Hey guys and gals... what's this?

[Westy78]

USA crash and emission standards will stop a simple car from ever being produced here again. Everyone wants to live forever. That's what I think anyway.

Oh, and I don't think that price is that far out of line for a split window bug. $21,000 US dollars.

[covelo]

It's not super cheap but very affordable to own.

Let us know if this is still true if/when you've had to replace the batteries. I've heard horror stories and I'd love to hear from a real Prius owner if it's true.

I think my battery is warranted for 100,000 miles and is designed to last longer than that. I'm not sure why people think it is so complicated. It's just a regular big battery that's hooked to a fancy computer that carefully manages its charging and discharging, which is why it lasts so long. In Vancouver and San Francisco there are lots of Prius taxis and so far they are holding up very well even at 300+k miles. I'm not saying that the average owner will get that far without having to replace the battery but so far the reliability statistics are excellent, even in high-mileage cars.

[dtrumbo]

It's not super cheap but very affordable to own.

Let us know if this is still true if/when you've had to replace the batteries. I've heard horror stories and I'd love to hear from a real Prius owner if it's true.

I think my battery is warranted for 100,000 miles and is designed to last longer than that. I'm not sure why people think it is so complicated. It's just a regular big battery that's hooked to a fancy computer that carefully manages its charging and discharging, which is why it lasts so long. In Vancouver and San Francisco there are lots of Prius taxis and so far they are holding up very well even at 300+k miles. I'm not saying that the average owner will get that far without having to replace the battery but so far the reliability statistics are excellent, even in high-mileage cars.

Good to know! Glad to hear the horror stories about the battery is probably just naysayers, not necessarily based in fact.

[sneazel]

Hi All,

Thats a fair price for the split bug, I wouldnt buy it but someone thats looking for a nicely restored one would get a good deal.

On the batteries and electirc cars in general, electric cars are actually simpler then a gas powered VW. But until battery technology improves an all battery car will have limited range and most likely wont get the same mileage range as an average gas car can.

I am considering converting a VW into an electric car as my next project, its really simple. A 914 porsche (with a blown engine) is best due to lots of concealed trunk space for the batteries and there is no external signs its an electric car. There is a site that sells complete kits, you buy your own batteries and what you buy determines range and speeds.

http://e-volks.com/

Bugs look easy to convert but you loose the jump seat and some of the back seat.