Conversion Packs for Plug-In Prius available in '08

[Earthling]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/05/a1...s_to_.html#more

Conversion packs to turn your Prius into a plug-in will become available next year.

These won't be cheap, but this is an indication of things to come. I expect before I need a battery pack that I'll have the option to convert my Prius to a plug-in, and this news article supports that.

Harry

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Earthling @ May 2 2007, 08:26 AM) [snapback]433964[/snapback]</div>

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/05/a1...s_to_.html#more

Conversion packs to turn your Prius into a plug-in will become available next year.

These won't be cheap, but this is an indication of things to come. I expect before I need a battery pack that I'll have the option to convert my Prius to a plug-in, and this news article supports that.

Harry
[/b]

This does look encouraging, but I'll probably wait a few years. Hopefully the price will reduce more than the tax credit does in that time.

Dave M.

[DaveinOlyWA]

40 miles all EV range for $10,000?? gotta do it... no doubt. i wanted 20 miles and was willing to go $6k on that. this just makes it acceptable for over 92% of my trips logged over the past 18 months instead of the 85% that the 20 miles would have satisfied.

at $3.27 and climbing, i wish it was here right now!!

[dmckinstry]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ May 3 2007, 09:17 AM) [snapback]434789[/snapback]</div>

40 miles all EV range for $10,000?? gotta do it... no doubt. i wanted 20 miles and was willing to go $6k on that. this just makes it acceptable for over 92% of my trips logged over the past 18 months instead of the 85% that the 20 miles would have satisfied.

at $3.27 and climbing, i wish it was here right now!!
[/b]

Well, I'll admit, with all the short distance traveling my wife does, it might be worth it. I doubt she ever does more than 40 miles in one day. When she does, she drives into Spokane. That at least lets the car warm up.

In terms of mpg (Gas only. I don't worry about electricity. Most of it around here is hydroelectric), we'd have to be getting at least 75 mpg on normal days. My wife isn't at all careful about slow braking, etc.

Dave M.

[SomervillePrius]

It sounds interesting but I need to know more about it.

If it will run in the full green mode of a prius then acceleration will be very anemic and what happens once the ICE start? I assume it will go through it's normal start up routine.

Also, we will be limited to <41 mph or the engine will be started.

So 40 miles under these conditions are somewhat unreasonable.

My hope is that the 09 Prius (if it's not a plug-in from scratch) will remove these problems by allowing the electric only mode to go up to highway speed. I don't think that will happen as they seem more interested in reducing space then increasing electric engine power.

[Tom_06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ May 3 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]434789[/snapback]</div>

40 miles all EV range for $10,000?? gotta do it... no doubt. i wanted 20 miles and was willing to go $6k on that. this just makes it acceptable for over 92% of my trips logged over the past 18 months instead of the 85% that the 20 miles would have satisfied.

at $3.27 and climbing, i wish it was here right now!!
[/b]

What happens at 41 mph? Will this be limited to 40 mph or will the gas engine have to spin to protect the motor generator that can't go over 41 mph?

40 miles is good, but not if speed restricted to 40 mph max. At least for my needs.

- Tom

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom_06 @ May 4 2007, 12:33 PM) [snapback]435470[/snapback]</div>

What happens at 41 mph? Will this be limited to 40 mph or will the gas engine have to spin to protect the motor generator that can't go over 41 mph?

40 miles is good, but not if speed restricted to 40 mph max. At least for my needs.

- Tom
[/b]

They say, the extra "Omph" from the electric motor will still be adding to the ICE when the Prius is traveling at speeds in excess of 41mpg, so MPG will still be up there. Thought I'd read somewhere that the extra battery kit was only going to be made available to fleet vehicle purchasers. Hope not.

[chogan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Earthling @ May 2 2007, 11:26 AM) [snapback]433964[/snapback]</div>

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/05/a1...s_to_.html#more

Conversion packs to turn your Prius into a plug-in will become available next year.

These won't be cheap, but this is an indication of things to come. I expect before I need a battery pack that I'll have the option to convert my Prius to a plug-in, and this news article supports that.

Harry
[/b]

Discussed it with my wife, if they'll say it'll last 10 years, yep, I'm going to go for it anyway. Not even close to cost effective for me, I'm doing it anyway. Hymotion, you have a customer waiting in the Washington DC area.
Unless the Volt beats you to it.

[1x1]

I'm kind of new here, but wouldn't it be a bad thing, environmentally, to charge a car using mains electricity? Most electricity in the US is generated by coal-fired steam turbines. Burning coal is worse than burning gasoline. Now if you have solar panels on your roof and are already selling electricity back to the utility company, well.....

[Fibb222]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(1x1 @ May 4 2007, 12:01 PM) [snapback]435599[/snapback]</div>

I'm kind of new here, but wouldn't it be a bad thing, environmentally, to charge a car using mains electricity? Most electricity in the US is generated by coal-fired steam turbines. Burning coal is worse than burning gasoline. Now if you have solar panels on your roof and are already selling electricity back to the utility company, well.....
[/b]

Check this out for the answer to your question: Environmental Benefits of Flexible Fuel Plug-Ins