Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid PHEV Boasts Prius Prime-Like Electric Range

Subaru’s first plug-in almost goes the distance.

Way back in May of this year, Subaru officially announced its first plug-in hybrid model – the 2019 Crosstrek Hybrid – that should enter the U.S. market near the end of 2018.

Details were and still are scarce on this newest plug-in. But now, thanks to a CARB certification filing, we’ve got a few new details.

It appears as though the Crosstrek Hybrid (plug-in) will get a city all-electric range (AER) rating of 25.65 miles or an equivalent all-electric range rating of 26.273 (EAER). Meanwhile, its highway figures are AER 21.9 and EAER of 27.381.

***Note – UDDS stands for Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule, and refers to a United States Environmental Protection Agency mandated dynamometer test on fuel economy that represents city driving conditions which is used for light duty vehicle testing.

That’s certainly not Chevy Volt territory (53 miles / combined), but it will challenge the Toyota Prius Prime (of which it’s loosely based off of) at 25 electric miles combined.

Subaru named its plug-in hybrid simply Hybrid, like the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Of course, this is quite a confusing name too, as the Crosstrek Hybrid was around in the past, but in conventional hybrid form, not this new plug-in version.

As previously mentioned, Subaru makes use of the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) that is integrated with Subaru’s four-cylinder direct-injection BOXER engine, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and an all-new transmission.

The PHEV model was already expected this year with an all-electric Subaru hinted for 2021.

Conventional Subaru Crosstrek

6 photos

Toyota Aims High For Prius Prime, Expects 60,000 Sales

The first version of the Toyota’s plug-in hybrid Prius was “a failure,” says Koji Toyoshima, the chief engineer for the car. But he fully expects thing to turn around when the Prius Prime, the second generation Prius plug-in hybrid, goes on sale later this year.

Known as Prius Prime in the US and Prius PHV in other markets, Toyoshima says his company is targeting sales of 60,000 cars a year. That is more than the prior model sold in in the 3+ years it was on the market. Half of those sales are expected in the North American market and the other half in Japan. The company expects only a few will be sold in Europe.

Getting to 60,000 sales annually is a must for the upcoming Prime, says Toyoshima. “Going forward, there will be much broader competition in plug-in hybrids,” he says. “We have to sell this much. Otherwise, we will not be able to win in the next round.”

The Toyota Prius Prime will face stiff competition from new models coming to market from Honda and Hyundai. A plug-in hybrid version of the Clarity will arrive sometime next year as well as a similar car based on the Ioniq chassis. In addition, the Chevy Volt and Hyundai Sonata PHEV are also in the mix. A host of offerings from Germany will be arriving soon as well.

Toyota targeted three areas of improvement for the second generation Prius Prime plug-in hybrid:

1. Longer electric only cruising range.

2. Clearer differentiation from the standard Prius.

3. Easier battery recharging.

The new car will have 22 miles of electric only range, double that of the old car but less than half what the Chevy Volt offers. Toyoshima says Toyota carefully struck a careful balance between electric only range and overall fuel economy. Adding batteries would boost range but also increase the weight of the car, hurting fuel economy. More batteries would also sacrifice cabin and cargo space, he added.

The new Prius PHEV can reach speeds up to 84 mph on the electric motor alone. In the first generation car, the gasoline engine kicked in whenever the car was travelling at 62 miles per hour or more. That will be useful for people who commute short distances on the highway to complete their trip using electric power alone.

The new Prius Prime will also be more visually distinct from its traditional hybrid cousin. It will get a different headlight treatment, tail lights that are set further apart, and an optional tablet sized touchscreen on the inside. It will also offer a rooftop solar panel to help recharge the battery and extend range. That option will not be available at first on cars sold in the US because the panel does not yet meet US rollover crash standards.

Will the changes be enough to reinvigorate Prius PHEV sales? Toyota needs this car to help it meet ever tightening fuel economy and emissions standards. It has invested a lot of time and effort in making the new car more appealing to shoppers. We won’t know for about a year whether all that hard work will pay off for Toyota.

Source: Automotive News

Toyota Prius Prime Gets Solar Roof, But Not In US

The new Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, called Prius Prime in the US, comes with a full length solar panel on the roof that helps recharge the car’s lithium ion battery when the car is parked. It also powers such things as air conditioning, power steering, power windows, and interior lighting while the car is being driven.

In an odd twist, the solar panel is manufactured in the United States but cannot be used on US-spec cars because it does not meet federal rollover crash standards. It tends to shatter in US testing protocols, but does meet standards in Asia and Europe.

Koji Toyoshima, chief engineer of the Prius plug-in, tells Automotive News that Toyota aims to introduce the panels in the U.S. Toyoshima said engineers are working on a solution so that it can introduce the solar panels to the U.S. version.

“We would like to introduce this, at least in the lifetime of the current model,” the chief engineer said at the car’s Japan debut. “It should be possible to do a lot of charging this way in places like California or Arizona.”

The automaker has been working on solar roof technology for several years. The Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper reported secret development as long ago as 2009. The third generation Prius had an optional solar roof, but it only powered the ventilation fan when the car was parked.

Toyota has been late to the plug-in hybrid party, as it concentrated its attention on burnishing the luster of its regular hybrid. The fourth generation Toyota Prius was recently rated as the non-plug-in car with the highest fuel economy ever tested by Consumer Reports.

Sales of the Prius have been disappointing of late, with low gasoline prices taking the focus off fuel economy for many car buyers. But when it comes to squeezing every ounce of energy out of a gallon of gasoline, Toyota is at the forefront of the automotive industry.