[electrico]

The 2018 Toyota Prius Prime Crushing Bolt, Volt, and Leaf In Affordable EV Sales Race.

The Toyota Prius Prime has emerged as the runaway leader in affordable EVs. Bolt, Leaf, and Volt’s U.S. sales lag, as Prius Prime continues to impress.

 

[Karter2]

I could understand the discrepency between Hybrid sales and BEV sales, but i have to admit i dont understand why the Volt isnt up there with the Prius ?
Is there any price difference in the US ?
I know the Prius is a very well developed piece of kit, but i have never been in a Volt.

 

[Damon Henry]

I bought my wife a Prius Prime last fall and she absolutely loves it. Like others mentioned in the article she drives almost exclusively in EV mode. I suspect the biggest reason they are leading the race is because they have the cheapest price points. The Prius Prime is several thousand cheaper than a Volt. She has a fully loaded Advanced model which brand new comes in at about $33.5K. A similarly equipped Volt is more like $41K. This is before any incentives.

Damon

 

[brian_]

I could understand the discrepency between Hybrid sales and BEV sales, but i have to admit i dont understand why the Volt isnt up there with the Prius ?
Is there any price difference in the US ?
I know the Prius is a very well developed piece of kit, but i have never been in a Volt.

A normal Prius isn't a plug-in, so it is much less expensive than any plug-in. Most of the Priuses out there are not Prius Primes, so they are relatively cheap; they're also very well-established in the market with a reputation for reliability that attracts even taxi drivers.

That doesn't explain greater sales of the Prius Prime versus the Volt, but in that case... yes, just quickly from their websites it looks like the Prius Prime starts at US$27,100 versus the Volt starting at US$34,095... a similar differential to the better-equipped versions Damon described. I assume that the Volt price is driven up by higher battery capacity. Of course both can go much higher with options.

It may be a trivial factor, but I think GM has hurt Volt sales by insisting on calling it an "electric car", so uneducated potential buyers write it off as unsuitable, not even realizing that it has an engine and the associated lack of range concerns. Yes, one could drive a Volt without ever letting the engine start, but it's still a hybrid.

 

[Karter2]

......the Prius Prime starts at US$27,100 versus the Volt starting at US$34,095...

Well , an extra $7k will make all the difference at that end of the market.
Buyers in that range will be considering price More than any other factor.
And as you say, the Prius has a solid reputation.
But GM dont seem to keen on selling lots of Volts as i suspect they lose money on each one.

 

[Duncan]

But GM dont seem to keen on selling lots of Volts as i suspect they lose money on each one.

I would be surprised if they actually "Lost Money" on selling a Volt - but I bet they make a LOT more money selling you one of their Dino Burners

So they don't so much "Lose money" as not get as much

 

[brian_]

I would be surprised if they actually "Lost Money" on selling a Volt - but I bet they make a LOT more money selling you one of their Dino Burners

So they don't so much "Lose money" as not get as much

Perhaps, but it took Toyota quite a few years of selling the Prius before it was profitable, and as a plug-in with unusually high battery capacity the Volt is a particularly expensive hybrid to build. It is on the same platform as a few other GM vehicles, so production capacity can probably be shifted between models, and it makes no sense for GM to build any more Volts than required to meet fleet fuel consumption, regulatory compliance, and public image goals. The Bolt (which is I realize is a bit outside of this discussion as it is not a hybrid and so not a direct competitor to the Prius Prime) is in the same situation, balanced with other models. The same is true at Toyota, but most of the Prius line is more economically viable.