I'm driving a 2018 Prius Prime (plug-in). What do you want to know about it?

[MetroMPG]

So my friend bought a Prius Prime a couple of weeks ago, and she loaned it to me while she's away travelling.

"The 'bible' is in the glove compartment," she said. "Maybe you can have a read, drive it around, and teach me about it when I get back."

Well, twist my rubber arm!

The funny thing is: she lives in an apartment with no outdoor outlets for her semi-electric car! So the above pic shows the first time it's suckled at the grid teat since she brought it home. (Not counting at the dealership). No, she's not nuts -- a move is in her short term plans, presumably to a place with a plug.



First thought: it's slightly less ugly than the non-PHEV Prius! (Mostly in the fascia.) Still a head-scratcher though. Oy, Toyota.

Second thought: GREY?? Who willingly buys a dark grey car? So many reasons why it's a bad idea, only one of which is subjective. Sheesh. (Sorry, L!)

As I type, the charge-o-meter is showing about 4/5 full, with ~35 km/22 miles of EV range in it so far. Indicated charge time from completely empty was ~5.5 hrs from a standard household 110 V socket.

Anything you want to know about it? Ask away.

[MetroMPG]

Related thread: New plug-in 2017 Prius Prime: 22 miles EV range; 84 MPH EV mode; ugly

[deluxx]

How far/fast can you go on battery only? Does it drain the battery 100%? Does it recharge with gas or only over 110V? Does the HVAC run on the battery pack? What about eco-driving? How do you do it in a Prius?

[oil pan 4]

Aren't all the prius 2018 and up all plug ins now?

What's the limit on 240v charging?
3.3 to 3.8kw?

What's the other port beside the j1772

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Aren't all the prius 2018 and up all plug ins now?

Nope!

What's the limit on 240v charging?
3.3 to 3.8kw?

You got me there. I'll have to check.

What's the other port beside the j1772

It's empty! Just like the little dashboard blanks, it's some option this car doesn't have. DC fast charging?

[Daox]

I'd love to see you do a speed vs mpg chart for this car in hybrid mode. I've talked with a few people and they say the mileage is pretty spectacular. Getting close to nipping at the heels of the 1st gen Insight even.

Also, I'd like to see an evaluation of the car's body work from an aerodynamic point of view.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by deluxx

How far/fast can you go on battery only?

It'll go up to 80 or 85 mph in EV mode. (But you sure won't get the rated 25 miles/40 km at that speed!)

Does it drain the battery 100%? Does it recharge with gas or only over 110V?

I'm sure it never fully drains the battery - just like a regular hybrid, it always leaves a buffer at the top and the bottom for battery longevity.

You can do either 110/220 V, PLUS there's a special mode where you can tell the gas engine to fire up and recharge the battery (but only to 80%), though why you would do that I'm not sure. It'd kill your fuel economy, and you'd never get it back in the subsequent EV mode.

Does the HVAC run on the battery pack?

Yes. AC is electrically driven - there are NO belt driven accessories on the gas engine.

When you turn on the AC/heat, the "EV distance to empty" guess-o-meter instantly drops by 15-20%.

What about eco-driving? How do you do it in a Prius?

Most of the same ways you do it in a regular car. Avoid the devil pedal as much as possible in sub/urban driving, keep it at moderate speeds on the open road. There are a few more hybrid specific tricks, but they're minor compared to the basics.

[oil pan 4]

If it will charge with more than 3.8kw and I get one of these I would install a higher capacity charger.
Right now I have the 12 amp nissan brick I converted to 120 or 240v and the 240v 16 amp duosida j1772 chargers.

How far does it really go on all electric and how big is the battery?
Is it like a volt where the gas engine kicks on at high way speed?

[redpoint5]

Does the ICE fire up when you need heat? Can you keep it in EV mode while mashing the accelerator?

[Stubby79]

I happen to like grey. At least gun-metal or charcoal. It would be my go-to if I couldn't find one in blue...