The Rise And Fall Of The Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius, once the world's first mass-produced hybrid, became a revolutionary icon synonymous with eco-friendly driving and automotive innovation. Its groundbreaking fuel efficiency, futuristic technology, and cultural cachet, embraced by celebrities, propelled it to market dominance and reshaped Toyota's conservative image.

However, the Prius's pioneering status has significantly diminished, making it a victim of its own success and a shifting industry landscape. Its decline is attributed to several factors: intensified competition from a wide array of new hybrid models, lower gasoline prices reducing the economic incentive for fuel efficiency, and advancements in traditional internal combustion engines. Most critically, the emergence of fully electric vehicles (EVs), particularly from Tesla, has captured the market's imagination, replacing the Prius as the symbol of cutting-edge, environmentally conscious transportation.

While the Prius remains a reliable and practical vehicle, it has lost its innovative allure. In response, Toyota continues to update the model and has even made its hybrid patents royalty-free to encourage broader adoption of the technology. Nevertheless, the brand now struggles to maintain its relevance. The central challenge for the Prius is to redefine its identity and secure its future in a market it once revolutionized, which is now rapidly accelerating towards full electrification.

English Subtitles
The Toyota Prius was the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, and it still might be the most famous of all time. But in recent years, it has become a victim of a changing market and perhaps its own success. The nameplate was once synonymous with hybrids and a symbol of the automotive future. The Prius catapulted Toyota to the lead of the hybrid market and showcased the innovative prowess of a manufacturer often reputed to be conservative, even a bit boring.

But now, sales of the Prius are falling. After Prius took off, rivals took notice, and competition has grown. Gas prices have also fallen, and engines have become more efficient, making hybrids a tougher sell for many customers. And with fully electric vehicles from makers such as Tesla now capturing the attention of buyers and automakers, the trailblazing Toyota Prius is no longer the cutting edge of eco-conscious driving.

Hybrids are not going away anytime soon, but the question for Toyota is, does the Prius brand still have a bright future? And what does that look like?

It is important to understand how much of a breakthrough the Prius was when it first came out. It was a totally new technology that boasted unthinkably high gas mileage, and it became more popular as consumers increasingly worried about the price of fuel and about the environmental impacts of gasoline emissions.

In the U.S., Honda beat Toyota to market by a few months with the Insight, which also happened to beat the Prius in fuel economy. But that vehicle was a small two-seat car with only a manual transmission, and air conditioning was optional. Even in the U.S., the Prius was the first hybrid that could truly compete with ordinary gasoline-engine cars. Its EPA fuel efficiency rating at that time was 48 miles per gallon, far better than just about anything else on the market.

The second-generation Prius was particularly popular and introduced the futuristic styling that became a signature of the line. Perhaps knowing that many of its customers would be early adopters and well-heeled buyers looking for a highly fuel-efficient choice, Toyota also made the smart decision to pack the Prius with technology and other features that were relatively rare at the time. From the very beginning, the car was something of a phenomenon in the automotive market. It was an affordable, accessible vehicle that appealed to a wide audience, including customers who had the money to spend on luxury vehicles or sports cars and might not normally buy a Toyota.

"So when the Prius first came out, it was a really, very innovative product. It was not like anything we've really seen. A hybrid vehicle. It was a little scary for some people, but it was really very popular. In fact, there were really long waiting lists for it because it really stood for really high fuel efficiency and what not. And it was, it was something to be seen in."

The car was known for attracting attention from Hollywood actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz. It was also a fixture in popular culture, featured prominently on television shows such as Comedy Central's South Park and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. A character on the Showtime TV show Weeds, a drug dealer, bragged that the car's quiet electrified powertrain made it good for sneaking up on people. It was almost a brand of its own. Not exactly a Toyota, just a Prius.

But the Prius's time at the top was bound to end. Sales peaked in 2012 and fell from there. And it isn't that hybrid sales have been falling. In 2000, the Prius had 59% of the hybrid market in the United States. Its share peaked the next year at 77%. But by the end of 2018, the Prius family's share had shrunk to 19% of the total. During that time, the total hybrid and plug-in share of the car market grew from 0.1% in 2000 to 2.7% in 2018.

