How to Choose Your Prius Prime Charging Station?

Introduction

Have you been able to find yourself a suitable Prius Prime charging station? 

While Toyota has raised the bar a step higher with innovation and quality electric vehicle manufacturing, its decision to release an improved version of the Toyota Prius, now known as Prius Prime, was met with overwhelming applause a few years back. Coupled with the inclusion of several features that improves safety and comfortability, the design of the Prius Prime has been superb. But that’s where the excitement stops for some Prius Prime owners, as they still find it difficult to locate a suitable charging station for their EV. This article is intended to point you in the right direction if you are one of these Prius Prime owners. So, let’s dive in without wasting any more of your time.

II. What Prius Prime Drivers Need to Know about EV Charging

After it took over from its earlier plug-in hybrid version, the Toyota Prius Prime has been called the next generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). Many features have been improved or changed outrightly in the new Prius Prime, chief of which is the battery capacity. The improved 8.8kWh battery capacity now has a range of about 25 miles which is essentially what most people drive daily. The efficiency has been improved, cutting down on CO2 emissions even more. Other features include more cargo space to take five passengers and a sportier look than earlier Prius Prime models.

III. Prius Prime EV Charging & Range

While the Prius Prime is a Plug-in Hybrid EV, charging the battery is still an integral part of its routine. And though there is no option for fast charging Prius Prime still has a decent range of 25 miles when the battery is fully charged for its short commutes around town. Yes, it still utilizes gas for long commutes and doesn’t start using it until after exceeding the 84mph speed, but it has an impressive 54 miles per gallon range once the gas kicks in. 

Charging the Prius Prime takes about 2 hours from 0 – 100% using a level 2 home charger, and a level 1 charger takes five and a half hours to fully charge the battery from empty till it’s full. However, it’s often not the case to begin charging the battery from 0. Hence it might take a shorter time to charge and get more range.

IV. Prius Prime Connector Types and Charging Rate

Charging your Prime Prius is fast and easy, but it can be challenging to locate charging stations around town if you’re a new EV user. Its 3.3kW onboard charger allows a level 1 charger to fully charge its battery in 5.5 hours. Still, charging in a public level 2 charging station with a 240v input requires a universal J1772 charging connector and can get you up to 50% battery power, equivalent to a 12-mile range in 1 hour.

V. Prius Prime EV Charging Times

The battery capacity and the charger used are the two main criteria determining the time spent charging the Prius Prime. Its battery capacity of 8.8kWh coupled with its 3.3kW onboard charger takes 5.5 hours to fully charge using a home level 1 charger with a 120V power input. However, the same battery takes 2 hours for a completely charged battery using a 240V level 2 home charger. But the thing is, it’s often rare to use up the full charge in the battery before deciding to charge it. Hence, it will take less than the estimated time given here in reality since most drivers often charge their EVs with some charge still left in the battery.

Related Article: EV Charging Time: How Long will it Take to Charge My Car?

VI. Level 3 DC Fast Charging

The Prius Prime is not designed for a level 3 DC fast-charging station as it still uses gasoline like most plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to navigate those long-distance journeys. However, it is pretty effective with gasoline engines and all-electric driving.

VII. Which Type of Charging Speed is Perfect for you?

While most EV drivers prefer fast-charging stations, the reality is that not all will go for a fast-charging station as certain criteria are responsible for selecting the perfect charging speed for an electric vehicle. These criteria include budget, local charging convention, requirements, and driving style. Owners and drivers of the Prius Prime are not exempted from these criteria when choosing the right charging speed. 

Even though the level 2 charger gives more power and speeds up the charging of the Prius Prime, the purchase cost is significantly higher than that of the level 1 charger, which is slower. Also, installing a level 2 charger requires an experienced technician, which also involves more installation cost, unlike the level 1 charger, which requires little to no technical expertise to install. 

Secondly, the local requirements for chargers and connectors can affect the choice of a perfect charging speed since different local authorities stipulate the standard for charging EVs within this locality. Consequently, the perfect charging speed for a Prius Prime driver will be compatible with local EV charging requirements. 

Lastly, the perfect charging speed for you will be greatly affected by your daily driving routine and distance as longer journeying drivers tend to charge more and, as such, require a faster charger since they spend more time on the road. 

Related Article: EV Charging Levels

Related Article: How to Choose Your Proper Home EV Charger?

VIII. Prius Prime EV Charging Cost

The cost of charging a Prius Prime will majorly depend on if you’re charging with a level 1 or a level 2 charger, as the level is slower but cheaper since it is often used at night when the power grid is at off-peak periods. This off-peak period often costs less than the peak periods during the day. Also, the charging cost for Prius Prime will vary for different stations as various charging stations have different methods for billing their customers. While some charge per energy consumed, others charge per mile range differently. But on average, it costs about $0.8 per mile using a level 2 charger in a public charging station.

