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Potentially a new UK owner

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by Bierbelly, Apr 16, 2012.

  1. Bierbelly

    Bierbelly New Member

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    Hi all,

    My wife and I are currently considering downsizing from a 7-seater MPV to a Gen II Prius. I'm a tight geek with slight tree-hugging tendencies (solar hot water on the roof and electricity from Good Energy but still love Top Gear and my brother's Lotus) and this seems to tick all the boxes.

    Obviously I have a few questions, which i would like to have some sort of answer before I commit to a shiny new one.

    We drive approx 6k miles a year mostly <10 mile journeys, so I'm rather tempted by the Enginer PHEV conversion kit since it would make us virtually independent from petrol. I've searched through the forum but apart from Flaninthecupboard's excellent but and not exactly encouraging report I haven't found much info about these in the UK.

    Is this company in Harlow still the only installer in the UK? I would not want to do that myself. Any way around the whole customs thing yet? How reliable is it? Would this conversion pay off within 4 years?

    I'd be more comfortable with a UK-based system. Anything out there? I really only need 10-20 miles EV.

    I have searched though a number of threads, so if I've missed one i do apologise I don't want to cause more work than necessary.

    I'm very grateful for every answer.

    Cheers!
     
    #1 Bierbelly, Apr 16, 2012
  2. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

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    Five
    Just a forwarning, that even with the Enginer PHEV conversion kit, you will only be able to use the EV Mode only when you travel under 34 MPH (54 kph) due to the governed electric motor, so you will still have to use some petrol if you have to faster. The Prius Plugin or the Ampera might be a better option in petrol reduction if you need higher speeds.
     
    #2 Keiichi, Apr 16, 2012
  3. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Dec 14, 2009
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    The enginer kit isn't really plug and play, more a diy hobby kit. The vast experiences of Flan probably hit the nail on the head. I hear where you're coming from as I'd love a PIP but the UK price of one is soo expensive, even with the £5,000 Government grant.

    I looked at enginer but the problems and expense of importing to the UK and the Heath Robinson way of operating it just put me off. I think there was a supplier in the UK but I've not been able to find info on them in the last 18 months or so. Also then Enginer kit wasn't 100% EV, even though you could coax it to do that. It was more a case of it keeping the cars HV battery always full which allowed EV moments more often and great mpg's.

    In conclusion - it's possible to convert a gen2 with an Enginer kit , but whether it's worth the hassle of import and running it depends on your priorities. With the cost of petrol at over $9 a US gallon and rising, it is a comforting prospect to run an EV here in Blighty, esp with your own solar.

    I'm not sure on your circumstance but if you want to save money running an EV why not wait until later in the year and buy the Renault Zoe. Rumour has it the cost is about £14,500 and you get a 100 mile range. It will cost more than the gen2 Prius but you might save on petrol. Failing that, what about a second hand Nissan Leaf? They go for about £20k (and you could knock 'em down a bit) and paying over 5 years that might be an option - remember no car tax (saving £20 - £25 pm) and no fuel costs (saving ???? pm).
     
    #3 GrumpyCabbie, Apr 16, 2012
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