There were a few factors that contributed to the Prius's decline. Part of the trouble was simply competition. For a time, Prius practically owned the hybrid category. It was far ahead of competitors in terms of technology, and the company had a strong brand in the Prius name. But over time, others caught up, and hybrid technology lost its novelty. Soon, it became a feature customers could opt for when picking out a vehicle. Now, many automakers, including Toyota, sell electrified versions of sedans, sport utilities, crossovers, and even pickup trucks.

There's also less incentive among customers to buy any type of hybrid for a few reasons. First, internal combustion engines have improved considerably. Automakers are squeezing more power out of smaller, more efficient engines, often by using features such as start-stop technology, forced induction, and others. Gas has also become a lot cheaper as the Prius name has aged, and high fuel costs were one of the major factors driving the technology behind the car. Fuel prices across the U.S. hit $4.10 on July 16, 2008, their highest recorded average for the country in history. But in 2018, the price at the pump fell as low as $2.26 a gallon on average.

"Gas prices plummeted in late 2014, and that era has really stuck around. 2015 through 2018, relative affordability, and that's really put American's interest in hybrids kind of back. Certainly set them back. Americans have actually gone to the opposite: less fuel-efficient, bigger vehicles because in the background of all of this, CAFE standards have slowly improved average new fuel efficiency of even big trucks. So we've come a long way."

Toyota also no longer seems to be positioning the vehicle as a sleek, tech-heavy car for early adopters. Current Priuses still come stocked with technology, but they no longer seem ahead of the pack in what they offer. In some ways, they've even seemed a bit behind. This doesn't mean the Prius is a bad car. For example, Consumer Reports still recommends it.

"Yeah, we liked it from the beginning, and we still like the Prius. I mean, the Prius is kind of like the eat your vegetables car right now. I mean, it's a car that really does everything very well. It's reliable, it's got safety features, the top safety features. It's, it's got a lot of value and it's got great fuel efficiency. So it's a really smart car to get, but no, it's not as sexy as some of the competitors."

It just no longer looks like the most revolutionary vehicle in fuel-efficient driving. Perhaps that honor now goes to Tesla, which has upset the automotive world with its boldly designed pure electric sedans and SUVs that emphasize luxury and performance.

"And for people who really want to stand out and they want to have something that's innovative and showing that it's about the future, they're going to things like the Tesla Model 3. I mean, in Southern California, that's really the hot car. That's the car that's really about the future, not the Prius anymore."

The Prius was exceptional among cars in that it was a more affordable vehicle that could still lure buyers who might otherwise opt for a luxury sedan or high-end sports car. But now many of those early adopters and well-heeled, eco-conscious drivers are flocking to Teslas, say many industry observers. Furthermore, Tesla's success has now spurred rival automakers to play catch-up with it in the way they once did with Toyota. Now, practically every major automaker is racing to launch pure electric vehicles of all types and at all price points. In fact, industry observers have said Toyota is actually a bit behind in the development of pure electric vehicles.

Toyota is determined to keep hybrid vehicles relevant, even if it means releasing its own intellectual property to potential challengers. In April of 2019, the automaker said it will allow competitors royalty-free access to its 24,000 patents on hybrid vehicle technology through 2030 in a bid to encourage the wider adoption of hybridization.

"I think in some ways, Prius has been a victim of its own success, right? It started that revolution that has rolled out so that there are, there are many other choices now when it comes to alternative fuel vehicles. And it's fascinating because the first three generations of Prius, it was really an idea that people bought into and wanted to associate with. But by the fourth generation, hybrids were so, sort of more normalized in the market that Prius became more of just another vehicle."

In the meantime, it continues to release new versions of the Prius. In May of 2019, the company unveiled the 2020 Prius Prime, which starts at $27,600. It comes with some of those key standard features missing in its predecessor, such as Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, and Amazon Alexa compatibility.

