<<IS PLUGGING THE CAR IN AT NIGHT A HASSLE>>

Ok then I wouldn't mind that. Just would have to remember to plug in and out when needed. I suppose if I forget to plug in than I would just have to drive on gas. I guess that's a good thing about a Phev over a BEV.

Now if I could just find room in one of my warehouse to fit my Prius. Right now it's sitting in a bunch of snow

 

Presently even if you have a massive bettery bank and can charge it all at home, it will be of little profit unless you can get to and from work at under 34mph "for those using the EV switch" and if you choose not to use the switch and try to use factory EV mode "at up to 42mph" even then your gas will be on and off alot. Mostly on, since the engine will keep trying to maintain temp.

I'm sure it would help maybe up to 20% in mpg or so for many.. but there will be very few that will get total EV use like their dreaming about because those low speeds are unpracticle for real commuting.

The present system allows for lower speed EV just fine and only because there is not enough battery to support high speeds anyway over a minute or so....

Put bigger batteries in the present prius and you have a sort of a "hybrid" hybrid, in the sense that as far as batteries you are equipped for long distance " 30 - 40 miles" round trip, but the rest of the system won't allow it at the needed speeds?

Where can you go for 20 miles even that you only need 34mph speed or even 42mph?.. You will get ran over!...

...and are you willing to take that extra time to commute when you could do it in half the time otherwise?

Yes, I would make the modification for a decent price, but until we can get Toyota to allow the mg1 to support speeds upwards of at least 55mph or more, its not practicle to consider.

There's a reason you don't see mopeds on the freeway!

If we were truely forced to try to drive that slow in the name of using our plugin power.. it would give hybrids everywhere a bad name as onlookers would scoff and not understand.

 

I only have one street that I travel on in town that is above 35mph. All the other roads I travel on in town have speed limits of 25-30mph. So I would be fine for all of my intown driving. For the one place I go on a 45mph road I can get there from the sides streets like I do with my moped.

Shoot, windstring I didn't know I couldn't drive my moped on the highway. I was wondering why so many people were honking at me. Here I though all along they just though I was cute or something.

Speaking of mopeds I wish this snow would go away so I could be back to mopeding again! (saving my pennies up now for gas B) )

 

I agree. I don't think the Prius was built for EV mode and plugging it in can only help so much (it won't be true EV), that said I think it's more then 20% gasoline improvements for the first 50-50 miles.

See EDrive's FAQ:

So I think the CalCar Li-Ion plug-in solution would improve gas milage with something more like 100%. For me it could maybe enable EV mode true from work

But a real plug-in car built by Toyota wouldn't have these limitations. So maybe you could ge EV for a range of 60 miles at reasonable highway speeds.

It's an interesting idea

 

This information comes from where? The Energy CS cars are getting 100mpg average on a tank of gas at *freeway* speeds. Yes this is a kludge, and no it is not cost effective. This is a proof of concept situation. If the cars were build to fully take advantage of E-drive (as the Prius is NOT) then we don't even need to have this discussion.

Modifying the current car is NOT what this is all about (I hope!) Think future models where this can be designed in, and used like a REAL car. Plus, I don't really give a rat's nice person what other scoff at or understand. Eventually we won't have much choice but to travel smarter.

** Ah, I see Summerville was posting while I was composing. And here we said pretty much the same thing. Great minds.

 

Well I haven't dug in super deep into Calcars, but if I remember right.. they very rarely speak of the fact of how fast they are driving to accomplish these mpg's.

True, with their system you could save a ton "if" you were willing to drive that slow and had the time and the place. I for one, can only go about one mile, then I have to go much faster.

Taking all of the rural spots into account and assuming they are fairly plentiful or many, thats why I threw out the arbitrary number of 20% improvements... if you take a CalCar modified car and take it on the freeway above 42mph for a long commute, you will barely see any difference at all in mpg improvement.. maybe worse due to the weight of all the batteries.. but if you have the opportunity to do alot of city driving then they will shine.

Like I said, the prius is only designed for true EV at low speeds.
I really think increased battery capacity and even efficiency will have little payoff at highway speeds with our present engine/hybrid systems.

