Your complaints were about the first Prii. As you say, there were improvements in the batteries' power density, making them much smaller and negating your complaints. As it relies more on its gas engine better batteries would be helpful, but would be cost inefficient, like the Volt.
Demand isn't driving tech enhancements like you think.
Why do you think the manufacturers are sitting on their laurels? Every advance they make in battery technology and manufacturing processes reduces their cost for making the previous-gen batteries, and selling more and more of those for more and more Prii subsidizes their R&D for current- and next-gen batteries, for vehicles like the Volt, because they know people will eventually want more power for more efficient cars.
Speaking of the Volt, imagine that, as it relies more on its batteries they use newer more energy-dense technology than the Prius's batteries! And guess what, they cost more! This may be news to you but many people have complained about the Volt's sticker price, and since it uses current-gen batteries, this may explain that.
It's like when people were avoiding buying the then-new DVD and Blu-ray players because the players cost $1,000, and waited until the technology got cheaper before they were widely adopted. Funny how that works.
Otherwise, why is the Tesla still expensive as fuck?
I don't know, why is a Lotus more expensive than a Ford?
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Date: 8/1/12 01:11 (UTC)Demand isn't driving tech enhancements like you think.
Why do you think the manufacturers are sitting on their laurels? Every advance they make in battery technology and manufacturing processes reduces their cost for making the previous-gen batteries, and selling more and more of those for more and more Prii subsidizes their R&D for current- and next-gen batteries, for vehicles like the Volt, because they know people will eventually want more power for more efficient cars.
Speaking of the Volt, imagine that, as it relies more on its batteries they use newer more energy-dense technology than the Prius's batteries! And guess what, they cost more! This may be news to you but many people have complained about the Volt's sticker price, and since it uses current-gen batteries, this may explain that.
It's like when people were avoiding buying the then-new DVD and Blu-ray players because the players cost $1,000, and waited until the technology got cheaper before they were widely adopted. Funny how that works.
Otherwise, why is the Tesla still expensive as fuck?
I don't know, why is a Lotus more expensive than a Ford?