Can someone help me understand the PHEV conversion options?

I'm a little busy right now to fully answer via the post, but feel free to give me a call during business hours and I could discuss this with you. You're on the right track and asking good questions.
608-729-7082.

 

This is just my opinion though others may say otherwise.

1 - Do you agree that I would be a good candidate for a conversion?

PHEV conversion will improve mileage no matter how short the distance traveled. Of course the longer the distance traveled, the better mileage you'll get with or without PHEV kit. Example, if you travel 2 miles per trip, you could average only 30mpg. With PHEV kit you can improve that to 45mpg. If you travel 20 miles per trip, you could average 55mpg. With PHEV kit you can improve that to 80+mpg.


2 - Given that my commute is 22 miles each way, how much battery power do you think I'd need. I don't know if I can recharge at work, but I suspect I can. If I decide to go forward with the conversion I'll talk to the people there to find out for sure.

My 4KW kit lasts about 30 to 35 miles per charge blend mode. If you can recharge at the end of each trip, then a 4KW kit would work. 44+miles would require 6kw kit without recharge in between. Last I heard, Enginer is designing a 6KW kit that will fit in the current 4KW kit enclosure. Not sure when the 6KW kit will be available.


3 - How does EV mode work in a 2010 with a conversion? I've found that now I can accellerate from 0-40MPH on a flat road staying on electric power only, but it's a very slow accelleration and not really feasible... can you accellerate faster in EV mode with the conversion or is this a Prius limitation and I'll likely still be using the ICE for accelleration?

Acceleration with PHEV conversion will be faster than none PHEV kit but only slightly. Though I haven't timed it but I suspect that a stock Gen III Prius takes about 40-45 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 40mph where as a converted Gen III Prius may take 30-35 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 40mph. This is no where near any record setting acceleration but if you're in rush hour traffic, it's well within the normal driving condition.


4 - What are the differences in the available kits?

Enginer is the only kit available for 2010-up. PICC will make one in the future but it cost between 12,000 to 14,000 dollars. PICC kit functions the closest to that of the OEM PHEV. It's capable of all EV driving for up to 40 miles and It can sustain EV only up to 70mph. Not sure how fast the acceleration is though.

5 - Anything else I should know that I'm not thinking of?

grill blocking is the best $2 you'll ever spend to improve gas mileage. Combine that with PHEV, you'll hit 80mpg in shorter distance traveled than none grill blocking.
Enginer kit is the only option right now for Gen III. Their reliability is questionable. My kit lasted only a week and only 250 miles before the converter burnt out. Other members are reporting failed cells, failed BMS, failed converters, converter not putting out enough power to improve mileage. It comes with standard 2 year warranty. The warranty does not state any mileage limit so I'm guessing it's unlimited miles. Since Enginer is now dealer/installer purchase only, you will most likely need to have them installed it as well. There is a premium installation/warranty package that covers parts and labor for 5 years. Again, no info on mileage so it is possible that the warranty is 5 years/unlimited miles. I wonder if Jack will extend my warranty to 5 years if I pay him the $1000 for CARB.

 

Brett,
You can spin it however you want, but it would take a lot for someone to convince me that any PHEV will pay for itself. You have to think of it more like any other accessory you purchase; You get it because you want it, not because it will pay for itself.

The other systems have different benefits. For example, if you put in a Plug In Supply kit (not to be confused with PICC) it would provide longer all-EV mode, but it does cost more.

Upgrading is possible. But if you cannot charge at work there is no way a 2kwh unit will last the whole commute. You will probably not be satisfied with a 2kwh system and will want to upgrade. That said, it may be easier for you to get your wife to agree to the lower cost 2kwh system first, and then casually add the extra 2kwh later.

The Enginer system is a constantly evolving product. There are positive and negative aspects to this. I encourage you to keep exploring your options and gaining input from others. Take a look at the Enginer forums as well.

I've experienced all the kits and would be happy to chat anytime. If you'd rather I call you, just PM me a phone number and a time to call.

 

Hi Brett,
If you do not have a Scangauge get one. You want to use the Scangauge to optimize temp. You need to get it up to 155degF as soon as possible. Then you want to be remove Grill blovking if you are hitting 200degF. You will find that even in Florida this time of year you can benifit from Grill Blocking. Then in the summer you may want to change your process to keep the batteries cooler.

I suggest that you contact Bill in Palm Beach.

Thanks,
Dan Lander

 

Start with $1 and block half the lower grill until summer.

Of course, you may have to travel north a few states to find a home center that knows what pipe insulation is.

 

Plug In Supply kit doesn't make a kit for Gen III Prius. I have not heard of them even planning one for the Gen III. Plug In Supply's 10KW kit costs $8,995 for self install and $11,995 & up for professionally installed for Gen II Prius.

The new RFE batteries are enclosed so you can't simply buy 2KW battery and add on to a 2KW kit. You'll probably gonna have to buy a whole new set of 4KW battery. It's more cost effective to buy a 4KW kit to begin with. The 4KW kit has 2 batteries exactly like this 48V 80Ah Lithium Battery for EV - Detailed info for 48V 80Ah Lithium Battery for EV,lithium battery for EV,48V 80Ah Lithium Battery for EV,RFE-16F80 on Alibaba.com Each pack is 24V. They are wired in series to yield 48V pack.

Don't convert to PHEV thinking that you'll make your money back in a few years. Most of the time, PHEV will never make its money back because it cost too much, cars being totaled/stolen or damaged beyond repair, PHEV failed after warranty expired or no warranty at all. You're left with spending more money on replacement parts which add more money on the cost of the kit. I got my kit for less than $2300 plus about another $400 on installation parts and tools. I did my own install. I average 100mpg where others average 80mpg. Even I don't have any hope of making my money back. I converted my Prius to PHEV because I want bragging rights of owning a plug in hybrid.

 

If your fuel is expensive ($7.97 a gallon right now here) then you could make your money back on a PHEV within a couple of years. I am hoping to have mine pay for itself within the 2 year warranty, and anything after that is all bonus. in reality, it could be sooner, since fuel will likely hit $9.28 a gallon in the summer.

 

Why do you want to do it? If you want a hobby project then gopher it. But it would be both less expensive for you, and use less petroleum, to sell the Prius and buy a Nissan Leaf.

 

Agreed. Assuming he can get one in a reasonable time frame.

 

I bought a used 2005 Prius for less than $7.5K and am spending less than $2.5K to get and install a 4kwh Enginer system. I don't think I could have gotten a Leaf for $10K.

 

yep, used Prius + Enginer combo is a great deal, and if you have solar electron to charge

there is a taxi 2004 Prius in Vancouver with over 600kmiles, with a replaced stock battery at 434Kmile, it is still in service

 

Have fun! Let us know how it goes.

There is at least one recent thread describing a lot of not-fun that someone had, possibility related to a PHEV conversion.

 

In this part of Europe even already $8.48 per US gallon right now. A kWh of electricity costs around $0.30 and with my daily commute I could have a return of investment in about 3 to 4 years.
Since gas/petrol is subsidised in the US but taxed in Europe we, Flan and me, will have it pay for itself much sooner over here.

@BettS: My experience is that using blended mode at innercity speeds with a 4 kWh kit will support you for a distance of 66km/41 miles. So if you have the means a 6 kWh kit would be best.