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Toyota Testing Solar Prius Prime

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by PiPLosAngeles, Jul 6, 2019.

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  1. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

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  2. kevin.c

    kevin.c Member

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    Wow, 860W is more than half of L1 charging speed (1440W). That would make the solar roof actually helpful. It could fully recharge the traction battery during the day eg while parked at work.

    Sadly it looks like they achieved this by covering the back window, so maybe we won’t get 860 in a production version.
     

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  3. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    See also https://priuschat.com/threads/toyota-testing-new-solar-powered-prius.207751

    Considering that the panels won't be close to ideally orientated towards the sun, and that the sun is moving, don't count on a full recharge. Average solar power rate will be significantly lower than the panel rating.
     
  4. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

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    Sorry for the dup. I only searched this forum before posting.
     
  5. Tha_Ape

    Tha_Ape Active Member

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    I read in realistic conditions it'll only add about 1.8mi/ day (also charges the 12V while driving). Not sure if that pays for the added weight, but in Japan you can use the charge port to EXTRACT energy from the traction battery which means it's not bad for camping or disaster relief.
     
  6. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

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    That's the old solar roof. The new one generates enough power to add about 35 miles per day and charges the hybrid battery while driving. That's enough to make a real difference if you commute to work in the morning and park in the sun.
     
  7. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    Be careful to look at the date of the published material. In your case, that information is 2 generations outdated. Toyota is really good at continuous improvement.
     
  8. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    As evidenced by the top-notch 1990's vintage NAV system in the Primes....
     
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  9. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    The transition from their propriety system to adoption of what are becoming industry standards would be rough regardless of how it happened, you should know better. What would you have suggested for approach?

    Think of how much was invested in making the rest of the system attached to it available. There was a lot of cost to consider. It's not common to offer that large of a display that's also compatible across a variety of sizes anyway.

    Remember, the balance of cost is a big deal and licensing adds to the final price tag.
     
    #9 john1701a, Jul 6, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2019
  10. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

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    I have no idea what you are saying - again, in English please?

    Are you saying a giant company like Toyota can't put a NAV system in their cars that is at least as good as a $200 Garmin?
     
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  11. PiPLosAngeles

    PiPLosAngeles Senior Member

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    My experience with engineers is limited to the software industry and machining, but in my experience I can say that engineers generally SUCK at aesthetics and/or usability. It's just not a priority in their world. Hours spent on mapping out product features and how the user should interact with them in a logical way are hours not spent optimizing the efficiency of the system. What I see in Toyotas is similar to what I see in software when the company won't/can't hire people whose expertise is refining the usability.
     
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  12. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Acknowledging that I'm butting in... but you took the words right out of my mouth. I've been saying exactly that for years. I can't name a single exception. Every last automaker is churning out comically bad onboard navigation, and you can universally do better with a $200 garmin $25 secondhand garmin from a yard sale.
     
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  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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