TG Daily on the 2010 Prius

[Bill Merchant]

TG Daily, the technology news site, has an article today about the 2010 Plug-in Prius. Not too much new, but some interesting links. And one interesting tidbit:

Cars.com today reported that the Toyota Prius has become the most-researched vehicle on the Internet...

[DaveinOlyWA]

Bill; KING TV and NWCN in Seattle also announced Toyota doing plug ins as well tonight... at long last, another confirmation....

im excited

[kormaster]

Hmm I wonder if 2010 model would be introduced having plugin or will it be an option that will be incorperated at later year model/trim.

How would actual plug in device work at home/condo/ apt situation? Off regular garage wall electric plug with a converter box??

[efusco]

Originally Posted by kormaster

Hmm I wonder if 2010 model would be introduced having plugin or will it be an option that will be incorperated at later year model/trim.

How would actual plug in device work at home/condo/ apt situation? Off regular garage wall electric plug with a converter box??

It's anticipated to be added in later models after the non-plug version is released.

There are different ways the charging could be implemented. I think, ideally, they would give 2 options....
1) Built in 120v charger that could use any standard 120v outlet. This would be the most convenient for travel, and non-home charging. Probably requiring around 8 hours for a full charge.
2) Home installed 240V rapid charger. Perhaps reducing charge times to 2-4 hours.

Every car would be configured with both, a rapid charger would be included or an extra charge option, but every car could be charged from 120v via an onboard charger.

[PriusSport]

Right now, I believe that A123 Company out of MIT has the best Li electrode based on Li iron phosphate doped with metal particles. This technology is going to put the ICE to bed within a few years.

[jhsu123]

Here's another article I saw about the 2010. Very cool!

Jeanne

Toyota Announces Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle will be Ready by 2010

Toyota Announces Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle will be Ready by 2010

(NaturalNews) The Toyota Corporation intends to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle for its demonstration fleet by 2010, according to an announcement made by Chief Executive Officer Katsuaki Watanabe.

The planned plug-in hybrids are already under development, with two prototypes currently undergoing demonstration tests by researchers at the University of California. But while existing prototypes operate with nickel-metal-hydride battery packs, Toyota aims for its new hybrids to be equipped with lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries, already widely used in consumer electronics, provide more energy per unit weight than older nickel-metal-hydride batteries, and can store a charge for longer when not in use.

Watanabe cautioned that while successful lithium-ion batteries have already been developed for hybrid electric automobiles, it is premature to assume that such batteries can be mass produced with existing techniques

"As of today in the lab, the small volume of lithium-ion we have already developed is closer to the level we are satisfied with, but that is only in small quality," he said. "There is a huge difference between small volume and mass production of lithium-ion."

The remarks were interpreted as a response to General Motors' (GM) alliance with battery maker A123, which has so far failed to deliver mass production of lithium-ion batteries.

Toyota's other planned efforts in the area of fuel efficiency include the unveiling of new hybrid-only models in 2009, increased investment in the production of ethanol from wood waste, the expansion of a joint Panasonic-Toyota batter factory, the introduction of "clean diesel" V-8 versions of the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV and the sale of 1 million hybrid vehicles by 2012. In addition, Watanabe announced the company's intention to meet California's 35 mile per gallon fleet standard "well in advance" of the 2020 deadline.

Unlike competitor GM, Toyota is conducting all of its research in-house, rather than in partnership with small or start-up companies. According to Watanabe, this will make technological development "faster and more efficient."

###

[dallas27]

Are there estimates on how many kwatts are need to travel a mile (mpKw?)

I'm all for plug in, but not if it's gonna cost me more than gas. I wanna know the numbers.

Do we know the energy usage for the current prius?

I'm sure there is some energy loss in the transfer via heat/resistance and computer montioring of the charge also.

[DaveinOlyWA]

power needed will vary based on speed, weight, terrain, etc...

most driving similar vehicles like the RAV 4 EV report around 3 kwh per mile. in my Zenn, i was averaging 3.35 kpm... but changed motors to one with less HP but same top end speed and now im averaging almost 4 kpm. (pretty lightweight vehicle i have)

[Collector]

I'm excited about the thought of a plug-in but I would like to know something.

The Prius uses the battery and starts the ICE when the battery needs charging (and when the car needs more power). When the battery state of charge falls below a low threshold (40%?) the ICE charges the battery back to it's upper threshold (80%?). Given this, in a plug-in Prius, isn't there a point where plugging the car in won't store any more energy in the battery.

For example, you are driving the car and just before you got home the ICE was running and the battery is now nominally full (80%). You plug the car in but now the car won't allow any more energy into the battery because it's already full.

Am I understanding this correctly?

[71Corolla]

Originally Posted by Collector

Am I understanding this correctly?

I think you have the right idea. What I am not clear on is how the software will control the charge cycle for lithium ion cells. It largely depends on the tolerances of the battery. I don't know if a LiION cell can be charged to 100%, let drain to 0%, or has to be kept in a range like a NiMH.

Will the computer maintain a charge of say 50% so you can go home and top off the battery? You raise a fascinating point. I tend to think your theory is correct, in other words once the batteries drain, the ICE will replenish them and you will return home with a charged battery and there will be no need to plug the car in.

The same thing applies to the Volt doesn't it? This is a bit off topic, but on the Volt, the ICE seems like a bit of an after thought, an emergency source of power. When the battery drains, the only source of energy will be the ICE recharging the battery, how can such a small engine keep the car moving at any reasonable speed? If you run out of juice on the freeway, are you going to have to limp home at low speeds?

edit- of course the battery can never go to 0% charge, but maybe it will be allowed to come closer than a NiMH system.