Prius v Wagon Plugin Arrives This Fall

I agree but if they don't meet sales expectations with the PIP, which now seems likely, all bets may be off.

 

Well, given some recent news about higher density LIon battery manufacturing being discovered, Toyota may also hold back until that technology is fully released and vetted to make a Prius v Plugin, given that the batteries will be even better than the current LIon they are using for the Japan/Euro version of the Prius v and be more practical in the US.

 

I really would not expect a prius wagon phv to ship this year, but you may see an announcement. Today's battery tech is good enough, and toyota needs experience with phevs. IMHO car makers need to be more like computer makers, build a standard physical size and connection for the battery. When a better battery comes along for them, just put it in the car and change the programming of the ecu.

 

Except, you see most car makers are going to want to be their own special snowflake, to encourage people to buy their product and their parts. There are very few standardize parts at times, which seems to be spark plugs, oil and wipers seem to be it. While there are some interior addons, and some exterior stuff, things like the EV batteries will probably be in different shapes and then there is the whole how the car is design will also dictate the EV battery form and connection to the system.

 

You may be right, but that is not good for consumers Battery packs do have packaging issues, but cells can get standardized, and companies can upgrade their own pack based on improved cells. It can be done in a modular way to take advantage of improving technology.

 

I'm no expert, but battey cell chemestry means voltage differences that could be incompatable with older technology. It'd be great to think the next great improvement can slide easily into already built vehicles. However greater improvements may just as likely mean older wiring bundles for charging (at higher power) would be inadequate, as might temperature management spec's. Once a platform is set up, if it's changed, vehicles then need to be crash tested at the new configuration/weight/braking ability etc. Nothing in auto manufacturing is simple any more. If Toyota does in fact have a PiP-v almost ready to go into production, it's R&D will have to get amortized before it's changed. If it is in fact near production, Toyota could already be considering its Gen II revision.

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Well, according to Wiki, the Li-Ion based battery cell is about 3x more voltage. But also, let's not forget that Enginer and other groups are using Li-Ion battery packs for the Plugin-Prius conversion kits as well as the fact that the Euro/Japanese Prius v also uses a Li-Ion battery pack.

Suffice it to say, the Li-Ion packs will be smaller, lighter, which means more room to put in regulatory hardware between the pack and the system in existing NiMH systems. The older cars will still have an issue with the electric motor, but if it is governed software wise, that could be reprogrammed. The drawback of the Electric motor currently in some of the cars, if I recall correctly from earlier posts, is the concern of burning out the motor, shortening its life when you bypass the current factory level governors.

 

Not at all, you have a number of cells in parallel, in the case of the plug in lithium its close to the same voltage and the normal prius nimh even though cell voltages differ. The car needs to be designed for voltage swing tollerance anyway, its just a matter of picking a standard for the voltage, then using the proper number of cells to get close.

The car must be designed for some maximum power, that is a given. In the phv I think it 38kw. This includes wiring, fusing, inverters, motors, etc. Adding more energy does not mean you need to make changes to the car. New batteries will ofcourse need to be tested, just as they are in laptops. You may only get a bare battery pack test like they did on the volt to see if the new cells make the same structure more dangerous.

I doubt there is one set to be manufactured, but they could have some test mules out there. I doubt this rumor is for this year, because I would have expected to here what plants etc would be used.

Yep pack voltage is cell voltage x parellel cells, so different cell voltages can create similar pack voltage.

I was advocating having toyota design this and give replacement pack owners, and new designs new programming. Hacking a system has many potential drawbacks as the conversion company may not know some of the design limitations. Making this programming and battery interface open, would allow replacement suppliers to produce upgraded batteries, just as optima has an upgraded replacement 12v battery. Because of potential liability, I expect Toyota would discourage this.

 

Well, I'm more referring to a Toyota owned upgrade, where they would adjust it versus a pure third party. I see it as one viable option.

 

upgrading cells in a battery? thats not going to happen, ever.

 

when you see "news" about new battery technology, consider that:
1. 99.999% it wont see production.
2. If it does get produced, it is at least 5 years away from mass market, and more likely 8-10 years.

I dont think Toyota will seriously focus on PHEVs until people start buying them more... they can spend their money wiser on making every one of their cars a hybrid.

 

If they are charging $33K for the base PHEV which is essentially a III with a plug (26500 MSRP), and $40,000+ for the advanced with is again, essentially a V hatchback with advanced tech (35K at MSRP)...

what do you think they will have to charge for the wagon!? $50K?!

 

It aint gonna be cheap thats for sure

 

if you are saying you don't expect them this year I agree.

If that is a serious question, the wagon version would be about $2K more than the liftback. They need to change the naming Prius v phv Three just sounds dumb, but I would expect if they made it would be about $35K with the same size battery or more with a bigger one. Tax credit would make that just above $33K before sales tax including credit and destination .

 

Here's another article from europe about a plugin prius v - Toyota Prius+ to get plug-in power - Car and Car-Buying News - What Car?

 

OH YEA ... I'm feelin' the love - and ready to crack open the wallet.
:thumb: