Quebec you’ll need to pay quite a bit more for a similarly outfitted non-plug-in Prius that doesn’t
Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press |
Thanks to these provincial governments rebates, taking the higher tech option is a no brainer no matter how far you drive each day or if it’s urban or suburban driving. Those in other provinces will have to seriously consider these factors because the regular Prius is already a fine car without the plug-in upgrade. It’s certainly nice to have the choice though, isn’t it?
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)