After owning 2 hybrid cars, I decided I wanted to get a Plug-In hybrid. So I gave my old Prius to my daughter, and bought a Prius Prime Plug-in.
So what’s the difference? As the name implies, you can plug your car into an electrical outlet and charge up the battery. The Prime has a bigger battery, and an extra motor. It can go full highway speed on just battery power. And electric power is so smooth and fun to drive. The Prime can go about 30 miles on just battery power. This is perfect for people who live close to work. I can commute to and from work on battery power alone. Also errands around town can be done will all battery power. This means I am not putting any exhaust fumes into the air in Nashua.
Why not go fully electric? I would love to have my wife get a pure electric vehicle. Prue electric vehicles have larger all-electric ranges and lower maintenance. This is perfect for a second car used mostly in town. However when this pandemic ends, we want to go see our daughter in Pennsylvania. This is a trip of about 400 miles. The Prime using combined and electric has a range of about 600 miles. This means we can go on long trips without worrying about recharging.
One thing I really like about the plug-in is I do not have to go the gas station. Since my commute is all electric, I go will over 1000 miles before needing gas. What about the electricity to charge the car? Well, I charge my car at night, when electricity is in less demand. Also, I would love to put solar panels on our condo and use solar power to charge the car. I am very glad to see more electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the road. There are more models coming out all the time.
I would encourage anyone looking for a car today to consider either a pure-electric car or a plug-in hybrid.
Jim Pyle
Nashua Resident