I find it interesting that there is such low supply of Prius Primes and incentives in the Gulf states (as well as other "hot" area like Phoenix), not just for this year but also for last year. The fact that this is ongoing for two years suggests the strategy is purposeful. Perhaps the real reason is that Toyota is aware of potential longevity problems of the battery in hot climates (similar to the Leaf), especially for their non-specific AC cooling system (vs. battery-specific liquid cooling). By restricting supply in the hot areas, Toyota limits the warranty costs without having to completely ban sales in these hot climate areas, which would cause customer alarm.
perhaps... or again.. my theory.. we are "oil states" so we aren't supposed to drive "electric cars".
This OKC dealer has 6 new Primes in OKC. That's a significant inventory considering I had to order mine a year ago and they were all "order only" at that time.
Electrics have always been popular in high gas price states like CA and HI. Low price gas, no state incentives, and long ranges between points made Toyota plug-ins with short range less popular down south. My 2013 plug-in I got when on duty in Rhode Island could only go 10miles electric which work ok in Newport RI, but just barely got me to grocery one way in Texas. My 2018 does much better and is more realistic. 75mikes would be the holy grail for the future Prime. For Toyota, they make more money focusing on EV areas with volume discounts to dealers to fill all the demand. Texas is getting better. Dealer said 2018 was the first year the could even get. I think numbers will keep improving for the south as word spreads.
