MN Hymotion L5 install

renewablesnow,The first and last bars always go quickest based on my experience.

But it 100% depends on how you are driving. Pure EV at 30 mph is vastly different than highway at 55 mph on cruise control.

Stop and go pure EV (less than 34 mph) gave me 20 miles range on my first test.
Non-stop pure EV (less than 34 mph) gave me 22.5 miles range on my second test.
Highway at 60 mph (with slight hills) gave me 40 miles of range.

All of those were in my first few days with little experience. My average has improved a lot in the past two weeks. If I do these tests again, now that I have a ScanGauge, I am postive I will get better results.

 

what is HyMotion?

 

Hymotion is a add on battery range extender allowing double the normal mileage of a standard Prius. The battery is charged through a regular home 110v outlet. For more information search Hymotion and you will see many details.

---Kent

 

I exhaust the pack at 26 to 28 miles with mixed driving. When in town, I mostly EV, on the highway I drive about 65, but have started driving 55.

---Kent

 

I am really surprised by the low numbers on range, even with mixed city/highway.

Would you guys do me a favor this weekend and do a highway range test? We should all try to do a similar test and report back our results.

Start with a full battery. Leave your home with Hymotion turned off.
Get out on the highway (flat area if possible), set the cruise control at 55 mph, turn off the AC and maybe crack the window if you need it. Radio usage is fine.
Then once your speed is set on cruise control, start the Trip A or B, reset your consumption screen stats, then quickly turn the Hymotion battery ON.

Tell us your range till the Hymotion pack gives out and your MPG. At 55 mph on the highway (if the terrain is flat), I would expect 40+ miles of range and 99.9+ mpg.

 

It sounds like your range has gradually improved after about a week with a few discharge cycles. Would that be accurate to say?

You will find that with experience your learn how to maximize your battery usage. I found the RPM info from the ScanGauge II to be critical to my Hymotion efficiency. I was stuck around 85 mpg during the first week. Then when I got the SGII, my numbers are solidly above 99.9 mpg now.

 

Max, I'm with you on this statement. I feel I get x amount of time out of the charge. Almost regardless of speed.
Chris

 

Hi max,

Just a thought (scary, I know...) - the pack lasts a lot less when you are using it in full EV mode (under the 34/42 MPH limits). I think the pack is good for only about 25 miles in that mode. I'm seeing about 35-40 miles, sometimes more on my commutes to Boulder, but those are mostly highway miles - about 80% or so. What kind of driving are you doing when you do 30 miles with the L5?

 

Max, I cut and pasted this from a reply I made in another thread - this might be something to try regarding your range issue if you have a similar commute to what I have:

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In the morning I back out the garage and go into drive without putting any real acceleration/load on the car (L5 fully charged from overnight). This seems to put the car into EV-mode for the beginning of my commute. Once I'm sure that EV-mode has been activated I shut off the L5 switch and drive under [stock] battery-only power to the freeway onramp, at which time the engine engages - its not far, maybe 1 mile or a little more and I only lose a few bars of energy (no purple). I turn the L5 back on as soon as I am on the freeway and it takes a bit for the L5 to recharge the stock pack, but what I've found is that doing this adds a good amount to my range and my mileage doesn't seem to suffer. I've actually noticed an increase during my commute to Boulder: 100MPG versus 80 if I leave the switch on from the start, and my range is in the low-mid 40's as well. I know others have addressed the issue of messing with the L5 switch while driving but I've never had any problems or witnessed the LED flashing an error code... and I don't think I'm putting undue stress on the stock battery by doing this (its a slight downhill to the 470 onramp from my home). Just an observation...
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that figure is way beyond what other EV owners have reported. dont know why it happened once, but i would expect you to be around 2-2.25 KWH for 10 miles

 

When I do mostly EV around town I get 28 miles. I have not done a highway only test.

---Kent

 

That is exactly my experience.
25 miles in pure EV mode at speeds under 34 mph.
35-45 miles at highway speeds of 55 mph to 60 mph.

 

If the battery is 5 kwh and you get on average 30 miles, that would be about 1.66 kwh per 10 miles.

I have not measured lately how much energy is drawn into the battery from empty. I did it at the beginning. Perhaps not all of the L5 is usable. Does the battery cutoff at 1 kwh still in the battery or something like that?

I will empty my battery today and measure my recharge kwh tonight.