While the industry seems to be moving toward electrics, opinions vary as to how long that transition will take and how smooth it will be. So hybrids are likely not going anywhere soon. But while the Prius name may have once been synonymous with them, it could end up being just another car.

 
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丰田普锐斯是全球首款大规模生产的混合动力汽车，时至今日，它可能仍然是有史以来最著名的混动车型。但近年来，它已成为不断变化的市场以及或许是其自身成功的受害者。这个品牌曾经是混合动力的代名词，是汽车未来的象征。普锐斯将丰田推向了混合动力市场的领先地位，并展示了一家通常被认为保守、甚至有点无聊的制造商的创新实力。

但现在，普锐斯的销量正在下滑。在普锐斯大获成功后，竞争对手注意到了这一点，竞争日益激烈。油价也已下跌，发动机效率变得更高，这使得混合动力车对许多消费者来说更难销售。随着特斯拉等制造商的全电动汽车如今吸引了买家和汽车制造商的注意，开创性的丰田普锐斯已不再是环保驾驶的前沿。

混合动力车短期内不会消失，但丰田面临的问题是，普锐斯品牌是否仍有光明的未来？这个未来又会是什么样子？

了解普锐斯刚问世时是多么大的一个突破非常重要。它是一项全新的技术，拥有高得令人难以想象的燃油经济性，并且随着消费者越来越担心燃料价格和汽油排放对环境的影响，它也变得越来越受欢迎。

在美国市场，本田凭借其Insight车型比丰田早了几个月上市，该车在燃油经济性方面也恰好击败了普锐斯。但那款车是一款小型的双座轿车，只有手动变速箱，空调还是选配。即便是在美国，普锐斯也是第一款能与普通汽油发动机汽车真正竞争的混合动力车。其当时美国环保署（EPA）的燃油效率评级为每加仑48英里，远优于市场上几乎所有其他车型。

第二代普锐斯尤其受欢迎，并引入了后来成为该系列标志的未来派造型。或许是知道其许多客户将是追求高燃油效率的早期采用者和富裕买家，丰田也做出了明智的决定，为普锐斯配备了当时相对罕见的技术和其他功能。从一开始，这款车在汽车市场上就像一个现象。它是一款价格实惠、易于购买的车型，吸引了广泛的受众，包括那些有钱购买豪华车或跑车、通常不会购买丰田车的客户。

“所以当普锐斯刚出来的时候，它确实是一个非常创新的产品。它和我们以前见过的任何东西都不同。一款混合动力车。对一些人来说有点可怕，但它确实非常受欢迎。事实上，当时有很长的等候名单，因为它代表了极高的燃油效率等等。而且，开着它出门是很拉风的。”

这款车以吸引莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥和卡梅隆·迪亚兹等好莱坞明星的注意而闻名。它也是流行文化中的一个固定元素，在喜剧中心（Comedy Central）的《南方公园》和HBO的《抑制热情》等电视节目中频繁出现。在Showtime的电视剧《单身毒妈》中，一个毒贩角色吹嘘说，这款车安静的电动动力系统非常适合悄悄接近别人。它几乎成了一个独立的品牌，不完全是丰田，就是普锐斯。

但普锐斯在顶峰的时期注定要结束。销量在2012年达到顶峰，之后便开始下滑。而且这并非因为混合动力车的整体销量在下降。2000年，普锐斯在美国混合动力市场占有59%的份额。其份额在第二年达到77%的峰值。但到2018年底，普锐斯家族的份额已缩水至总量的19%。在此期间，混合动力和插电式混合动力车在整个汽车市场的份额从2000年的0.1%增长到2018年的2.7%。

有几个因素导致了普锐斯的衰落。部分问题就是竞争。曾几何时，普锐斯几乎独占了混合动力车类别。它在技术上遥遥领先于竞争对手，公司在普锐斯这个名字上拥有强大的品牌力。但随着时间的推移，其他公司赶了上来，混合动力技术失去了其新颖性。很快，它就变成了客户在挑选车辆时可以选择的一项配置。现在，包括丰田在内的许多汽车制造商都在销售轿车、SUV、跨界车甚至皮卡的电动化版本。

