Well, if you want a hybrid, then it's a good platform, but it makes a poor EV conversion platform.
I've historically been very critical about Tesla's R2R stance, but I will say having owned several Toyotas including a Gen2 Prius, that the Model 3 is a better car overall. You can't compare the road feel. The Prius is a good "appliance", but it's not fun to drive. Yeah I don't like that Tesla chose a non-hatchback design, and the Prius is definitely a workhorse in that way. I happen to have several vans for the rare times I need to haul stuff. One is an EV. I'd rather not drive around more car than I need, regardless of powertrain. Tesla now has all service manuals online free, and a very capable service mode built-in, free. The self-diagnostics are orders of magnitude better than any other automaker. If you are concerned about IoT, it's easy to yank the cell modem and be offline. I split the difference on my car(s) and blocked all the logging uploads, but keep the connectivity for all the awesome features it brings. Basic Autopilot (lane holding and traffic-aware cruise control) is a game changer in stop-and-go traffic that's in abundance here in the Bay Area. I have no use for "Full Self Driving". It's true that Tesla doesn't "design for repairability", but neither does Toyota. Tesla's Engineering does their best to design for reliability, and in the Model 3/Y it's clear that this has been achieved. Build quality is still an area where Tesla outright sucks, but it rarely affects anything critical. I've always done my own work on my cars, and since I support over 3000 Teslas of every model except the Cybertruck, I have a very good handle on what problems occur and how often. The most unreliable Tesla is the Model X, and the most reliable is the Model 3. My biggest dislike of Tesla is Elon Musk! He's now such a huge asshole he's actively scaring people away from building cars that are great DESPITE him. If you have home charging (which you should if you are going to own an EV), you don't really need to use the supercharger or any other DCFC all that often, so the cost isn't really a concern. I can definitely say that the TCO of a Gen 2 Prius is more than a Model 3, even if you convert the Prius into a PHEV as I did. Oil changes are annoying! -Phil On Wed, Jun 19, 2024 at 6:49 PM Haudy Kazemi via EV <ev@lists.evdl.org> wrote: > IMHO, the following combination of factors can still make a Prius (at least > gen 2 and 3, maybe also 4) or Prius V an interesting candidate for general > use, and even as the basis for a PHEV conversion: > > 1.) repairability of the vehicle (access to tools, software, diagnostics, > and knowledge) is better than for a Tesla (at least for an intermediate to > advanced skill level home mechanic.). Thankfully Tesla has opened up some > documentation, but it seems they aren't really designing for repairability. > > 2.) small exterior form factor (length/width/height) that works well in > small garages better than a Model 3, Y, S or Chevrolet Volt > > 3.) interior space efficiency that is better than a Model 3 or Volt. > Similar interior usable space to a Model S (hatchback). > > 4.) non-connected vehicle. No IoT concerns. No Supercharger DCFC lockout > concerns due to title status changes. > > 5.) Supercharger prices, although initially roughly priced close to local > home charging rates, have increased in many areas to the point that a > highly efficient ICE can have lower energy costs per mile than an electric > vehicle running on Supercharger DCFC sourced kWh. Fuel diversity is a plus. > Superchargers are nearly a monopoly. (Yes, home charging is usually is the > lowest cost energy option; this is a comparison of the away-from-home > situation.) > > 6.) Light trailer towing range + refueling speed. People do haul small > teardrops and utility trailers with Priuses. > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://lists.evdl.org/private.cgi/ev-evdl.org/attachments/20240619/573536f9/attachment.htm> _______________________________________________ Address messages to ev@lists.evdl.org No other addresses in TO and CC fields HELP: http://www.evdl.org/help/
