Yet more rumors of a solar Prius

Iria · Jan 3, 2009, 06:55 AM

Toyota is developing a solar-powered Prius, the Nikkei newspaper has reported yet again.

It was interesting when we heard about this in July.

But it seems to us that someone over at Toyota has now been fake-leaking/hinting news about a solar-powered Prius in one form or another for at least the last year.
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Source: Green Tech Blog

Customgamer1 · Jan 3, 2009, 07:31 AM

Really cool idea BUT

the Prius is already expensive for what you get and takes years and years to see the pay back if ever and add on solar and it will increase the cost even more and will never see the pay back.

Only pay back you would be getting is helping the earth one car at a time lol. Maybe that's really important to some people.

It would be for me if it was lower in cost and could go really fast.

or I will just stick with my Mustang!

I would have to think this car would cost no less than $35,000. lets go with $3.50/gal, 12,000 miles/year at 70mpg (12,000/70= 171gallons used a year. 171x3.50 = $598 a year)

So 35,000/598= 58 years.

That's not even including a full gas powered car that can get in the mid 30's MPG easy for way cheaper. So if you account for the difference in MPG between the 2 it's even less of a deal, but you have to pay more to get the gas saving car. Make any sense lol?

I think I did my math right, but it's very possible I did not lol.

But to sum it up. You only buy a Prius because you want to help the earth and not because you want to save money. Of course there is nothing wrong with that and is in fact a big plus!!!

*disclaimer* Even if I did my math wrong and someone corrects it, it is still longer than 12 or even 15 years. And well cars just don't last that long unless you don't drive them. Assuming you put a good amount of miles on the car and you don't have to do any major repairs because that would just add to the cost of owning that prius lol.

BlueMak · Jan 3, 2009, 07:35 AM

Doesn't the Prius have a back order of something like 57 years? Imagine how long it would take to get a working, good, solar powered car.

Customgamer1 · Jan 3, 2009, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueMak

Doesn't the Prius have a back order of something like 57 years? Imagine how long it would take to get a working, good, solar powered car.

Not by me. I could go to the dealer right now and buy a Prius! They have tons on the lot.

**dj_stick** · Jan 3, 2009, 10:36 AM

I wouldn't mind buying a hybrid, a solar-powered one would probably only have benefits for half the year in melbourne, but I do remember reading something about the Australian government thinking about subsidising the cost of hybrids via rebates, but I'm not sure if anything went ahead...

Zelig · Jan 3, 2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Customgamer1

I would have to think this car would cost no less than $35,000. lets go with $3.50/gal, 12,000 miles/year at 70mpg (12,000/70= 171gallons used a year. 171x3.50 = $598 a year)

So 35,000/598= 58 years.

That's not even including a full gas powered car that can get in the mid 30's MPG easy for way cheaper. So if you account for the difference in MPG between the 2 it's even less of a deal, but you have to pay more to get the gas saving car. Make any sense lol?

I think I did my math right, but it's very possible I did not lol.

Not quite, you're calculating the number of years it takes for the cost of gas to equal the cost of the vehicle, so in fact, a higher number here is better.

For example, if you do your calculations with a 1 mpg monster, you get $42,000/year, for a total of 10 months.

The break-even point of hybrids obviously depends on the amount you drive it, cost of gas, etc. The Prius has no gas-only counterpart, so the break-even point for the Prius also depends on which car you compare it against.

Edmunds is real good for car stuff. They've got some numbers in that article, and place the break-even point of the Prius at 2.5 to 16.2 years, depending on several factors.

Customgamer1 · Jan 3, 2009, 09:52 PM

OK that is true.

I did how long it would take to pay off the car via gas.

However that is just about the only reason why buy that car. It really is nothing special inside. No real luxury for a car that is in the mid 20's.

Mac Daddy · Jan 4, 2009, 03:06 AM

Very cool idea but we have had the local Toyota dealership and a Taxi company contact us on ideas why the Prius goes dead and won't start ...

They are making this stuff too complicated its a DAMN car

mike2h · Jan 4, 2009, 04:54 AM

just compare a reg prius vs a hybrid t oget your price justification for the hybrid. its been done many times 7 pretty much never saves anybody any money. especially if u end up having to replace the battery.. wich u probably will if u keep it long enough to actraully save some money from the infalted hybrid price.
right now, in the US, toyotas are not the most cost effective car t obuy as far as initial price goes. especially the hybrid.
the gov was giving rebates that are based on the amount of vehicles sold(i think there might be a time factor involved to. not sure) & have a steadily lessening value(the actual rebate). prius was the first hybrid to market, followed by other toyotas. their rebate is miniscule to non existent. this is not true for honda(tho they r seeing reductions) & is especially not true for the ford & gm hybrids(dont know if chrysler as any).
bottom line is this, as far as buying a hybrid just to save money on gas u really need to do the math to see if the hybrid premium for any given model is cost effective. for the majority of peeps it isnt.

