First Timer: 2021 Toyota Prius Prime

Going for the MPG

Memories fade in excess of time, but the working day you invest in your first electric powered motor vehicle will keep with you, perhaps forever.

A First Timer for Thoroughly clean Fleet Report is somebody who obtained their first EV, PHEV or FCEV. This alphabet soup of letters simply just usually means their vehicle has a plug or runs only on electric power, this kind of as an electrical car or truck (EV), or a plug-in hybrid electric powered auto (PHEV) or produces its have electric power as a hydrogen fuel mobile electric powered automobile, (FCEV.)

Cleanse Fleet Report speaks with Initially Timers to listen to about their practical experience. In this circumstance we achieved with Mark and Annette, who acquired a 2021 Toyota Prius Prime.

Thoroughly clean Fleet Report: Inform us a bit about yourselves.

Annette: We dwell in South Orange County, California. Annette has worked from a residence office as a e book editor for a lot of many years, and Mark is a complex engineering supervisor in the electricity and process improvement subject.

CFR: Convey to us about the study and purchasing encounter and the invest in determination system, such as when did you acquire or lease the Prius Prime, when did you start off exploring new automobiles, and what dealer did you go with?

Mark & Annette: Mark’s work involves a fair amount of money of vacation, so we preferred a vehicle with exceptionally excellent gas mileage and vary. The fully electric autos we viewed as ended up either far too highly-priced or didn’t have the array Mark necessitates for function vacation, so then we took a seem at plug-in hybrids. The Prius Prime is a good compromise, delivering wonderful fuel mileage with a thoroughly electrical solution for shorter trips.

We commenced the motor vehicle research in January 2022. Mark’s car or truck had just come off lease and we have been dealing with offer constraints. Inside of a week’s time, we discovered a pre-owned 2021 Prius Key at AutoNation Toyota in Irvine, and we bought the vehicle nearly right away.

CFR: Which other cars did you take into account?

M & A: We deemed the Kia Niro, Mini Cooper Countryman and Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrids.

CFR: What drew you to the Prius Prime?

M & A: The Prius Primary was fairly priced and, most important, it was obtainable as motor vehicle stock and availability the earlier 12 months has been limited. Toyota has an outstanding trustworthiness file, the guarantee is detailed, and friends with Priuses really advisable the motor vehicle.

CFR: Given that this is your initial electrically driven automobile, what are your driving impressions?

Mark: I am the principal driver and am taking pleasure in the technologies and driving knowledge. We get about 71 miles per gallon on the highway, which was a shock and good considering the large charge of gas. The big touch monitor and the Apple iphone interface are pleasant options.

CFR: What have your experiences been with charging? Do you have a house charger? Do you use public chargers, and if so which business is your preference?

M & A: We use the widespread 120-volt wall outlet at home, and have not used a public charger yet. We plug-in at evening, and it is absolutely billed in the early morning, providing us electric powered driving mode for visits under 25 miles. Annette managed a 30-mile round-journey in electrical mode, thanks to the regenerative braking.

CFR: How do you generally use the car, and what is the longest journey you have taken?

Mark: The auto is applied most usually for very long-distance work outings, with the longest spherical-excursion being 1,336 miles.

CFR: Do you have any closing ideas on proudly owning a Prius Primary, and would you contemplate proudly owning this automobile again?

M & A: We like the automobile, but it is a tiny bit underpowered, which may possibly be why it gets great gasoline mileage, so which is a affordable trade-off. We’d take into consideration acquiring an additional Prius Key.

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Tale by John Faulkner. Pics by John Faulkner and Toyota.

Our time with the Prime:

Street Examination: 2020 Toyota Prius Prime Limited

Road Exam: 2018 Toyota Prius Key

Flash Travel: 2018 Toyota Prius Prime