Alternative Fuels: 4th Survey

PHEV Impressions

* Please enter your respondent PIN ID:

* Please read each question carefully. You will not be able to return to previous questions as you continue through the survey.

During the past two weeks, what percent of your personal trips (you as the driver) has been taken with the PHEV Prius? (Please select one response.)

Please indicate the type of trips in which you have been the driver but intentionally did not drive the PHEV Prius. (Please select all that apply.)

Grocery shopping trips

Local shopping errands

Taking kids to school

Going to work

Visiting local friends

Going out for entertainment (e.g. movies, restaurants, etc.)

Intraregional trips (outside your local city, within the metropolitan area)

Interregional trips (outside your metropolitan area)

Other, please specify

* Could you please elaborate on the general reasons as to why you did not take the PHEV Prius on these trips?

Please consider the number of times that you have been plugging-in the PHEV Prius at home and work and approximate them as a percent during the past two weeks. For example, if you plugged-in 3 times at home, and 1 time at work, you would report: My home (%) = 75, and My work (%) = 25. Please do your best to approximate these percents. The total should add up to 100.

My home													%

My work													%

0

How many times have you fueled the PHEV Prius with gasoline during the past two weeks? (Please select one response.)

I have not yet fueled the PHEV.

Once during the last two weeks

Twice during the last two weeks

Three times during the last two weeks

Four times during the last two weeks

Other, please specify

About how many times have you plugged-in the PHEV Prius during the past two weeks? (Please type in response.)

Number of times you plugged-in the PHEV during the past two weeks

How many nights has the vehicle NOT been plugged-in at home over the past two weeks? (Please type in response.)

Number of nights

The cord that I use for plugging-in the PHEV is:

Too short

An ideal size

Too long

* Please explain why you believe that the cord is too short.

* Please explain why you believe that the cord is too long.

Time of Day:

How often do you forget to plug-in the PHEV Prius, even when you are near to an outlet? (Please select one response.)

I almost always forget to plug-in the vehicle.

I often forget to plug-in the vehicle.

I sometimes forget.

I rarely forget.

So far, I have never forgotten.

I never forget, but sometimes I don't because I don't have the time.

During the past two weeks, have there been times when you could have plugged in the PHEV, but intentionally chose not to bother?

Yes, sometimes I don't bother plugging in the vehicle even when an outlet is available.

No, I always plug-in the vehicle when there is an outlet available.

During the past two weeks, approximately how many instances have you NOT bothered to plug-in the vehicle, EVEN WHEN there was a plug available for you to use?

* Please explain briefly any reasons as to why you chose not to plug in the vehicle?

How long does it typically take you to plug-in the vehicle? (Please select one response.)

Less than 10 seconds

10 to 20 seconds

20 to 30 seconds

30 seconds to 1 minute

More than 1 minute, please specify

How do you feel about plugging-in the vehicle? Do you feel it is (please select one response):

An unnecessary hassle that is not worth the benefit

A hassle that could be tolerable, if it were improved

Not much trouble but often not worth doing

An annoyance, but often worth doing

No trouble at all and worth doing

Other, please describe:

On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate the degree to which plugging-in the vehicle is inconvenient (1 is not inconvenient, 5 is very inconvenient). (Please select one response.)

On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate the degree to which plugging-in the vehicle is beneficial (1 is not beneficial, 5 is extremely beneficial). (Please select one response.)

Please rate the noise level of the PHEV in the EV mode. (Please select one response.)

Please rate the All-Electric Range (AER). (Please select one response.)

How is the acceleration in EV mode?

Range:

miles

Please offer any comments that you have about your use of the All-Electric Range and EV mode. Do you have any suggestions that you would like to make to the Prius automotive engineers for improving its use or function within future models?

Please rate the effort required to connect the vehicle for charging (as opposed to the challenge of finding a plug, just consider the effort once the plug location is known):

* Please explain as best you can what is difficult about plugging in at either location:

I feel that plugging-in the vehicle is worth doing for the environment. (Please select one response.)

