128mpg Prius plugs in

MPG lie. Motoring Journalists are idiots.

Oh you fools... TOYOTA are LYING. Currently, 128mpg or 49g CO2 is not possible in a real family production car.

In an extreme circumstance (test conditions), this car may achieve a high-ish figure but 128mpg for a whole gallon worth of driving is impossible.

WHY?

Because they are duping you by including an electric charge. After the 15 miles battery power (from a plug hole) is used up, there is no way the car will achieve 128mpg. Not even on the first gallon, as that battery charge will not even subsidise the first gallon to that extent. What about the 2nd gallon, or the 5th? What a complete load of rubbish to believe this Toyota PR. They must be laughing at Auto Express (and other indignant journalists on Twitter who say "splutter,, Toyota have SAID SO, so it must be true").

Well, no it is not true, it a lie. A complete load of extrapolated nonsense from 20 miles of "test" driving. If you think Toyota have, in one swoop, halved the best current CO2 and doubled the best MPG, in a 1.8 petrol hybrid (with a plug in) you are complete idiots.

Stupid journalism, no analysis, utter cobblers. It's not even April 1st.

I'm sure your readers aren't THIS stupid.

Ling Valentine
LINGsCARS

By l_ing on 15 August, 2011, 2:01pm

RE: I'm sure your readers aren't THIS stupid

I for one am not, and the low CO2 figure probably fails to take into account the average CO2 rating for mains power in the UK - so it's rubbish squared.
Perhaps what they ought to be quoting is the cost per mile based on a "typical" trip where mains electricity should work out cheaper than petrol.
I wonder if someone with solar panels on their house would be better off using the power generated to top up their hybrid/battery car or to reap the feed in payment?

By aje21 on 15 August, 2011, 5:29pm

@ Ling Valentine

Hi Ling

Thanks for taking the time to highlight this particular story. Auto Express and other reputable news outlets have reported the announcement of this new model, and we have included Toyota’s fuel economy claims.

But, as Toyota states in the press release, this figure is based on the European homologation cycle – and I’m sure you’re aware that this figure isn’t 100 per cent representative of real-world economy, and is only really useful for comparing new models against each other.

You can be sure that as soon as we are able to get access to the new plug-in Prius, we will conduct our own independent test and will report back on the economy our tests show you expect in the real world.

Thanks again,

The Auto Express team.

By Rhian on 15 August, 2011, 6:45pm

Ling has a point

Hi Rhian,

I'm afraid Ling has a point.

While NEDC underestimates emissions across the board and academics have been calling for improved tests for at least a decade, with plug in hybrids it's a different kettle of fish.

The Extra-Urban part of the test only covers 4.3 miles with an average speed of 39.1 mph. A plug-in hybrid can cover that on electric power, although as it briefly touches 75 mph, the Prius will have to switch its engine on for the section of the test above 60 mph. That's why some petrol gets burnt and you have an MPG rating at all.

The NEDC was already a joke - too short and too slow on average to really represent normal road driving. Plug-in hybrids that can run the entire length of the test on electric power (e.g. the Volt) really make a mockery of it. It's time for a new test, perhaps over a few hundred miles of A-road and Motorway driving.

By keeping the current test, we are kidding ourselves that things are getting better.

By dpeilow on 15 August, 2011, 7:28pm

Bit of an over reaction by Ling ..

Granted that the figures given by manufacturers are often not acheivable and are in fact figures produced in ideal conditions. and If we know that then why all the screaming and shouting.


Don't forget , what consumes alot of pertrol/diesel (relatively speaking of course) is the change in speed/velocity (acceleraton). And If he electric motor can aid in getting up to a required constant speed, then surely that can aid in saving fuel. So maybe Toyota have made improvements in that part that can contribute to fuel efficiency.
Though I also don;t beleive in the 128mpg, i am confident that they have made improvements in mpg over the current model through,
1. weight
2. efficient CVT
3 Better batteries
4 Software coding
5. regenerative braking
6. Kenetic energy recovery to charge the battery on the move (same as 5?)


I truely beleive a day will come when a petrol/hybrid or a diesel /hybrid will beat any pure petrol or diesel on all fronts in trems of performance and fuel economy,,

By hugo_b on 15 August, 2011, 9:05pm

Ling...Calm down dear...Its only a commercial.