Until we can drive faster on mg1 EV alone, we are limited.

I trust the "possible" 2008 models "may" be able to go faster, but for now the only thing they seem to be admitting to is lighter. smaller more efficeint batteries, and cheaper hybrid parts. This will most likely improve city driving to some degree and bring the price of the general prius down... of course if they bring even cooler improvements that price drop may get offset and remain the same.

But again, without improved mg1, the hyway will most likely not change except only minimal.

I know I"m spouting off alot like I actually know something... but this is all my mere opinion based on what I"ve read so far.

As to whether they will actually improve EV mode capabilities is anybodys guess "at least based on what I know".

Based on what I have read, you can improve upon Toyota engineering if you want to pay a dear price for little payoff, but otherwise, most likely, they would have already done it if it was cost effective at this time based on present resources at hand.

There are some things Toyota engineering could do to improve things, but they have found the best balance of "efficeincy verses payoff" to make the whole deal an economic alternative to regular gas non-hybrid rigs.

I'm also guessing the two main reasons we are not seeing plug-in prius's yet, is not because we don't have the means or the technology, but the batteries are only now coming down in price to a reasonable point, and second.. the public is still afraid of plug-in. "Not us guys of course!"

So many times when people ask about my prius, they say "...now don't you have to plug those in?".

They are so afraid to be totally dependent upon plug-in. And thats the impressing they have gotten.... they don't yet understand that gas in the primary power source... they are just not yet well enough educated to accept that idea yet.
I"m sure that could be quickly solved with some decent advertizing.

You may argue with me because after being on PC for very long at all it seems the obvious solution to improvement, but the general public can barely spell prius, let alone know what it actually does.

But we are getting there! thanks to forums like this one!

The more "simple" solutions we can find "Not expensive ones" the more it will happen and be common place.

I know its hard for some to hear this, but the general public is not willing to pay big bucks for only a little EV performance. We are simply just not that desperate yet... sorry.. but thats a fact!

If we can get the battery availablity solved, or go to Caps, or hydroylics.. we are within reach of 100 - 250 mpg for short round trips.

And of course I might was well mention "before Kiloran does!" :lol:
That these high mileages are quite deceptive "although cheaper" because plugin is not using gas for the most part, but rather grid electricity and its not free either.

 

I have almost 26 years experience in industrial process control, most of that in the petroleum/petrochemical and utility field. You bet the oil industry sucks up electricity like crazy.

I've become convinced - unless somebody can patiently explain with calculus and many P&ID's - the oil industry wastes energy ON PURPOSE. I'm referring to the many "wasted" energy feedstocks that are sent up a stack or dumped into a river.

Oddly enough, ideas like co-generation were written off as crazed, whacky, left-wing nutjob ideas back then. I became very discouraged by the bean counters and “executives†who insisted that wasting energy was “good†for a company. Now at least a few of them are realizing the potential to modern controls and cogen.

Due to my bad experience in petrochemicals and especially public utilities, I refuse to do any more consulting in those fields. Especially with public utilities, the money they peed away on dividends and payoffs could have modernized the entire grid twice over. Oh well, never happen now.

Though I do find it endlessly amusing how the utilities claim to be so modern while running ancient controls, some still with vacuum tubes.

 

***SIGH*** Formatting a POLL logically is a skill some have and others simply don't have.

The wording on the provided responses for this POLL remind me of news reporters who attempt to elecit their desired response by the way they pose a question. You know, rather like the classic "Have you quit beating your wife?" style of question.

Actually, "plugging in" a Prius is not an option for the vast majority of Prius drivers at this time.

 

1. Plug-in for Engine Block Heater to ensure faster warm-up, fewer emissions in morning and better fuel economy? No problem! A necessity in cold climates.

2. Plug-in for battery recharge (sans photovoltaic panels) and to avoid stops at oil-based fuel stations? No problem! I choose pluging-in over refueling every time.

3. Plug-in at work or resorts during the day? All the better (especially if PV panels are linked to grid)!