I feel that plugging-in the vehicle is worth doing for cost savings. (Please select one response.)

I feel that plugging-in the vehicle is worth doing for the electric drive experience. (Please select one response.)

When you plug-in the vehicle at home, how long is it typically plugged-in (i.e. this is the most common "length of time" that vehicle is plugged into the wall)? (Please select one response.)

* Has the plug-in feature changed how you travel during the past two weeks?

Yes

* Please describe briefly how the plug-in feature has impacted your typical travel patterns.

Is there anything about the plug-in feature of the PHEV Prius that you would like to see improved?

There is an HOV available for use on my way to or from work.

Yes

The ability to use the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane with a PHEV (as a solo driver) would greatly impact my decision to purchase a PHEV for my daily travel. (Please select one response.)

I would value a $2,000 federal tax credit for a PHEV purchase that I would receive when I file my taxes about the same as I would value a $2,000 dealer rebate given when I purchase the vehicle. (Please select one response.)

Now that you have driven the PHEV for two weeks, we would like to assess how you feel that it compares with the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius that you were driving earlier in the study. Please consider the traditional hybrid Prius that you drove 2 weeks prior to be the benchmark. Assuming that this vehicle is rated as a "3" across all categories, please rate the PHEV Prius relative to how you feel it has performed versus the traditional hybrid Prius. (5 is better, 1 is worse.) (Please select one response for each row below.)

Are there any features about the PHEV Prius that you currently consider to be significantly worse than the traditional hybrid Prius? (Please explain.)

Are there any features about the PHEV Prius that you currently consider to be significantly better than the traditional hybrid Prius? (Please explain.)

Overall, the PHEV is an improvement over the gasoline-electric hybrid in terms of driving experience. (Please select one response.)

After two weeks, I found plugging-in the vehicle to be inconvenient with the PHEV Prius. I have not found it to be worth the supposed benefits. (Please select one response.)

Using the PHEV Prius makes me think more about fuel efficiency. (Please select one response.)

If the PHEV Prius had a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane access sticker, how frequenly would you use it to drive solo in the HOV lane? (Please select one response.)

Overall, I prefer the feel of driving in all-electric mode over the hybrid-electric mode.

While driving in all-electric mode, how often do you find yourself controlling your speed so as to avoid engaging the internal combustion engine? (Please select one response.)

During a trip, how often would you intentionally toggle (switch) between EV-on and EV-off by pushing the "EV" button?

I rarely push the EV button

1 to 2 times per trip

3 to 4 times per trip

More than 4 times per trip, please specify:

Since starting the study, do you monitor the power and energy consumption display (on the navigation screen in the dashboard center) in the PHEV Prius as much as you monitored this screen in the traditional hybrid Prius? (Please select one response.)

I currently monitor it much more.

I currently monitor it a little more.

I currently monitor it about the same.

I currently monitor it a little less.

I currently monitor it much less.

Overall, do you consider that the power and energy consumption display enhances or detracts from your experience with the PHEV Prius? (Please select one response.)

Overall, the power and energy consumption display enhances my experience with the PHEV Prius.

Overall, the power and energy consumption display does not impact my experience with the PHEV Prius.

Overall, the power and energy consumption display detracts from my experience with the PHEV Prius.

I do not understand how to use the power and energy consumption display.

In general, I do not use the power and energy consumption display while driving.

What display on the central navigation screen do you use most while driving?

The power and energy consumption display

The navigational tool

I generally keep the screen off

Other, please specify:

Please indicate your agreement with the following statements.

Because of the PHEV Prius power and energy consumption display, I do not accelerate as hard as I do when driving my normal vehicle. (Please select one response.)

Because of the PHEV Prius power and energy consumption display, I brake longer and slower than I do when driving my conventional vehicle. (Please select one response.)

Because of the PHEV Prius power and energy consumption display, I am distracted while driving. (Please select one response.)

