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My visit to Toyota National Headquarters in Torrance California - And driving the Prius PHV!

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Paradox, May 6, 2010.

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  1. Linda

    Linda ✿

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    That's probably about right -- and Mark's right, too, that the EV kicked out once and for all about a mile away from "home". The other ~1.5 miles out of EV would have been during the drive when I hit the accelerator and forced the gas engine to come on (totally floored it, just for kicks, turning onto the Pacific Coast Highway, for example).

    This is one kickin' car. I loved being able to use the amount of EV "promised" even though I'm not too awfully careful with the go pedal!

    And yeah, I'm a girl -- this car is pretty, too!
     
    #21 Linda, May 7, 2010
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  2. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    Agreed - the light blue color exclusive to the PHV is definitely a color I could consider on a std Prius. In my opinion, the silver accents didn't stand out enough in the shade, and wearing grey polarized glasses almost completely muted the difference.
     
    #22 HTMLSpinnr, May 7, 2010
  3. lunabelgium

    lunabelgium Member

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    Yes, but A/C was OFF - what about when ON ?
    I dislike driving with windows down.
    Thanks anyway for the write-up.
     
    #23 lunabelgium, May 7, 2010
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
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    When it's 72˚F outside, there's little reason to run with A/C on. We wanted to see what the range was without A/C. I suppose if we had done the identical route twice, once with A/C and once without, we'd understand the impact. We simply didn't have enough time w/ the cars (most of us had 45 minutes a piece, w/o the means to recharge).

    Keep in mind the PHV uses a heat-pump instead of just A/C so the compressor could be drawing power to heat as well as cool.
     
    #24 HTMLSpinnr, May 7, 2010
  5. talonts

    talonts VFAQman

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    AC - good question. We were in SoCal, and it was in the low 70s, so running the AC would have just been silly. Just the fan circulating outside air was more than cool enough.

    Of course I removed the AC from my Talon when I lived in CA - in 8 years, I probably needed it a dozen times (and I needed the weight a lot less on the dragstrip). Once I LEFT CA, however, the car became a 3-season (at most) car without the AC.
     
    #25 talonts, May 7, 2010
  6. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    Great thread !!! WOW !!!! :)

    .

    (did you consider that there was more than one person on the car? I'm sure you could go even farther in EV mode if you had just one person and only 0.5 gallons in the gas tank)

    People are asking about the AC? If you live in Arizona or New Mexico, okay, but in the rest of the United States, even when it's 90 degrees, I just roll my windows down. Ahhhhhhhhh. :)
    (It's even better than a convertible because you don't have the bright sun on you)
    .
     
    #26 Rybold, May 8, 2010
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    I did 11 miles with A/C in AUTO and mixed route.
     
    #27 Tideland Prius, May 8, 2010
  8. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    Did anybody pop the hood for a looksee? Any idea how much actual
    battery current you'd draw at just under engine-on acceleration
    threshold? If the inverter is largely unchanged it should still
    be only good for 100 amps or so, but if that's at 300+ volts
    from the battery then it's more power available in EV.
    .
    And yes, there's plenty of terrain where being able to regen
    into all available packs *would* be useful. Our stock packs
    are only good for about 500 vertical feet at best.
    .
    _H*
     
    #28 hobbit, May 8, 2010
  9. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    :eek:
    I'm ashamed to say I didn't look under the hood...considering that really nothing has changed under there it didn't occur to me to do so. I think the current threshold is markedly higher (HVECU programming function, right?), but by seat of pants experience of how well it accelerates compared to my Gen II. We certainly didn't have any way to monitor that though.
     
    #29 efusco, May 8, 2010
  10. talonts

    talonts VFAQman

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    You obviously haven't spent any time in the SouthEast region - you do NOT run without AC at 90 degrees when the humidity can be 90%.
     
