1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Figured out how to max all battery bars on flat ground :)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Skoorbmax, Sep 27, 2010.

  1. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    This may not be news to all but it took me months to hit all bars on my battery, only after a very very huge hill in this area.

    However, yesterday I did again something I did a week ago. Basically, if I accelerate quite quickly so that the car has to dig deep into the ICE, there's only so much that the battery can actually drain in this. Then I brake gradually topping out the charge rate (but not getting to friction brakes), and the end result is a net gain in battery power. I was in quite a hurry yesterday and doing sprints up to 65 then the gradual slow downs for stop signs and I hit all bars. Did it again later in the day, so it's not that hard now :)

    Kind of mindless but there you have it.
     
    #1 Skoorbmax, Sep 27, 2010
  2. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,397
    15,518
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Does 'forced charge' still work? . . . Holding car stationary with brake and flooring accelerator.

    Note, charging NiMH batteries is exothermic, they get warmer. Personally, I treat 'heat is the enemy' so I don't do it if I can help it.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #2 bwilson4web, Sep 27, 2010
    2 people like this.
  3. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Not sure, haven't tried that!
     
    #3 Skoorbmax, Sep 27, 2010
  4. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2010
    1,157
    289
    66
    Location:
    Phoenix
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Maybe a display like this would have been cool during your experiment
    [​IMG]
     
    #4 phoenixgreg, Sep 27, 2010
  5. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    2,212
    188
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento, California.
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Yes I believe that slightly touching and holding the foot brake on a glide helps charge the battery faster and fuller.The purist on this forum will tell you that you don't want a charged battery, :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: It seems there are serious energy conversion losses:rolleyes::rolleyes: Then, why did Toyota so seriously screw up and put that HV Bat pack in??? How much more energy could be saved without that dratted battery pack!! Anyway keep charging up your battery pack W/O unnecessary force charging, he's putting you on.:cheer2:
     
    #5 andyprius, Sep 27, 2010
  6. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2010
    2,401
    759
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    When I hit 7 bars, the off the line acceleration is pretty peppy compared to 6 bars. I can accelerate on EV off the line without irritating the guy behind me. Of course it's only good for up to about 20mph after that I can feel the rate of acceleration decreasing if I want to stay in EV. Usually at that point, I step on the pedal harder to get the ICE fired up. 8 bars will likely keep up with the traffic up to 30mph without ICE. I can understand the PHEV's ability to use EV for the first 14 miles without firing up the ICE. They use 350+/-v instead of 240+/-v
     
    #6 cproaudio, Sep 28, 2010
  7. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I did last night with engine off and 1-2 bars shy of top put left foot on brake while stopped and right foot on throttle. I was in EV mode at the time. The only thing that happened was EV mode went off from accessive acceleration. Remember, I was not moving! So I was not accelerating; but apparently EV mode tracks not actual acceleration but rather the depression of the pedal. In any case, the ICE did not kick in and manual charging pursuant to above was not possible.

    That would be reasonable, so almost 50% more power. I find that EV mode has acceptable acceleration until it cuts off at 26 mph so another 50% horsepower/watts would be quite easy to live with.
     
    #7 Skoorbmax, Sep 28, 2010
  8. Superdrol

    Superdrol Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2010
    399
    32
    0
    Location:
    ...........
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    So you are accelerating very fast then holding the brakes till the car stops then repeating ? Seems like a waste of gas.
     
    #8 Superdrol, Sep 28, 2010
  9. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2010
    2,641
    264
    0
    Location:
    Western NY
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I never said it was good on fuel. :rockon:
     
    #9 Skoorbmax, Sep 28, 2010
  10. GSW

    GSW PRIUS POWER

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2009
    537
    74
    0
    Location:
    Jacksonville
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I was looking at real estate one day and coasted down a very long hill slightly using my brakes and apparently charged the battery up to a full 8 bars (80 percent?). At the bottom of the hill I must have Ev'd and coasted for another 2 miles on a level road. Taking the battery back down to nearly half. Fun! Its been a year and I'm still learning about this car.
     
    #10 GSW, Sep 28, 2010
  11. Superdrol

    Superdrol Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2010
    399
    32
    0
    Location:
    ...........
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Touché.
     
    #11 Superdrol, Sep 28, 2010
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)