by Eric Loveday14Comments

Plaintiff Richard Rosenbaum has filed a class action lawsuit against Toyota claiming that the automaker has misrepresented the electric-only range of the plug-in hybrid.

According to the suit, Toyota’s claim that the Prius plug-in can go up to 13 miles on a single charge is not true.

Officially, Toyota says “up to 13 miles,” which would include anything from 0 to 13 miles on electric power alone, but apparently that’s not clear enough, so a suit has been filed.

As Top Class Actions reports:

“Plaintiff Richard Rosenbaum filed the Prius class action lawsuit last week in Michigan federal court. He says he purchased a Toyota Prius Plug-In vehicle in 2012 because he wanted to make his 12.07-mile trip from his home to his work without using the gasoline engine.”

“After he purchased the Toyota Prius, Rosenbaum discovered that he was only able to travel approximately 8 miles with a full electric charge, the Prius class action lawsuit alleges. This mileage was only possible during the summer months, according to Rosenbaum.”

The EPA rating for the 2012 Prius plug-in lists all-electric range at 0 to 6 miles, so Rosenbaum’s 8-mile range actually exceeds the EPA figures.

The rest of Rosenbaum’s claims are somewhat questionable too:

“According to the Prius class action lawsuit, Rosenbaum’s Prius does not operate in electric mode at all if the temperature is lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is lower than 55 degrees, the Prius will automatically operate the gas engine when the power is turned on.”

Yes, that’s precisely how the Prius PHV is designed to operate.

We honestly don’t believe that this class action lawsuit will reach the level of impacting Toyota at all, but as always, we’re here to present the news in the EV industry, regardless of whether or not we see it as impactful on a grand scale. If somehow Rosenbaum comes out ahead in this case, it certainly would be.

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