Actually, having a hybrid with a 8-10 mile EV mode will probably take some of the pressure off the manufacturers to make PHEV cars. It sounds like the next Prius will have most of the benefit of PHEV technology with none of the drawbacks.

As a side note, I wonder what the next generation of Honda's IMA is going to be like? They get *very* close to full-hybrid fuel efficiency from a mild-hybrid system.

Exactly what ARE those drawbacks? No PHEV with a regenerative system REQUIRES a plugin. Its optional.

A 9 mile all electric commuting range won't cut it in today's world. It sounds like Toyota is not providing a real world increase in driving range; however, offering PHEV should make the aftermarket conversions somewhat cheaper.

Old man (aka Ted), I think the marketing department might approach it from a total MPG increase standpoint. Don't market it as "All new and improved Prius with a 9-mile EV range" Instead market it as "Super Prius! Now with 80MPG!!" (or whatever). The waiting list will be just as long as it is right now, if not longer.

But whatever they do, please abandon the "I want my... I want my... I want my MPG" commercial!! It ruins it for me whenever I play my "Brothers In Arms" SACD. :-(

The question I have is: Ok, it has a 9-mile EV range. Is that from mile 0 to mile 9, or is that the Electronic Assist-equivalent of 9 miles? In other words, will my first 9 miles be all EV, relegating my next 31 miles to "normal" 50MPG, or will it spread that savings over my whole 40 mile commute to work like electric assist does now?

Rick

Sorry to have ruined it, but it's not so much about the MPG thing for me as it is breaking free from the Big Oil-Washington-OPEC axis of evil stranglehold thing.

As regards your question, you'd still have regenerative capacity, once the ICE kicked in, and maybe it'll be more than 9 miles: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/66...ts_113mpg.html

I can think of one *immediate* drawback to making PHEV standard: it will cut the appeal to the car a LOT. A PHEV would be of *no* interest to someone who lives in a condo or apartment (no place to recharge the car). Likewise, someone who has a townhouse in a high crime area (like me) would have difficulty recharging the car without some junkie stealing the power cord or some ghetto punk cutting the cord in half and then using the live wire to burn down the neighborhood. No thanks!


I don't care if PHEV is an *option*. I just don't care to see it as a standard feature.

This is an issue that will be a problem for probably most people (guessing more than 70% ?).

That's why Toyota are saying most people will charge up at a filling station. The new A123 LiIon batteries recharge to full in only 5 minutes, the Toshibas only 1 minute. Most people wouldn't mind waiting this long for a charge, so wouldn't need to charge at home.

I expect most outlets will be at supermarkets and malls, however, with cheap electricity to entice you to park and shop there, but sloooww chargers to make sure you stay long enough to spend plenty of money.

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/ecotech/ecot.htm

I guess you think all Black or Hispanic neighborhoods have alot of crime? You need to look around, you'd be surprized!!! You're sounding like David Duke kevin

2004 silverblue 5 sp.

I wasn't aware that hybrids were that popular with appartment dwellers. But I understand in Canada, the appartment buildings have provisions for plug-in heater power. So that problem can be solved by working with the landowner.

As for high crime, teenager infested areas, there are technical approaches such as: (1) buried cable with a short outlet per parking place, (2) armored power cable, and (3) alarmed cable. If someone has a hybrid in a high crime neighborhood, I would be more concerned about the $25-30k dollar car being stolen or vandalized instead of the $15-25 extension cord. But is sounds like a nice problem to have . . . protecting your PHEV power source. It means you have a PHEV.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
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How far could the current Prius get on 1 kwhr of energy at say 25 miles per hour-2 miles or so?Ignore acceleration or just fudge it in there(figure about 6 stops per mile). How much capacity will the battery need to get 9 miles? Our current battery is what-1.5kwhr?

It would be nice to be able to go 8-9 miles on 12 cent KWHR electricity.At 2 miles/KWHR-6 cents a mile.At 50 mpg I'm paying about 6 cents/mile right now??Same as I would if I could only go 2 miles perKWHR.Is 3 miles per KWHR more like it for a Prius?

Ok,I'm missing something here.I guess you can go farther than 2 miles on 1 kwhr-right?
What is a reasonable guess for distance per KWHR-it must be more than 2 miles per? I'm guessing that a large part of the advantage is not spewing dirty air into a congested city.Use Nuke,Hydro,wind, or try to scub coal,oil,and natural gas at the power plant to produce electricity.. I'm pretty sure there isn't any practical way to scub out-solidify-CO2- yet, but other grunge can be scrubbed out.
Someone give me a reasonable distance for 1 kwhr in a Prius ?
Thanks.Charlie
PS Yes,it would be nice to be able to retrofit one of these new battery packs, but safe bet they will be waaaay too expensive to bother retrofitting(except as salvage)

Isn't there a direct correlation between MPG and oil use? Take the "I want my MPG" ads and say... "ahhh... that means less oil used from the 'Axis of Evil'".

Rick