Enginer PHEV Test Pilots: Mpg reports and important data

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by plugmein2

A picture is worth 1,000 words!

I finally got the parts I needed to go from a 2kw to a 4kw system yesterday. We balanced the batteries and went for an "official" test drive with the new system in place. We drove the standard 20 miles the manual says the kit should go averaging between 25-38 mph and got 99.9 mpg (all city). We drove back home the exact same route expecting the kit to run out of juice. It didn't. I took a picture to show the final screen of our test drive.

Pretty cool eh?

JOANNA

I can tell by your screen that your trip was at least 30 minutes long. What is missing is the average speed. How long was your drive? What would be your MPG on the same route without the kit turned on. Can you do a baseline for the 40 mile trip without the juice on?

[plugmein2]

Originally Posted by krousdb

I can tell by your screen that your trip was at least 30 minutes long. What is missing is the average speed. How long was your drive? What would be your MPG on the same route without the kit turned on. Can you do a baseline for the 40 mile trip without the juice on?

The drive was about 1 hour 10 min. Average speed..32 mph. I'll see about doing a baseline. I have actually been excited to read the update on your system. Have you hooked it up yet? I'm waiting to see data and mpg reports on your new 8kw system. I know ur short on 4 balancers. Are you waiting for those to come before you install?

LATER

JOANNA

[eMileage]

Originally Posted by plugmein2

A picture is worth 1,000 words!

I finally got the parts I needed to go from a 2kw to a 4kw system yesterday. We balanced the batteries and went for an "official" test drive with the new system in place. We drove the standard 20 miles the manual says the kit should go averaging between 25-38 mph and got 99.9 mpg (all city). We drove back home the exact same route expecting the kit to run out of juice. It didn't. I took a picture to show the final screen of our test drive.

Pretty cool eh?

JOANNA

Wow! That's cool alright! Congrats.

[Fibb222]

Way to go Jo!

[krousdb]

Originally Posted by plugmein2

I'm waiting to see data and mpg reports on your new 8kw system. I know ur short on 4 balancers. Are you waiting for those to come before you install?

LATER

JOANNA

I have the box installed and am waiting on my remaining 2kwh of batteries and 4 balancers to arrive. This weekend I will be up and running with 4kwh.

[MJFrog]

Jack replaced my converter yesterday pm and I'm good to go! Unit is 2kwh kit.

For all trips, I use P&G whenever safe/possible. I do not claim to be the best hypermiler around...still learning. Vehicle purchased 4/17/09 (used 2004 w/48500 miles on ODO. Mileage at last fill-up on 8/25 was 54049).

Trip home from his shop using unit (no baseline): 61.9 mpg per MFD
19 miles - mixed rush-hour hwy/city. First 4 miles of that was stop and go < 10 mph. The next 12 miles were hwy at mostly 65 mph. Last leg was mixed 45 down to 30 mph based on PSL.
Initial SOC was 6 bars, went all-green twice during the trip. Ending SOC was 6 bars. OAT low 70s F.
Comment: was expecting SOC to remain all-green once it was achieved and to stay that way until pack depleted...did not occur that way. Unit appeared to have some charge left on arrival at home.

During recharge, temps were not nearly as hot as I reported in an earlier post...OAT much lower. This time, I left the floor mat and cargo cover open from the start, plus I prop'd the lid open with some 1" wood blocks. Charging was complete in under 2 hrs. Right balancer appeared normal (working) at this time, but the left balancer indicated one cell w/high voltage. Highest reading on left balancer was 3.784 when I checked it, and it was beeping at the time. It was no longer beeping 4 hrs later when I went to bed (did not take any readings).

AM commute 8/28/09: 62.7 mpg, road condition - wet (post rain), OAT 57-63 F
18.8 miles secondary and city roads.
First 3/4 mile PSL is 30mph with three stop signs.
Next 13 miles are at 45mph, warm-up is complete after about 4-5 miles of this.
Final leg is 30 mph.
Unit was turned on after backing out of driveway and left on until arrival at work.
SOC at beginning of run: 6 bars. SOC at end of run: 6 bars. Did not get green bars at any time during the run. Did not drop below 5 bars.

I checked the balancers about an hour after arrival at work.
Left balancer:
High cell: 3.334
Difference b/t low and high: .020
Voltage: 26.59

Right balancer:
High cell: 3.327
Difference b/t low and high: 036
Voltage: 26.41

Baseline commute for above: OAT 66-68 w/intermittent rain - 60.7 mpg per MFD.
note: unit was turned on for this run, but failed sometime during the first 3-5 mins. I wasn't watching the LED closely, but noticed it was off (converter failed) early in the drive. SOC at start of run: 6 bars. SOC at end of run: 4 bars.

Baseline commute for above (dry roads): OAT 55-63, - 62.5 mpg per MFD.
SOC at beginning of run: 6 bars. SOC at end of run: 5 bars. Near the end of the commute it drops to 4 bars, but regen usually brings it up to 5 during final 3-5 blocks. If I don't watch the MFD closely I get excess battery usage (EV) during the last 3-4 miles during P&G.

I will post info on my home leg later. I take a different route that uses 11 miles of hwy driving.

[eMileage]

Originally Posted by MJFrog

Jack replaced my converter yesterday pm and I'm good to go! Unit is 2kwh kit.

...
Baseline commute for above: OAT 66-68 w/intermittent rain - 60.7 mpg per MFD.
note: unit was turned on for this run, but failed sometime during the first 3-5 mins. I wasn't watching the LED closely, but noticed it was off (converter failed) early in the drive. SOC at start of run: 6 bars. SOC at end of run: 4 bars.

...

What do you mean by "converter failed"? Are you saying that the battery voltage dropped to a point where the system shut down or are you saying that your new replacement converter has also failed?

[MJFrog]

Originally Posted by eMileage

What do you mean by "converter failed"? Are you saying that the battery voltage dropped to a point where the system shut down or are you saying that your new replacement converter has also failed?

OK, to be more specific...

The original converter that came with the kit never did work. On Tuesday, Jack replaced it with a spare he had. That seemed to work ok for the trip home, however, when I recharged that evening the temperatures in the kit (based on touch...I don't have a temp gauge) were VERY hot. Wednesday, when I started my commute the LED came on when I switched the unit on, but it went off within 3-5 minutes. I made the assumption that the replacement converter had gone bad (failed) and when the LED shut off. Jack replaced the converter a second time yesterday and so far (knock on wood) it seems to be working.

[edit]When I recharged last night the unit did not get anywhere near as hot as it did the previous time... However, last night was much cooler than it was on Tuesday night.[/edit]

[eMileage]

Originally Posted by MJFrog

...Jack replaced the converter a second time yesterday and so far (knock on wood) it seems to be working.
...

Thanks for clarifying. I'll cross my fingers for you. Good luck with this one.

[plugmein2]

Originally Posted by MJFrog

Wednesday, when I started my commute the LED came on when I switched the unit on, but it went off within 3-5 minutes. I made the assumption that the replacement converter had gone bad (failed) and when the LED shut off. [/edit]

When I turn on my unit, the "green LED" light comes on. Did your "green LED" just go out completely, or did the "red LED" come on as well?

When my "red LED" comes on, it indicates to me that the converter has shut down, the pack has depleted, and it's time to recharge.

JOANNA