Plug-in Supply $6,095 plugin kit DIY

[efusco]

Originally Posted by efusco

I sent an e-mail.

And got a less than enthusiastic reply:

Evan, I can give a 10% discount to EAA members. Not sure what the Li price will be. Probably close to Hymotions price. Robb


Here's the page to join EAA ($40)

[efusco]

Another e-mail when I asked him to send me an update when they had pricing for the Li pack...

I hope to start selling the Li system in August. It will have several features Hymotion does not have like: 1. You keep your spare tire. 2. Three mode operation: stock Prius, Toyota EV (32 mph) and PIS EV (52 mph max). 3. Open source.

[DaveinOlyWA]

well this is promising. shorter EV range, but more flexible in its operation is a HUGE selling point and the range at 16 miles is at the border of what i need it for...very interesting. i guess now all we need is a price...

[Pinan]

This is interesting:

"Electric Vehicle mode means gas engine does not start. To exit this mode car must be brought to a stop, turned off then restarted. Car restarts in normal Prius mode.
Range in EV mode: 16+ miles per charge. Depends on terrain and driving style.
Max speed in EV mode: 52 mph.

~~
Funny that you have to stop the car, then restart to exit EV mode. Kinda inconvenient. Is this how they all will be?

[DaveinOlyWA]

Originally Posted by Pinan

This is interesting:

"Electric Vehicle mode means gas engine does not start. To exit this mode car must be brought to a stop, turned off then restarted. Car restarts in normal Prius mode.
Range in EV mode: 16+ miles per charge. Depends on terrain and driving style.
Max speed in EV mode: 52 mph.

~~
Funny that you have to stop the car, then restart to exit EV mode. Kinda inconvenient. Is this how they all will be?

inconvenient, ya a little, surprising? not really. to attain speeds beyond the programmed limit of the system, a completely new bootup would be one way to do it. whole new software set. since so much of everything that controls the Pri is tied together, it would be a mess of workarounds to get over the 34 mph EV limit.

i dont see it as much of a hurdle to be honest with ya. know your route, look for a stop sign or light in about the right area... in my situation there are many to choose from. pulling over to engage this is not something i think would be necessary very often, although they dont address what happens if you simply come to the end of your range. that would be a question to ask...

does going from EV to normal require a shutdown also when EV has exhausted its range? or does it happen automatically?. i would think the latter... if not, i guess you could switch over when you coast to a stop on a discharged battery pack

[efusco]

My commute is just under 15 miles and I should be able to plug in at work...so this would get me darn close to a AEV commute. In the winter I might need to use the ICE some, but dang this would be sweet since there are times I need to go up to about 45mph (downhill only).

[TheForce]

I think the 52mph EV mode simulates the gas out situation. Correct me if I'm wrong. This might not be healthy for the Prius if used a lot not to mention this may void some warranties on certain parts of the car.

The lead acid batteries is another issue I have with this conversion right now. I don't want to replace the batteries every few years. Not to mention the weight of the things.

Another thing is the cargo floor cannot be used with these boxes right? Unless they made some changes I don't know about. I think I would need the floor.

Having access to the spare is a plus.

How is this thing secured? Just with springs? What would keep it from flying out the back and into the back of your head in a crash? I hope there is some kind of locking mechanism to keep the thing from flying up in an accident.

If they was offering LiON now for about the same cost as the Hymotion pack and had the same or more distance/KW I think I would cancel my order with Hymotion and order this one. The main reason would be the ability for the extra batteries to capture regen. But after thinking about it I think I only remember getting about %68-%69 SOC max one or two times out of normal driving conditions. The only time I ever been able to capture more than that was with a force charge. Plus its open source and DYI. I love to support open source and DYI.

[nerfer]

For an oil-free option, this would be great for me. I can get to work 3 miles away at <32 mph and on all-electric. But with today's gas prices, I'd only be saving $200/year (2000 miles/year all-electric replacing 37 mpg commute * $3.70 = $200), so if I was worried about break-even point, that would be a long, long time. Even if I assume my longer trips would benefit from this, it would still be hard to justify. That's the problem with justifying buying anything for a 3-mile commute (except a bike, but my 1995 bike is still working fine).

[Flying White Dutchman]

there is also th option to get it with out the pba batteries
and look for cheaper maybe better batteries!!
or if you commute is only 7 mile to and 7 miles back and you can plug it at work you only need half the battery capacity!

[NoMoShocks]

It will be shocking if Toyota doesn't come out on top, considering their marketing advanges bundling the plug-in feature with Prius. I want my system fully integrated (no extra displays hanging around) and $10 K is more than 1/3 the price of a new Prius. I am wondering if 123 is a little too late with their release and they should concentrate on making a pitch to Toyota to buy their batteries.