.

By cousins11 on 15 August, 2011, 9:59pm

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield on Green Car Reports borrowed a Plug-in Prius and drove it on a 1400 mile round trip to Scotland. She averaged 63 mpg.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1064219_2012-toyota-prius-plug-in-hybrid-everything-to-everyone


So if you do lots of short trips (commuting etc) with the odd long trip, you might be better of with an Ampera. If you are doing a lot of long trips, you'd probably be better off with a diesel. I'm not exactly where this car fits.

I've driven this Plug-in Prius and it's very hard not to get the engine to come on when accelerating normally.

By dpeilow on 15 August, 2011, 10:52pm

Still not Green!

No matter what they do, a Hybrid will never be as green as the best diesels around today! Everyone seems to forget the extra large carbon footprint of manufacture (conventional engine and drive train + electric motors, batteries and charging system!) You are in fact buying two different cars! This fuel economy figure is about as accurate as most Prius drivers will give you! Not accurate at all, but have to justify the cost somehow…

Couple that with the fact that the range on electric power is actually laughable and that the petrol engine has to drag around all that extra weight! Then, you have to remember the carbon footprint throughout it's life such as changing the batteries every three to five years and all the associated carbon costs of getting rid of toxic elements.... Extra servicing costs and end of life carbon…

No, just clever marketing by giving the cars to Hollywood stars and playing on the proletariat love of fame.. You want real figures? My neighbour has a 2010 version of the car and he gets a reasonable 43 MPG while in my BMW 3 Series (2008) 2ltr diesel, I average 49 (55 on a long run)! Couple that with the fact that my car is a premium brand and his is a Toyota (yes I am a brand snob!) and they cost roughly the same. And also remember that in five years time mine will be worth approximately double the Prius…

As for even 63MPG??? No, unless you drive it like a Nun out for a sunday afternoon drive I don't see that as possible in normal driving! But remember, that was on GREEN car reports!!!

NO CONTEST!

By Rumour on 16 August, 2011, 8:55am

Half the facts again

Not as green as a diesel. Ah well that overlooking that that there's more to pollution that CO2 figures. Despite various attempts to clean up diesels emissions they still pollute more than a petrol engine, particulates, nitrogen oxides, etc. Once again no account has been taken of the fact that running a refinery uses the same electricity as small city. So by the time you factor in all the energy usage (excluding manufacture of the vehicle) most cars are doing about 500g. This is also overlooking the armed conflicts that 'securing' oil supplies incur. BTW I own a diesel and a Prius.

By steelcityuk on 16 August, 2011, 9:24am

We average 65mpg

I work for a airport transfer company running the latest Prius. We have averaged 65mpg over 5000 miles. Often we drive on motorways and at 70mph with one passenger on board.
I have achieved 85mpg on 20 mile runs solo. Also, we have more legroom than BMW 5-series and Merc E-class - go and sit in one to see.

By IlMostro on 16 August, 2011, 10:06am

Now I know why the Prius was on charge!

When I was in Budapest in late May, I saw a Prius hooked up to an on-street charging unit and thought no more about it.
Presumably this was the model shown here which was being tested. At the time, I couldn't understand what the driver and his passengers were doing, now I know.
I really should pay more attention, but it was in the evening and I was in dire need of refreshment after a hot day walking about.

By n50pap on 18 August, 2011, 12:49pm

Perhaps not 128 mpg. But I bet it'll be pretty damned impressive

I bought a standard Prius several months ago. Its fuel economy is impressive and when it comes to city driving it blows ALL my previous cars away.

The clever thing is that it uses petrol power that would normally be wasted to recharge the battery - slowing down, braking, going downhill, etc.

It uses no fuel whatsoever when stationary, and mostly electric power (i.e. hardly any petrol) when crawling through traffic.

My average mpg is in the high 50s. The best single trip I've had is just a whisker short of 80mpg on a 20 mile journey roughly half and half 70 mph dual carriageway and urban/city driving. And I'm very definitely NOT a patient, take-my-time driver!

So even if the plug-in Prius doesn't do 128 mpg (which it won't), it'll knock the socks of similar sized, automatic cars!

By quintilian on 25 August, 2011, 9:31pm