此外，出于几个原因，消费者购买任何类型混合动力车的动机也减少了。首先，内燃机的性能已大为改善。汽车制造商通过使用启停技术、强制进气等功能，从更小、更高效的发动机中榨取更多动力。随着普锐斯品牌的老化，汽油价格也变得便宜得多，而高油价曾是推动这款车背后技术的主要因素之一。2008年7月16日，全美油价达到每加仑4.10美元，创下该国历史最高平均记录。但在2018年，加油站的平均价格低至每加仑2.26美元。

“油价在2014年底暴跌，那个时代一直持续至今。2015年到2018年，油价相对低廉，这确实让美国人对混合动力车的兴趣有所减退。当然也拖了后腿。美国人实际上走向了反面：选择燃油效率更低、更大的车辆，因为在这背后，CAFE标准（企业平均燃油经济性标准）已经慢慢提高了即使是大型卡车的新车平均燃油效率。所以我们已经取得了长足的进步。”

丰田似乎也不再将这款车定位为面向早期采用者的时尚、高科技汽车。目前的普锐斯仍然配备了技术，但它们在所提供的功能上似乎不再领先。在某些方面，它们甚至显得有些落后。这并不意味着普锐斯是一款差车。例如，《消费者报告》仍然推荐它。

“是的，我们从一开始就喜欢它，现在仍然喜欢普锐斯。我的意思是，普锐斯现在有点像是‘吃蔬菜’一样的车。它是一款各方面都做得很好的车。它可靠，有安全功能，顶级的安全功能。它性价比很高，燃油效率也很棒。所以它是一款非常明智的选择，但，是的，它不像某些竞争对手那么性感。”

它只是看起来不再是高效节能驾驶领域最具革命性的车辆。也许这个荣誉现在属于特斯拉，它凭借其设计大胆的纯电动轿车和SUV颠覆了汽车世界，这些车型强调豪华和性能。

“对于那些真正想脱颖而出、想要拥有创新并展示未来感的人来说，他们会选择像特斯拉Model 3这样的车。我的意思是，在南加州，那才是真正的热门车。那才是真正代表未来的车，不再是普锐斯了。”

普锐斯在汽车中是独一无二的，因为它是一款更实惠的车型，却能吸引那些原本可能选择豪华轿车或高端跑车的买家。但现在，许多行业观察家表示，那些早期采用者和富裕的环保意识驾驶者正涌向特斯拉。此外，特斯拉的成功现在促使竞争对手汽车制造商追赶它，就像他们曾经追赶丰田一样。现在，几乎每一家主流汽车制造商都在竞相推出各种类型和价位的纯电动汽车。事实上，行业观察家曾表示，丰田在纯电动汽车的开发上实际上有些落后。

丰田决心保持混合动力汽车的关联性，即使这意味着要向潜在的挑战者开放自己的知识产权。2019年4月，该汽车制造商表示，将允许竞争对手在2030年前免版税使用其24,000项混合动力汽车技术专利，以鼓励混合动力技术的更广泛采用。

“我认为在某些方面，普锐斯是自己成功的受害者，对吧？它开启了那场革命，这场革命已经普及开来，所以现在在替代燃料汽车方面有了很多其他选择。这很有趣，因为在前三代普锐斯中，它确实是一个人们认同并希望与之相关的理念。但到了第四代，混合动力车在市场上已经变得更加常态化，以至于普锐斯更像只是另一款车。”

与此同时，它继续发布普锐斯的新版本。2019年5月，该公司发布了2020款普锐斯Prime，起价为27,600美元。它配备了其前代车型所缺少的一些关键标准功能，如Apple CarPlay、SiriusXM和Amazon Alexa的兼容性。

尽管整个行业似乎在向电动化转型，但关于这一转型需要多长时间以及过程是否平顺，观点各不相同。所以混合动力车很可能不会很快消失。但是，虽然普锐斯这个名字可能曾经是它们的代名词，但它最终可能只会变成另一款普通的汽车。