    #30 talonts, May 8, 2010
  11. andyprius

    andyprius Senior Member

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    True, in many parts of the US. It would be interesting if Toyota released this car for sale exactly as presented with all the decals and plug-in markings. Great advertising for the EV/HV car segments. I am continuously surprised by how many Americans are uninformed, misinformed or just totally unaware of this technology. There is almost a fear of anything to do with Battery Locomotion.
    :)
     
    #31 andyprius, May 8, 2010
  12. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Which is another reason why I kept trying to convey to Toyota how some of these vehicles really need to be placed with regular everyday Prius drivers. It's one thing for the media to drive them and write about it in print or air it on tv/the internet but it's a whole different thing to have someone say in oh I don't know, NYC driving this car around for a year or more everyday having people see it on the road. That will drive more people to search out info on it through all the print media and the internet. Then, on road trips/weekend excursions and while driving around locally food shopping etc the car will be seen and surely people will become interested. The driver can answer questions, show it off a bit and then those people will tell their friends about it spurring more interest. I think a consumer would almost rather hear about the car from someone driving it in person, especially when that person is another average everyday person rather than some media folk. That at least was how I envisioned the demo program to somewhat work... Not just have all these vehicles tied up in the hands of universities/media/fleet buyers some of who could give a crap if the vehicle was even charged every time the battery was depleted. Toyota should be listening, and not those who already realize this. I know there are some that do, I'm talking about trying to make upper level management and the true decision makers understand this as well and be willing to take the chance of making it happen.


    Oh, and yeah, with 90 degrees here in NYC with days of near 100% humidity you can bet that a/c runs and runs hard.
     
    #32 Paradox, May 8, 2010
  13. zyonuf79

    zyonuf79 New Member

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    Thanks to all for this write up. I really am looking forward to this new technology. I am going to ride my 2000 Mirage as long as possible and hope it makes it until I can get into a PHV.
     
    #33 zyonuf79, May 8, 2010
  14. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

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    Oh wait. Yeah, you are definitely right. I've been to Florida, Atlanta, and Dallas. I definitely know what you mean. But for people that don't live in the SouthEast and talk about AC, shame on them!!! (it's like the irony of putting on long pants, long shirt, sweater, and sitting in an office with the air conditioning on high all day - consuming massive amounts of electricity and destroying the environment)
     
    #34 Rybold, May 8, 2010
  15. Tobbe

    Tobbe New Member

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    Hello!

    I Have a question about the plug in prius.

    I live near a highway and travel approx. 24 miles on a highway before i reach the city and then drive 10 miles city driving before i reach my work.

    I know the ev button is gone, but
    If i start the trip with fully charged batteries, then accelerate in the power segment of the display so the engine will start, accelerate up to cruising speed of 65-70 mph and maintain it for 24 miles.

    Will the car use the battery juice under the highway trip or will it be saved to i get under 62mph ? so i can use it when i reach the city
     
    #35 Tobbe, May 8, 2010
  16. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Shame on me then for not wanting to sit in 85+ degree heat with extremely humid days for 2-3 months out of the year... I don't use the a/c often but from around mid June to maybe early September (give or take) it gets used.
     
    #36 Paradox, May 8, 2010
  17. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Once on the highway and going 65 or more, you will run in HV mode, saving the EV cells charge. Once you drop below 65 it'll resume EV driving and the rest of your 10 miles should be fine in all EV imo. While driving 65 or more it'll just use the regular hv cell in the pack like in a regular prius.
     
    #37 Paradox, May 8, 2010
  18. SlowTurd

    SlowTurd I LIKE PRIUS'S

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    i would assume that a heavy EV user will have to use a gas stabilizer in the tank?
     
    #38 SlowTurd, May 8, 2010
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Or keep less fuel in the tank and use it once in a while. The tank is lightly pressurized.
     
    #39 Tideland Prius, May 8, 2010
  20. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    (sigh) you Toyota PHEV testin' folks .... practically right in my back yard ... all EV'in around ... and I didn't even get so much as a "HA HA HA". I hope you said "hi" to Ericka for all of us 'little people'.

    :p

    .
     
    #40 hill, May 8, 2010
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