Prius provides best of both worlds

This story first appeared in the July issue of EVTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

After driving Toyota’s Prius plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) for a week, I can see why it’s so popular with Uber and taxi drivers.

Being able to travel 26km in EV mode after a 90-minute charge – and use only 2.1 litres of petrol per 100km – is fantastic value.

I didn’t need to go near a petrol pump all week after receiving the car with a full tank of gas and having the EV charging option available.
I did find it strange transitioning from EV mode to hybrid mode when the petrol engine would suddenly fire up when needed.

Going from the silent nature of EV mode to the smooth rumble of the petrol engine kicking in also took some getting used to.

I was impressed by the comfortable interior and the amount of space in the boot. That makes it perfect for taxi and Uber drivers who love doing the airport run.

There’s great visibility out the back with two separate windows but it does pose security questions because it’s also easy for people to see what’s in your boot.

Having driven both pure EVs and hybrids, I do like the security of having that petrol backup, just in case.

But that may change as more and more fast-charging stations pop up.