Looking to sponser Prius for free prototype products

too bad i don't live in that area. i would love to be a test subject.

 

Prius free prototype products

Welcome to PriusChat, Franklin! I know many here will be interested in your products. Do I take it you need an actual car to test fit new products? What's the nature of your products, mostly cosmetic, suspension, aerodynamic?

Or are you looking for ideas of products people might want, and if so, in what areas?

You say:

That means the field is wide open, from wheel covers to arm rest extensions to automatic locking of doors when the car is in motion? You are sort of asking, What would you like Santa to give you?

 

he you used the same picture



a love to work with you buth i am from the EU

a fiberglass underbody part thats what i want
to reduce airflow under the car

 

I would be willing to work with you but I imagine that northern Indiana would be a bit too far. I think JimboK is from near your area.

 

Hi; I'm just reading and learning since I don't have a Prius yet but...

I see a lot of discussion about the need for a simple manual or automatic slat system for the front grille area. I used to fly several small aircraft that had cowl flaps that controlled the exit of air from the engine compartment, these were easy to engineer on the aircraft, one of them (L-19) even had shutters on the inlet side like the Prius needs. They are all controlled with a simply push pull lever/stiff wire mechanism in these a/c.

So whats needed is a controllable set of shutters (like venetian blinds) that can be progressively closed as the temperatures drop. Preferably from what I read, controlled electrically by a thermostat of some some.

edit; I just had a look at your website..maybe this is out of your typical scope of design...but unlike most products designed to look good but produce little real world performance gains that appeal to few a product like this would seem more likely appeal to most Prius owners (providing the cost was reasonable).

 

Yep, I'm in the Richmond area. E-mail sent.

 

Man, I would LOVE to do this... To bad I'm in Cali...

 

I would be willing to use the Zhang Heng for such a purpose. This would fit in with its mission.

 

Oh man I'm overflowing with interesting ideas:

IF you can perhaps aero-mod the front of the prius to include variable grill blocking capability and perhaps a lengthier nose to perhaps give it a better Drag Coefficient?

Also rear wheel skirts and front hubcaps (like the racing ones found in the other thread) except pre-made to work with the prius without drilling the trim rings or any risk of them falling off.

Hopefully they'll also be fairly affordable :S

Too bad I don't live near central VA, I'm in Northern VA.

 

Sub-woofer?

Franklin, this may not be a product you're interested in producing, or it may be a product the buyers could customize, but there is a strong desire by many Prius drivers to install a sub-woofer in the cubbyhole in the right rear corner.

If you don't want to get into the sub business, you might still consider a fiberglass blank box that would fit in the hole that buyers could install their own speaker into.

 

Depending on how many times I need to drive over there, I'd be willing to serve as an alternative

Madison Heights is about 3 and 1/2 hours away from me, according to google earth.

 

Franklin and I actually talked about several possible products, some that would interest me, others maybe not -- but some that would interest many of you. As for the grill block, I told him it would be nice to have something that looks a little cleaner than pipe insulation and could be adjusted easily, maybe even from inside the car, based on temperatures and driving conditions.

I also told him that many folks would love an alternative to Coastal for some of the items that only they sell, if he could come up with a similar product line.

Franklin, one thing I didn't say about the grill block but should be self-evident: It would compete against something that's dirt cheap and relatively easy now, so it can't be too expensive. And as for currently-available mods that I don't have now, let me clarify: It's not always due to lack of interest, but instead choosing not to spend the money. Or in Coastal's case, not willing to risk the poor service. Depending on the product, I might still be interested in using a prototype ... i.e., free.

 

that was my idear

 

Woah, I just found this thread yesterday:

Dream Prius (aerodynamic mod exercise for 2nd gen.) - Ecomodder.com Fuel Economy Forum

Seems very pricey, but if the price can be reduced or if parts of the design is simplified to be economically produced, then it would be cool