Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

EV up to 52 mph - any comments on that one anyone?

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

Wow! I'm going to do my homework right now!

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

yeah that's what I'd like to know about, I thought EV was limited to 34 MPH regardless.

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

I could half my commute fuel spend from $1600 per year to $800 but that means it would take 7.6 years to pay for excluding interest and electricity cost.
I think I can get more from a 1 kV PV array on my house roof for the same out of pocket cost.

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

now what is the stats, timeframe, performance and cost of the LiPO4 's ?

well, since the Bonneville Power admin has reinstated the kickback that we used to enjoy, my electric rates are back to where they were at 5¼ to 7¼ cents per kwh. so the very small cost the drive my Zenn has gone down 2.2 cents per kwh or about 30%

a larger battery controller would allow a higher speed in EV since current EV speeds are limited by software to prevent overheating of the system. i am assuming they have designed safety features to prevent this and it sounds like a much more invasive mod than the hymotion, so waranty issues would be a thing to look at.

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

ok....2009... ya... everyone will have it by then... definitely sounds good, but Toyota will be offering an OEM version in less than a year by then.

it does get me excited though. now more than ever, there are so many "promises" out there for real options. some have to pan out... i cant wait to see who comes out on top of all this.

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

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...

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

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?

Re: pluginsupply 6095 dollars plugin kit DIY

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

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.

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).

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!

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.