Adding ev to a gen ii

not really. if you want to move around your driveway, parking lot, etc. or show someone how ev works, it's fine. but there isn't enough battery to drive much ev, and it can be detrimental to mpg's.

 

I agree that it's not worth installing and EV button. 75% of the time when I press the EV button in my 2012 Prius v (wagon), it just beeps back at me to tell me "not going to do EV right now". I have found the best way to get into economical EV mode is to pick the optimal conditions (warm engine, level/downhill slope, and no constraining traffic) and go extra light on the gas pedal.

 

It will EV mode by itself, often while tooling around shopping center parking lots, slight downhills, slow takeoffs at lights, etc. It also runs the electric motor quite a bit in combination with the gas motor for power and acceleration. I once ran my 08 out of gas on the freeway and it ran in EV for almost 2 miles to the gas station with a light show of failures indicated on the dash. It started with more gas but the hybrid battery was more discharged than normal meaning the car was running very weakly on the gas engine alone. After 15 minutes or so all was normal again.

 

not worth it

- Alex

 

Pins are free (unused pins are housed in the headlight/turn signal switch). All you need is a 6 to 8 ft length of 22-18 gauge wire and you're set.