Prius c's battery should store 3x energy

If it held more it would also take more power to charge it back up, and, since battery max capacity isn't very relevant in max mpg calculations for a hybrid, there simply wasn't much reason to include a larger battery.

Also note that Toyota uses a little bit older battery technology then they could otherwise be using. By doing so they decrease cost while increasing reliability and safety. They do lose a little on efficiency and weight, but since Prii are the highest gas mileage cars on the road I think we can overlook that part.

In essence, since you've learned the low battery capacity of your car, learn to maximize it's use by minimizing high battery output situations. Abuse the fact that your engine doesn't have to be running the whole time, but don't abuse the battery. Use P&G when possible, keep the battery at a high charge so higher power demand situations will pull from the ICE and battery (the whole hybrid system bit) rather than running crazy RPMs on the ICE. Even in extremely low speed situations you can P&G off the battery rather than push for constant output. Try lower output from the battery as well, instead of hovering your power output at the halfway mark on the HSI try using at only 1/4, you'll use half the power and get a lot more than that in output.

 

In that case a little extra capacity would help you. On the other hand, around here, I haven't ran into a hill long enough to completely top off my battery. So there is a point where the engineers have to come up with a strict cut off number that is good enough for 'most' situations. More battery, after all, would increase both cost and weight, while reducing interior space...at least with the existing battery type, otherwise they could use a newer battery technology, not taking up as much room or weight, but definitely causing a greater increase in cost.

 

I don't think the "Prius Family" has any problems with the whole HSD system, including the battery used in each respective vehicle.- It works very well.

However, I would also say...going forward I think the area of potential greatest gain in efficiency for hybrids probably comes from advances in battery technology and perhaps stronger electric motors as a result.

Which isn't to say I think there is anything wrong with the product today, just that I do think that is an area that will improve in future incarnations.

 

i don't understand the thread title. do you think toyota should put in a battery 3 times the size of the current one for the same money? or do you think there is technology toyota should take advantage of that would enable the current battery to hold 3 times the energy for the same money? or do you think toyota should accomplish this task one way or the other and charge 3 times the current battery cost?

 

The C likely IS working the way it was designed.
Most owners get REALLY good mileage.
Some don't and it's overwhelmingly because they drive with a lead foot.
That can apply not only to MPG but to battery power usage too.

So, highroller, what kind of gas mileage ARE you getting ??

I pretty much agree with bisco.......for a change.

Case #3:
You just LIKE the C better.

 

(I have never sat in a c, let alone driven one. My baker drives the only c I have seen in MS)

The c DOES have a smaller battery than other Prius, (144 volt vs 201 volt) as it fits under the rear seat vs under the hatch. I can only see two cases for buying a c, you need to fit in a small parking space, or you can't afford a Prius Liftback. A larger battery would defeat both.

Toyota advertizes that it is a city car, so low speeds and frequent regenerative braking should help keep the battery charged. We do not know your location or usage so we are just speculating until you elaborate.

Both my Gen 2 Prius and my v would fill the battery with a 600 foot vertical drop, how does the c do?

 

So, if the battery WAS 3X larger, what difference do you think you would see ?
Are those MPG numbers based on the display or actual calculation ?

While some people have to question EVERYTHING (OCD!), I think one should just trust the engineers most of the time.

 

It is almost always less efficient to run on battery than on engine power. All the battery power is from gasoline, it is pretty rare that it makes sense to run the engine to charge the battery, then run on the battery, then run the engine to charge the battery. The computers find those times when it does make sense.

 

Regen is power from gasoline unless you are pushing your Prius up to speed.

 

Your perception of the design of a conventional hybrid is not quite right.
They are primarily an gasoline powered vehicle with a battery to "help" when the power requirements are too much for the tiny engine.
The times when it can run on the battery alone are tiny and kind of a side-effect of the basic design.
Now......plugin hybrids are a bit different and what you say is mostly true for them.

The engine will come on for various reasons, probably the least of which is the battery being low.

 

i think what you want is a pic, plug in c, and i can't say that i blame you!

 

What would you be willing to give up to get a PiC ?
The back seat or the "trunk" ??

 

Case #4: Its rated for better city mileage than a liftback.

 

I don't think the battery necessarily needs to be 3x capacity, but if there was anything to improve, it would potentially be the 100A regen limit: ignoring hills where most definitely a higher battery capacity would be great for capturing all that extra energy, I find that even on flat roads, unless you start braking half a mile out from the stop (and pissing off the 50 cars behind you), you generally cannot brake rapidly enough from a more reasonable "traffic friendly" distance without some degree of friction brakes- ie, the regen current peaks at 90-something amps, and that's as fast as the car will decelerate unless you add more brake pedal, which then engages the friction brakes, so you are throwing away a significant portion of potentially recoverable energy.. They almost need some sort of ultracap that can absorb a big initial spike of braking energy like the Mazda SkyActiv system..