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Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capability

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by dbarry, Mar 2, 2005.

  1. dbarry

    dbarry Member

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    From FuelsAndVehicles.com Daily Updates, Friday, February 25, 2005
    Link to Article- login required

    Your car could power your home if a prototype Prius makes it to market, Toyota officials tell Inside Fuels and Vehicles. The vehicle will be unveiled next week at the annual meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in San Diego.


    The ability to power a home takes it one step beyond the capability of mild hybrids produced by General Motors. The hybrid-electric Sierra and Silverado pickup trucks have 120-volt, single phase, alternating current electrical outlets in both the cab and pickup bed. The vehicles were touted as a boon to municipals and the Florida state government in grappling with the aftermath of a series of hurricanes, which cut power to wide swaths of the state.


    After the announcement in San Diego the auxiliary power capable Prius will be leased to a rural electric cooperative for 90 days for field testing in Oklahoma “to identify technical issues and determine if there is a commercial market†for the technology, according to a Toyota official.


    The Prius would provide 3 kilowatts at 120 volts, enough to power the typical home. The vehicle would come with an electrical cable that would be attached to a slightly modified residential electric meter. The modification, which a Toyota official characterized as “low cost,†is required not only to be able to connect the auxiliary power capable Prius to the home but also to prevent power from being fed back into the power grid. This is largely a safety issue. A power company repairman working on electrical lines may be unaware power is being fed into the grid from individual homes. This would open up the possibility of injury or electrocution.


    Up to now, the Toyota Prius has mainly appealed to suburban commuters taking advantage of the fuel saving technology that delivers best in typical stop-and-go commuter traffic. Behind California, hybrids sales are highest in Virginia, driven by the state allowing commuters driving hybrids to use high-occupancy lanes without the required passengers.


    Introducing the new capability of the Prius brings hybrid technology not only to farmers but to the heartland, where hybrid sales, and sales of imports in general, have not fared as well as along the East and West Coasts. While GM has tailored its Sierra and Silverado hybrid-electric vehicle marketing to mainly construction workers and contractors, Toyota seems to be going after the farmer.


    Demand for the Prius caught Toyota flatfooted, unable to fill orders and creating waiting lists as long as nine months. The waiting times have been reduced to around three months now, Toyota officials say.


    The company is introducing two new hybrid models later this year. Unlike the two Prius models, which were based on a platforms and body styles unique to the Prius, the Lexus and Highlander hybrid sport utility vehicles rely almost entirely on existing platforms and body styles. The company is reported to be producing 27,000 units for the year of the Lexus hybrid, which goes on sale April 15, and there is already an 18,000 person long waiting list.


    Other hybrids are due to be introduced this year, including a second model from Ford after is successful introduction of the Escape Hybrid. It will be a Mercury version of the Escape sporting the Mariner nameplate. Nissan has also said it will introduce a hybrid later this year. Both Ford hybrids and the Nissan are based on Toyota architecture.


    Earlier this year GM and DaimlerChrysler announced a joint hybrid-electric vehicle development project. In addition to the very mild hybrid technology found in the Silverado and Sierra, where the electric motor does not propel the vehicle but produces electric power taking the load off the motor. GM says it will introduce two other hybrid-electric technologies over the coming years. The company is basing its full hybrid technology on what is used in full-size transit buses sold to Seattle and other municipalities, which was developed by its Allison transmission subsidiary.
     
    #1 dbarry, Mar 2, 2005
  2. rick57

    rick57 Member

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    Isn't 3k kind of small to power a house? Around here,most people I believe want something about 5-6k generators. But it is something to think about :roll:
     
    #2 rick57, Mar 2, 2005
  3. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    3kW is very small when talking about a house. but its huge when comparing it to ever-reddies or candles.

    i for one would consider it a lifesaver especially if my side of beef is at stake.

    i do know one thing. if you did have one of these Prius', you will be the first invited to every pinic, bar B Q and camping trip.
     
    #3 DaveinOlyWA, Mar 2, 2005
  4. naterprius

    naterprius Senior Member

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    Boneheads! This cable should feed electricity the other way...

