Hope someone can advise me. Would love to buy a Prius v, BUT I wonder if my driving habits make it inadvisable. A typical day I drive about 1.5 miles to work, the car sits all day and I drive it home. Much of my driving is only a couple of miles. Is that likely to wear down the battery pack? How does it get recharged? I am particularly concerned about winter (I live in MA).
It will not wear down the pack and the car manages battery voltage by itself so recharging manually is not necessary. The bad thing for you is your ultra short commute to work. Very short trips just like you describe a killer on gas mileage since the car is just coming up to temp by the time you are already shutting it off. Driving such short distances would be ideal for the upcoming Plug In Prius. Yes, it is the same size as the 3rd generation Prius (its not bigger like the Prius v), but a plug in would be way better for you IMO considering such short driven trips.
That will not be ideal for the car (or for you) The Prius v is not out yet, so I am going to assume it has identical an powertrain to the Gen 3 prius. The 12 volt battery may not recharge in 1.5 miles, that will shorten it's life. The engine may not warm up enough to get condensation out of the oil, that will shorten it's life. The engine may run more often to keep the HV battery charged, that will reduce your MPG. You MPG will not be any better than a 'normal' car, as you will never drive in a fuel efficient mode. What interests you in a Prius if you never intend to drive it long distances? (the first 10 miles are to warm it up)
Are you thinking of buying a Prius Five (the top of the line Prius) or the yet to be released Prius v (The five passenger Wagon like Prius that is still 6 months away)?
So why pay extra for a vehicle that gets high mileage when driven how you never drive it? 3 miles a day by 365 = 1095 miles a year. If he bought a Hummer he would not use 100 gallons of gas a year. I have reason to believe Toyota is much less aggressive then other vehicles recharging the 12 battery, as it is in the passenger compartment in existing Prius. Most other vehicles run the engine if they need to or not, so the oil is heated quicker.
I live 2 miles from work. I end up using my Prius to run errands after work because it is still so thrifty. I spent $360 on gas last year. The biggest problems may be the brakes because the brake pads never warm up and in 7 years you'll end up replacing the brake pads because of corrosion, not because of wear. It's been close to 7 years for me and I've replaced the little 12v aux battery and am about to replace the front brake pads because they are crumbling. Of course I have a Gen II so this might not happen to yours. And I replaced the 12v aux battery this spring. So far costs other than oil, filters, gas and wiper blades is $220.
And why buy a new efficient car when you'll probably never even save the additional manufacturing energy required for a hybrid? Walk, bicycle, e-bicycle, electric scooter, used car would all be better. (Probably would use 100 gallons in a hummer with those short trips. They'll need to condition the cabin before traveling).
Thank you for your comments. I have put about 10,000 mi/year on my vehicle for years, so it is not all short hops, but some weeks it is just back and forth to work. I would like to retire and travel more, thus the desire for better mileage than the 16-20 mpg 2005 Chrysler Town and Country I currently drive. I am an antique dealer and will miss the van space, but think the Prius v may suffice. I am going to look at the Ford Escape hybrid too.
Sounds Like An EV Would be best here. You sure won't have to worry about the 100 miles limit. Besides you have plenty of time to recharge.
It appears you'll be driving more now compared to the 1.5 miles commute that you normally have. So, go for it. The Prius V ( wagon style) is definitely the perfect fit for you.
The Prius PHEV or the Nissan Leaf would be a much better choice unless you need more cargo room. If my commute was that short I'd be all over the Leaf like a bum on a ham sandwich.
I think a Prius of any stripe would be a good car for you. We're retired and our Prii allow us to take trips to out-of-the-way places as if gas is only $1 per gallon. In the last 2 years we've taken car trips to Carlsbad Caverns, Crater Lake and the NorCal Redwoods, places that aren't close to our homes - or any place else, for that matter. Fuel costs were negligible. It's a great feeling to drive all day at highway speeds and only use 6 - 8 gallons of gas. BTW, I believe the 12 volt battery is kept charged by the traction battery. As the Prrius keeps the traction battery charged automatically, you needn't worry about the 12 volt.