Related Article: Electric Car Charging Costs: How Much does it Cost to Charge Your Electric Vehicle?

IX. How to Choose Your Right Toyota Prius Prime EV Charging Station?

In selecting the right Toyota Prius Prime EV charging station, you may need to critically examine specific factors that can determine the suitability of the charging station for your needs. These factors are outlined below.

Location – Where you are presently located or where you intend to drive your Prius Prime is very critical as this is also where you are likely to often charge your Prius Prime. Every country or locality has certain charging conventions like socket type, charger, and local power supply rating that can negatively affect your choice if this is not considered appropriate. For instance, where the local charging stations use a CHAdeMO socket, and you go on to buy an EV charging station with a J1772 connector might become problematic. Hence, purchasing an EV charger that is not compatible with local EV requirements might be a waste.

Driving pattern – Buying a charging station that fits your driving pattern is critical and can help save you from unnecessary costs. For example, if you drive short distances to work every day and most of where you hang are not far from home, getting a level charger may be a perfect and less expensive option. 

Price – Budget is often the first consideration for most people, especially if they have limited funds. The cost of the brand and type of EV charger for your Prius Prime should not be above your budget. Care should consider markets like the Chinese markets that can match your quality specification without undermining quality. 

Battery capacity – Considering that the battery of a Prius Prime does not have the biggest capacity in the industry, you might want to consider buying a portable charging station that allows you to charge the battery once it is out of juice. 

Purpose – Individuals buy EV chargers for several reasons, including for business purposes to serve the needs of Prius Prime owners who want to charge. This will also affect your decision to choose the right charging station as a level 1 charger will not be suitable for business purposes. 

X. Where to Buy Quality Prius Prime Charging Stations for Home Use?

For many Prius Prime owners, getting a quality charging station for their vehicle is often a big challenge, and a solution often seems far-fetched. Knowing where to begin your search is often critical to getting a quality charging station. Below are some places you can look out for quality charging station manufacturers with good results.

While this channel seems obvious, many Prius Prime’s owners still overlook it. A simple query line in the search box of these search engines will reveal millions of results of quality manufacturers that can meet your needs. However, understanding search engine operators like AND, OR, NOT, etc., can help you filter the millions of results to a few hundred most relevant ones. 

Online stores – This is another channel that offers thousands of well-curated and well-categorized manufacturers of quality EV charging stations. The advantage of this option is the ability to filter the manufacturers by prices, charger types, and customer rating to make the selection of a quality charging station easier. 

Trade fairs and exhibitions – The Chinese manufacturing industry often organizes trade fairs and exhibitions where you can find EV charger manufacturers. You can compare the EV charging stations from different manufacturers and then choose a quality one that meets your requirements. 

XI. EV-Top Advantages for Prius Prime Owners

EV-Top is a quality EV charger manufacturer with many advantages to offer their Prius Prime customers. Here are some of the benefits highlighted below.

• Rich Experience – EV-Top has a long history and rich experience that has spanned over three decades of consistent delivery of innovative, intuitive, and customer-centric EV chargers.

• Top Quality – They are dedicated to manufacturing quality EV chargers. They have demonstrated this over the years with customer feedback and necessary quality certifications, including the internationally recognized ISO 9001:2015 quality management systems certifications. 

• Affordable Price – With a strategic location in the heart of the industrial capital of the world, Shenzhen, EV-Top can employ experienced professionals from the abundance of talents available in this area. With this strategy, EV-Top can significantly cut down manufacturing costs, which helps keep their price very competitive and affordable for Prius Prime owners. 

• Qualification Certificates – EV-Tops understands the importance of safety and quality certifications as this gives customers a high level of confidence and assures them of EV-Top’s international compliance. EV-Tops certifications include EN, CE, ISO, UL, etc. 

• After-sales Guarantee – EV-Top is a customer-centered EV charger manufacturer and is always there round the clock to answer inquiries from prospective customers and returning customers who need technical support after their order has been delivered. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, ensuring that your Prius Prime gets the essential care includes getting a quality EV charger that meets its requirements. These requirements often involve your budget, driving style, and battery capacity. However, meeting these requirements often starts with a competent and reliable EV charger manufacturer like EV-Top, which has industry experience of over three decades of quality delivery and positive customer feedback. Particularly, they offer very competitive and affordable prices without compromising quality, which sometimes surpasses their American and European counterparts’ brands. Ultimately, their after-sales support team is great, dedicated to answering inquiries from prospective and returning customers.