Zelig · Jan 4, 2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike2h

just compare a reg prius vs a hybrid t oget your price justification for the hybrid. its been done many times 7 pretty much never saves anybody any money. especially if u end up having to replace the battery.. wich u probably will if u keep it long enough to actraully save some money from the infalted hybrid price.
right now, in the US, toyotas are not the most cost effective car t obuy as far as initial price goes. especially the hybrid.
the gov was giving rebates that are based on the amount of vehicles sold(i think there might be a time factor involved to. not sure) & have a steadily lessening value(the actual rebate). prius was the first hybrid to market, followed by other toyotas. their rebate is miniscule to non existent. this is not true for honda(tho they r seeing reductions) & is especially not true for the ford & gm hybrids(dont know if chrysler as any).
bottom line is this, as far as buying a hybrid just to save money on gas u really need to do the math to see if the hybrid premium for any given model is cost effective. for the majority of peeps it isnt.

Did you take a look at the link I posted? In the calculations there, they take repair and maintenance into account in the calculations.

Jan 3, 2009, 06:55 AM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Yet more rumors of a solar Prius Toyota is developing a solar-powered Prius, the Nikkei newspaper has reported yet again. It was interesting when we heard about this in July. But it seems to us that someone over at Toyota has now been fake-leaking/hinting news about a solar-powered Prius in one form or another for at least the last year. _______________ Source: Green Tech Blog

Jan 3, 2009, 07:31 AM	#2
Customgamer1 Fell off the tech wagon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,273 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	Re: Yet more rumors of a solar Prius Really cool idea BUT the Prius is already expensive for what you get and takes years and years to see the pay back if ever and add on solar and it will increase the cost even more and will never see the pay back. Only pay back you would be getting is helping the earth one car at a time lol. Maybe that's really important to some people. It would be for me if it was lower in cost and could go really fast. or I will just stick with my Mustang! I would have to think this car would cost no less than $35,000. lets go with $3.50/gal, 12,000 miles/year at 70mpg (12,000/70= 171gallons used a year. 171x3.50 = $598 a year) So 35,000/598= 58 years. That's not even including a full gas powered car that can get in the mid 30's MPG easy for way cheaper. So if you account for the difference in MPG between the 2 it's even less of a deal, but you have to pay more to get the gas saving car. Make any sense lol? I think I did my math right, but it's very possible I did not lol. But to sum it up. You only buy a Prius because you want to help the earth and not because you want to save money. Of course there is nothing wrong with that and is in fact a big plus!!! disclaimer Even if I did my math wrong and someone corrects it, it is still longer than 12 or even 15 years. And well cars just don't last that long unless you don't drive them. Assuming you put a good amount of miles on the car and you don't have to do any major repairs because that would just add to the cost of owning that prius lol. __________________ Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX! Last edited by Customgamer1; Jan 3, 2009 at 07:50 AM.

Jan 3, 2009, 07:35 AM	#3
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,467 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Re: Yet more rumors of a solar Prius Doesn't the Prius have a back order of something like 57 years? Imagine how long it would take to get a working, good, solar powered car. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Jan 3, 2009, 09:52 PM	#7
Customgamer1 Fell off the tech wagon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,273 Rep Power: 74 System Specs	Re: Yet more rumors of a solar Prius OK that is true. I did how long it would take to pay off the car via gas. However that is just about the only reason why buy that car. It really is nothing special inside. No real luxury for a car that is in the mid 20's. __________________ Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Jan 4, 2009, 03:06 AM	#8
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Yet more rumors of a solar Prius Very cool idea but we have had the local Toyota dealership and a Taxi company contact us on ideas why the Prius goes dead and won't start ... They are making this stuff too complicated its a DAMN car __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Jan 4, 2009, 04:54 AM	#9
mike2h DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: norcal Posts: 6,483 Rep Power: 91 System Specs	Re: Yet more rumors of a solar Prius just compare a reg prius vs a hybrid t oget your price justification for the hybrid. its been done many times 7 pretty much never saves anybody any money. especially if u end up having to replace the battery.. wich u probably will if u keep it long enough to actraully save some money from the infalted hybrid price. right now, in the US, toyotas are not the most cost effective car t obuy as far as initial price goes. especially the hybrid. the gov was giving rebates that are based on the amount of vehicles sold(i think there might be a time factor involved to. not sure) & have a steadily lessening value(the actual rebate). prius was the first hybrid to market, followed by other toyotas. their rebate is miniscule to non existent. this is not true for honda(tho they r seeing reductions) & is especially not true for the ford & gm hybrids(dont know if chrysler as any). bottom line is this, as far as buying a hybrid just to save money on gas u really need to do the math to see if the hybrid premium for any given model is cost effective. for the majority of peeps it isnt. __________________