Plug-in Prius arrival?

[AEB-UK]

Does anyone know when the PiP will be available in the UK?

[FROSTYBALLS]

According to Toyota UK blog it should be in showrooms at the end of 2016.

[PeteB]

Mind you, this is the same blog that reported all 4 trim levels of the Gen 4 Prius would have electrically controlled driver's seats - not even an option in the UK!

[johalareewi]

Our dealer isn't expecting one until October/November.

[AEB-UK]

A local dealer said this morning that he doesn't know when the PiP will arrive.

He's not even sure if he'll have a price for it by September.

What is Toyota thinking????

How do they hope to sell a model if they can't provide information about it, never mind provide samples which prospective customers can test-drive?

[FROSTYBALLS]

No car manufacturer provides much information on specs of a new model several months before the official launch, let alone having cars to test drive.

[Heidfirst]

On 18/06/2016 at 6:22 PM, AEB-UK said:

What is Toyota thinking????

How do they hope to sell a model if they can't provide information about it, never mind provide samples which prospective customers can test-drive?

when the car is ready for the market they will be able to provide information & demonstrators.

[johalareewi]

On 18/06/2016 at 6:22 PM, AEB-UK said:

He's not even sure if he'll have a price for it by September.

When the current PIP was released, the price kept changing.  It started out around £26K (at that time a normal Prius was around £21K) but by the time you could order one (and the gov grant had been launched) it was £31K+.

I would like to think MrT will launch the new PIP at a similar price to the normal Gen4 to encourage take up of the PIP technology.

[cuius]

Approx. 1650 sold in 3.5 years - shouldn't think Toyota is treating its release as a priority

[johalareewi]

22 hours ago, cuius said:

Approx. 1650 sold in 3.5 years - shouldn't think Toyota is treating its release as a priority

is that just UK sales?  I have seen many PIPs in Europe (especially Iceland and Norway).

[Heidfirst]

Toyota Europe sold 139 Pips in Q1 2016 - it's not exactly been a volume seller here.

Worldwide it has sold ~75,000 units in 4 years - mostly USA & Japan.

[cuius]

1 hour ago, johalareewi said:

is that just UK sales?  I have seen many PIPs in Europe (especially Iceland and Norway).

UK sales - came from this article:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/96027/the-uks-best-selling-plug-in-cars-revealed

[PeteB]

3 hours ago, Heidfirst said:

Toyota Europe sold 139 Pips in Q1 2016 - it's not exactly been a volume seller here.

Worldwide it has sold ~75,000 units in 4 years - mostly USA & Japan.

They would have sold a lot more if it had a spare wheel.  I would definately have had one, even at the price and with the short EV range, as most days of the month I'd have used no petrol at all.

Yes, I know the Battery takes up space, but if a small six man business could modify a 2007 Prius (which my old company had) and give it almost 40 miles EV AND leave room for the space saver under the boot floor, with all Toyota's resources they should have been able to make a 10-12 miles model do that in their sleep!

[AEB-UK]

A few questions if I may:-

How much does this conversion cost?

How much luggage space has to be lost in the process?

Can it be done on a 2016/17 Prius?

[PeteB]

It's academic now - the firm no longer exists in that form, they went on to make electric vans!

However:

1. it was £8,000 in 2007, increased to £10k by the time the impending arrival of the Toyota plugin made interest wane.
2. only the space under the boot floor was lost (the space saver spare tyre still lived under there)
3. anything is possible given enough money, but unlikely you'd find a firm willing to do it unless you threw very silly amounts of cash at them!

 

[AEB-UK]

Thanks for replying.

[johalareewi]

I reveived a toyota magazine through the post last week.  It said the new plug in pruis will be available in the UK from December.

[AEB-UK]

My dealer told me this morning that the new PiP will not be available until July 2017.

You can buy one now if you want he says (??) but you won't be able to test drive one.

Who pays close to £30K for a new design of car without testing one first?

How ridiculously crap is that!!!!!!!!!

[Heidfirst]

Toyota UK say that production starts in January, they hope to have some cars in showrooms by March & they will start selling them then.

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/european-unveiling-of-new-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid#comment-1547888

[FROSTYBALLS]

38 minutes ago, AEB-UK said:

Who pays close to £30K for a new design of car without testing one first?

Some do - 

 

[johalareewi]

Tesla buyers?

[AEB-UK]

Unfortunately the affordable Tesla Model 3 isn't likely to hit our shores before the end of 2017, according to a Tesla salesperson I spoke with a few weeks ago.

[Beekeeper D]

3 hours ago, AEB-UK said:

Unfortunately the affordable Tesla Model 3 isn't likely to hit our shores before the end of 2017, according to a Tesla salesperson I spoke with a few weeks ago.

The point, in reply to your question, was that Model 3 buyers, lots of them, have been putting down lots of money without first being able to drive the car. I'm sure some punters will be so keen to have an early Prius Prime that they too will put down enough deposit to secure their place at the front of the queue. Maybe not quite as many punters as Mr Musk has had pre-ordering though, but surely some. 

[MEP's Yaris GS]

On 18/10/2016 at 9:35 AM, johalareewi said:

Tesla buyers?

Thats only a £1k deposit, and its refundable at any point.

[AEB-UK]

Hyundai Ioniq - available in hybrid version at the moment, but the plugin version also won't be available until sometime in 2017.

However, they have an all-electric version with over 100mile range, and two dealers have said it should be available to look at / test drive next week.

I'll go and have a look when they have it.