4 reasons why Prius being Eco is nonsense
Few words about my favourite marketing product: Toyota Prius. I want to underline the marketing word as in opposite to Eco. I have to admit that it was the first of a kind (or at lease one of the firsts) – hybrid sold in numbers. And despite it’s ugliness – it was successful here and there. You can treat is as a regular car to drive everyday. Everything would be ok if it wasn’t for the aura of greatness, innovation and Eco label – that are being sticked to this piece of metal. The truth is this is not an “eco car”. It is sold as one, so California citizens can calm their conscience of having 6 liter Corvette as a husbands/sons/aunts second car 
To the point… I would like to divide this post:
- About usability, economy – regular car characteristics
- Ecology in wider aspect
Ad 1.
First reason: Basic math – fuel consumption, numbers – being objective:)
Toyota claims that Prius uses 4,3 – 5,0l / 100 km (around 58 – 47 mpg)
For comparison other producers (all cars more then a half cheaper than Prius!):
- VW Polo 1.4 TDI: 3,9 – 5,7l (78 – 41 mpg).
- Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI: 3,8 – 5,8l (80 – 40 mpg)
- Fiat Bravo 1,6 Multijet: 4.1 – 6,3. (58 – 37 mpg)
But… We all know the producers fuel consumption data As dr. House says: “Everybody lies”… So…
Users data… at US forums users write about 51 – 46 mpg (what means in metric 4,61 – 5,11 l /100 km).
Polish website Autocentrum.pl collected data – says maximum 6,3l (37 mpg), there are some higher values. Well…
It’s pretty much the same as Skoda Octavia users write about their 1.9 litre 90 HP diesel – the engine that is over 15 years old! Where is the innovation? This super economy?
Answer: in TV, and in marketing budgets. PR specialists made Prius a car that is fashionable to have.
I drive a Hybrid, You know…
Whats more: regular periodical Toyota dealer inspections are more expensive than they would be with regular car. And in most cases are more often… Breakdowns also cost more: because they require super-modern-laser-NASA technology to check the battery And on the other hand You have pure and simple Skoda Octavia (VW Golf by Skoda) diesel…
Therefore Prius does not mean super economy (=ecology) in the longer run. Let’s compare it like a normal car, of this standard.
We buy Prius: for only 25k Euro! For this money we buy terribly ugly compact car in basic version. Super bargain! For the same money You can buy two VW Polo Diesel in some Ecomotive version. Which have very similar fuel consumption to Prius (but diesel is cheaper fuel). After buying these 2 cars we still have over 3k Euro of cash, which we can spend on… fuel… and drive the car for about 70.000 km (45 000 miles). You can hardly get more economical… And for sure not with Prius. (*Price examples from Polish market).
Second reason:
Battery life: Toyota claims that they should last for 250 000 km. They don’t say if in the city or on highway. Let’s assume mixed. Of course it doesn’t mean that this 250000 km is some kind of magic limit, that after 250001st km, battery dies. That will probably work like in mobile phones – so it will get increasingly smaller through time. So after 100 k km it’s weaker. After 200k km even more. Therefore all this time, conventional engine gets less support from electric – more fuel consumption.
Ad 2.
Wider aspect – everything, but the life of the car: it’s production and future recycling.
Third reason: Manufacturing Prius is no different than other cars + all the electric equipment. So you need batteries… Large ones. Made with Nickel. Based on such a simple source as a Top Gear show (see below) – Nickel is mined in Canada. Mining process is very not eco-friendly there. Then it’s refined in Europe. To be further processed in China. And finally in Japan it’s put to the car. And the car goes back to North America. It’s pretty energy consuming, don’t You think? In regular car, You can just skip this process.
Fourth: And what about recycling? You drop used batteries from mp3, or camera into special containers. Regular car batteries, You exchange for the new ones (in Poland). And the Prius? Did anyone prepare a solution to store and recycle batteries separately? No. Let it rust with the rest of the cars in the junk yard.
Bonus reason:
The test above is not too objective But is says something. I support Top Gear for being reasonable. You want economical car: buy M3 It uses less fuel then Prius LOL. Joke…
Summary:
- Prius is ugly… very ugly… Weak argument, but important for many people.
- It’s not eco, neither when produced, used or recycled after few years.
- It’s expensive to buy (considering value / money of course).
- Its ugly!
It’s bought by ecosnobs, whose only knowledge source is TV and newspaper ads. It’s their right, of course… but please don’t scream about ecology on every step. In wider aspect: this car is not more eco than 10k Euro small diesel… It’s a fashionable toy.
If You want to be eco. Buy a regular economical car with diesel (or LPG), and the cash difference, spend on making Your house/flat/summer house eco (solar energy, wind energy, water saving, etc). Don’t let Toyota get Your money here!
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“it was successful here and there. ”
LOL…FAIL….it’s EXTREMELY successful, whether in terms of sales (toyota can’t make enough of them to satisfy demand and it’s #1 in terms of being sold close to MSRP) or customer satisfaction (it’s been #1 in consumer reports and JD power for customer satisfaction 4-5 years in a row)
Oh, and it’s a midsize dude…not a compact…have you actually seen how big the car is inside?
LOL… Let’s find this FAIL? You think that the car is extreme success, not just a success? Wow… Big difference indeed. I don’t deny it’s commercial success at all (whether You find it EXTREME or not). I just think that it doesn’t have much to do with ecology.
What You mention is some LOCAL US stats… but world is not only US You know…
In Europe and Asia Prius has some minor market share… Here (in Europe) where diesel is 15% cheaper than regular gasoline, Prius wasn’t such a success. So FAIL would be treating it as some extreme worldwide hit. Please note that Toyota (and all other brands: ex. VW group) in EU bets more on clean diesel technology in all segments. They give You the same fuel economy, better performance, more fun to drive, are cheaper to maintain. So why would You buy Prius if You “overpay” and don’t get absolutely NOTHING in return for the money?
Plus these kind of sponsored commercial reports that You quote (MSRP etc) don’t present real statistical value. Check some German DEKRA reports or French equivalent. Do You really believe that in Germany the most reliable car is (of course) german make? And in France – local manufacturer like Renault? Fiat wins in Italy… Check the best car in UK -> Ford Focus. Let’s call this local patriotism / lobbying or whatever… The same way Prius that is a fashionable toy, wins in US because it’s in Toyota best interest and their position there is strong, as US cars are still behind the competition…
And answering to Your second comment: Yes, my bad. It should state mid size. But it doesn’t actually make any difference to the post context.
BTW. Thank You for refreshing some older post. Take care.