    Nate
     
    #4 naterprius, Mar 2, 2005
  5. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    This is a great idea. Except we'll have to explain that "No, my car isn't plugged in to my house. My house is plugged in to my car."
     
    #5 hyo silver, Mar 2, 2005
  6. Elcaminojoe

    Elcaminojoe Junior Member

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    I assume this means that a Prius would be providing power to a house with its gas engine on. Folks would have to be careful about doing this in an enclosed garage that is attached to the house - wouldn't take long for the CO to infiltrate the house. http://priuschat.com/forums/images/smiles/...icon_puke_r.gif
    puke_r
     
    #6 Elcaminojoe, Mar 2, 2005
  7. tomdeimos

    tomdeimos New Member

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    But does it work while driving the car?

    If so, sounds like just the booster heater power option needed for the North Country.
     
    #7 tomdeimos, Mar 2, 2005
  8. CitizenjaQ

    CitizenjaQ New Member

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    OK, I guess this is kinda cool. I'd view this as an emergency generator. Though I'd imagine farmers or rural people wouldn't want their generator tied to their transportation. I can see suburban folks lapping this up - power goes out, no problem, I have a Prius generator!
     
    #8 CitizenjaQ, Mar 3, 2005
  9. Bob Allen

    Bob Allen Captainbaba

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    We have solar power at our house with net metering, which means that when the solar panels are producing more electricity than the house is using (happens a lot, actually), the surplus goes back into the city power grid and our city meter runs backwards.
    The system produces about 2000 watts, and thus, on a sunny day, our first 2000 watts of electricity are free.
    We have an inverter that has a handshake software with the city grid to prevent the solar panels from pumping power back into the system if the city grid is off line and linemen are working.
    If the inverter senses that the city grid is down, it shuts down our solar array as well. We could run the energy into batteries and go completely off grid.
    I mention this, because the technologies of hybrids and solar seem to be merging and redefining the urban energy scene. I see a day when there will be little or no grid and each home will have a reasonable chance of being energy self producing.
    Prius as mobile generator makes much more sense in rural areas, but it could be a godsend in a major power outage in an urban area.
    What I would like to see, however, is a plug in Prius that could run most of the commute day on the electric motor and get charged up at night when the grid is not under such heavy loads. Why not combine them? A Prius that can be both a generator and a receipient of electrical power? A truly bisexual Prius!!!
    This stuff is really exciting and helps me get over being depressed about the Republicans carving up ANWR for their own short term greedy ends.
    Bob
     
    #9 Bob Allen, Mar 4, 2005
  10. GeeWiz

    GeeWiz Junior Member

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    I live off the grid and believe me, 3KW is a lot of power when you think about it. Big consuming items like Electric Stoves, hot water heaters and dryers might be a problem, but they are all 220v anyway and I doubt that they will market it as such. A GAS dryer, HW heater or Stove would not be affected. My question will be more on the lines of Who will manufacture it, and will it be 'Modified Sign wave' or 'True Signwave' inverter ?
     
    #10 GeeWiz, Mar 4, 2005
  11. Anonymous

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    I'm totally with you on that one! However, I'd like to see things go one step further. The minute we have a plug-in Prius, it will have a big enough battery to store enough solar energy to give realistic daily solar range. There's about 20 miles free mileage landing on your Prius every day in the form of sunlight - why just run your house on it when you could run your Prius on it too? (This was discussed here a while ago, bringing out some fiercely oppoising views!)

    I mention this because it might then be worthwhile to use the Prius as a kind of 'freelance' mini-power station, selling a small amount of electricity back to the grid at peak times, when electricity is very expensive. Wouldn't add up to very much though, maybe a couple of dollars a day at best only, but enough to make a dent in the insurance costs at least! :)
     
    #11 Anonymous, Mar 4, 2005
  12. harryg

    harryg New Member

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    Re: Toyota To Unveil Prius With Large Auxiliary Power Capabi

    That would be nice, if we had a power failure in the winter time, I could plug
    my pellet stove and a few lights and maybe the entertainment center and still have a few watts left over!

    Harry
     
    #12 harryg, Mar 4, 2005
  13. tandblov

    tandblov New Member

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    Any updates to this idea?
     
    #13 tandblov, Mar 21, 2008
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