Plug-in Prius to cost $47,000.

[Rhodomel]

You may wonder what the price will be for the upcoming Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid when it enters mass production in 2012. The cost for the plug in version will be a whopping $47,000. However, loyal customers will probably dig deep for a car that already has proven reliability.

Furthermore, those Toyota consumers will save money at the pump driving the Prius electric version, as gas Hybrids and conventional cars continue to go to the pump. There are also mixed signals on what the electric range will be for the Toyota Prius. Most experts agree the new Prius will only offer a range of 12 miles or more, but these stats are not official, and things can rapidly change henceforth until 2012.

The timing could also be bad for Toyota as the Chevy Volt electric car will be available in late 2010. General Motors is promising an electric range of 40 miles, possibly more, when the vehicle debuts. The price of the Volt is expected to be around $40,000.

It seems like many plug-in EREV's are being offered in the $40K+ price range. This would really be good news for Aptera and hope that they can deliver the cars starting late this 2009.


http://www.newsoxy.com/articles/toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid-car.html

[KarenRei]

Ha! No way -- $47k for a PHEV with a, what, 12 mile range? When that range is only mixed electric/gasoline (parallel PHEV)?

Toyota must *really* be counting on brand loyalty. What possible reason could they have to charge that much?

[Rhodomel]

Yes Way! Toyota's gonna price it at $47K, and here's my speculation:

I think there is a sinister plot behind such high price schemes. Remember that Toyota will have to sell the test fleet and evaluate it until 2012.

Of course we know that Toyota can build very cheaply the plug-in version especially with limited range and smallish battery packs. But since the other car companies are charging an arm and a leg, they are jacking up the preliminary price to be at par, so that DOE will fund their fleet tests at same prices as the competition. Really easy money at the expense of the taxpayers. The DOE and other companies will surely approve at that average price and right off the bat, Toyota will be fleecing us taxpayers for the test fleets that DOE will sponsor. Remember the many millions that GM got from DOE's order of test fleets of GM-Volt?

So that is the MAJOR REASON why the plug-in Prius will be priced at $47K, heck, they will do it even at 12 mile AER and smallish batteries, the more profit the better. They know their test fleet will be purchased by DOE. A couple hundred million dollars of profit is not bad especially if sucked out from US taxpayers.

Then when the fleecing of taxpayer is done, I meant the testing of the fleet is over, they will sell their plug-ins at prices close to that of the Aptera.