The Toyota Prius Prime was the top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in 2017, with nearly 21,000 sold, and its 25 miles of all-electric range are close to the 30 miles a day that the average person drives. Though it has less all-electric range than the Chevy Volt, the Prius Prime is more efficient than the Volt if you expect to be driving on a combination of gas and electricity.
Being able to drive electric most of the time, but access the convenience of gas when needed, has helped many people make the switch to electric. Here’s a bit more about charging the Prime.
Why Choose a Plug-in Hybrid?
Plug-in hybrids have a gas engine and an electric motor, so they can plug in to charge the battery, but can also run on gas only when needed. If you want to drive electric most of the time to reduce your emissions and save on fuel costs, it’s very possible. If you want to try going electric but don’t have access to charging at home or work and want to take long trips without charging, a plug-in hybrid may be a good choice for you.
How to Charge the Prius Prime
With a Prius Prime, you can top off the battery anytime you’re parked, at home or around town, instead of making a separate trip to refuel. Topping off your Prime helps give you as much range as possible and makes each charging session shorter. It takes just a few seconds to plug in, and then you can go about your day (or night) while your Prime gets some charge.
Charging Your Prius Prime at Home
Charging a plug-in hybrid at home is not much different from charging your cell phone or laptop. Just plug the cord that comes with the car into a regular wall outlet to add about 4 miles of Range Per Hour. It will take about five and a half hours to recharge your Prius Prime this way. If you want to charge faster so you can make multiple all-electric trips in a day, upgrading to a Level 2 home charger will fully charge your Prime in just over 2 hours.
If you don’t live in a single-family home, we’d love to help you get EV charging at your apartment or condo. A hybrid can be a great choice if you can’t charge at home because you’ll have a gas tank when you need it. You can still live the EV lifestyle if you charge at work or Level 2 stations around town. Check the ChargePoint app to find places to charge near you.
Charging Your Prius Prime at Work and Around Town
They can be hard to spot if you’re not an EV driver yet, but there are likely plenty of charging stations at nearby workplaces, restaurants, retail stores and other places you spend time. These locations usually have Level 2 stations with a universal connector that can add about 12 miles of Range Per Hour to your Prius Prime.
The best part about charging around town is that you can go about your day while charging, instead of waiting around for your EV to refuel. Discover places to charge near you in the ChargePoint app and just tap your phone or use the ChargePoint card that comes in the glovebox of the Prius Prime to start charging.
Fast Charging and PHEVs
Like most plug-in hybrids, the Prime doesn’t have fast charging as an option. Don’t worry, you won’t need it. Fast charging is suited for long trips and you’ve got gas for those.
How Much Will It Cost to Charge the Prius Prime?
Get a sense of how much you will save by switching to the Prius Prime using our calculator. Across more than 178,000 Prius Prime charging sessions on ChargePoint so far, the average fee has been just $0.78 per session, and over 55% of sessions were free.*
The cost of charging can vary widely between different EV charging stations and networks. ChargePoint station owners set their own fees, and you can always check the station details page in the app for the latest pricing information.
Most businesses offer charging for free or at cost because they want you to come in.
2017 Prius Primes come with up to 100 days, up to $100 complimentary charging on any public ChargePoint charging station. 2018 Prius Primes won’t come with this offer, so if you are thinking about getting a Prime, you may want to hurry to your local dealership.
When charging at home, the cost of charging will vary depending on how much you drive and how much electricity costs in your area (and if you can get a special EV charging rate plan).
Have I won you over to driving (mostly) electric yet? Don’t forget to sign up for ChargePoint to charge your Prius Prime.