Because of the PHEV Prius power and energy consumption display, I am more aware of my driving efficiency. (Please select one response.)

Because of the PHEV Prius power and energy consumption display, I actively try to improve my driving efficiency. (Please select one response.)

* Given your experience with the PHEV Prius, are there places that you have gone where you would have like to charge the vehicle but could not because an outlet (or a viable 15 amp outlet) was not available?

Yes

Please tell us the places at which an outlet would have been convenient for charging your PHEV Prius. (Please check all that would apply.)

Supermarket

Work

Rail Transit Station

Metered On-Street Parking

Shopping Center (e.g. Target®, general suburban shopping center, etc.)

Movie Theater

Other, please specify:

Based on your experience with the PHEV Prius, if there was an outlet in most places where you park the car, do you think you would regularly plug-in the vehicle (assuming the electricity charged to you was the same rate that you get at home)? (Please select one response.)

I would plug-in the vehicle all the time

I would probably plug-in the vehicle most of the time

I would sometimes plug-in the vehicle

I probably would not plug-in the vehicle that often outside home

I would not use public outlets

Other, please describe:

* Driving the PHEV Prius has made me consider using transit more. (Please select one response.)

* Please describe why or how using the PHEV Prius has made you consider using transit more.

What was your impression of the PHEV vehicle as a whole?

Overall, how has the PHEV Prius met your expectations? (Please select one response.)

Greatly exceeded expectations

Exceeded expectations

Met expectations

Slightly disappointed

Greatly disappointed

* Given your experience so far with the PHEV Prius, what do you think would be an acceptable increase in purchase price to pay for a vehicle that is more expensive to build than a traditional gasoline-electric hybrid (due to extra batteries), offers better fuel economy, and operates as the PHEV Prius does (i.e., same all-electric operation and range as well as a combination of electric plug-in and gasoline fueling)? (Please select one response.)

Nothing, I would not pay more for the PHEV Prius because it does not offer benefits that are worth paying extra for.

I would not pay more for the PHEV Prius because the price of the current Prius is equal to or more that what I would care to spend for a vehicle.

I would pay more for the PHEV Prius given its added benefits (i.e. gasoline savings and potential environmental benefits.)

* Would you be willing to pay $10,000 more for the PHEV Prius over a gasoline-electric hybrid?

Yes

* Would you be willing to pay $5,000 more for the PHEV Prius over a gasoline-electric hybrid?

Yes

Would you be willing to pay $3,000 more for the PHEV Prius over a gasoline-electric hybrid?

Yes

* Would you be willing to pay $2,000 more for the PHEV Prius over a gasoline-electric hybrid?

Yes

* Would you be willing to pay $1,000 more for the PHEV Prius over a gasoline-electric hybrid?

Yes

* Please state the amount that you would be willing to pay extra for the PHEV Prius. (Please type in your response.)

Premium for PHEV Prius

If you purchased a PHEV Prius, how long would you expect to hold on to it? (Please type in your response.)

Number of years you would own the PHEV Prius

What do you believe the average price per gallon of gasoline will be over this period? (Please type in your response.)

Average price of gasoline you assumed for your decision

Approximately how many miles do you drive per year? (Please type in your response.)

Number of miles per year

Based on the same understanding (that the PHEV Prius is more expensive due to battery costs), at what price increment over the traditional hybrid Prius do you believe that roughly 20% of people deciding to buy a Prius would instead purchase the PHEV Prius (similar to the one you are driving)? This is a matter of opinion, and we would like your best guess on what the price increment would have to be for roughly 20% (1 in 5) of current Prius buyers to opt for the PHEV Prius. (Please select one response below.)

How much do you believe the plug-in option would typically save you in gasoline costs on a monthly basis over driving a typical gasoline-electric vehicle? (Please type in your response. If you don't know, please leave answer field blank.)

per month

How much do you expect that it will increase your electricity bill on a monthly basis over what you would typically pay this time of year? (Please type in your response. If you don't know, please leave answer field blank.)

per month

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions regarding this survey.