Plug-in Hybrids - Prius w/ Enginer Kit

Well, I got impatient waiting for my Leaf to become available, so in the meantime I bought a used 2008 Prius and a Plug-in kit. The kit won't arrive for a few weeks but I already installed the "EV" button on my Prius so I can drive it around as an EV for about half of a mile (air conditioning and everything) All it needs now is a larger battery capacity.

True this is nowhere near as functional of an EV as a Leaf, but it is sort of a compromise because kit and all, this only costed me $15,000. Had I not had such high standards, I could have done it closer to $11,000 but I wanted a Prius in perfect condition. (I looked at several used Prius in the $8,000 range, but they were not in great shape) Still, lets think about it. I'll probably be using close to zero gasoline on my daily commute to work and back (I work 4 miles from home) and on longer trips I'll be using the blended 100 mpg mode of the plug-in kit. So my gasoline consumption will be a tiny fraction of the average person. Just think, not everybody can afford a Leaf or a Volt, but converting a cheap, used hybrid into a plug-in is a very real option available to a lot of people.

I still plan to buy the Leaf, but for my area it could be 7 to 10 months. So this will give me something to play with and learn about in the mean time.

Applying a larger-battery kit to a Prius might give you a greater "E-Only" range, and might even modify the Prius to allow E-mode operation at higher speeds.

However, there are two significant issues that remain:

1. To avoid over-speeding the electric motor, the ICE must "run/turn" at speeds over about ... 43 mph (I think, in the 2010 Prius).

2. The electric motor is rather under-powered to use the Prius as a general-purpose, E-mode-only EV, and the ICE will need to kick in for any significant acceleration, hills, etc.

But, one will definitely get a noticable "mileage-increase" benefit from the extra plug-in power. However, one should not expect LEAF-class (or Volt-class) E-Only operation.

I am anxious to see if the comming-soon plug-in Prius will compete well with the Volt.

Is there any good info on this yet?
Yes, I will Google later.

adric22 said:

True this is nowhere near as functional of an EV as a Leaf, but it is sort of a compromise because kit and all, this only costed me $15,000.

Click to expand...

Are you saying $15K got you the Prius & the kit ? When I looked at this option a couple of years ago - I decided it was too expensive and too limiting.

What kit, from where, for how much, Please?

1. To avoid over-speeding the electric motor, the ICE must "run/turn" at speeds over about ... 43 mph (I think, in the 2010 Prius).

Click to expand...

yeah, but my commute to work is always under 40 mph. In fact, most of it is 30 mph.

2. The electric motor is rather under-powered to use the Prius as a general-purpose, E-mode-only EV, and the ICE will need to kick in for any significant acceleration, hills, etc.

Click to expand...

You'd be surprised. Remember it has a 68HP electric motor in the Gen-2 and I think the Gen-3 is like 80 HP. I've been doing some testing since I added the EV mode button and I can climb even the steepest hill in my area (which is actually pretty darned steep) with no problem as long as I have enough enough battery power. Unfortunately, as I said before since I don't have my kit installed yet, it runs out pretty quick.

Are you saying $15K got you the Prius & the kit ? When I looked at this option a couple of years ago - I decided it was too expensive and too limiting.

Click to expand...

I spent $12,000 on the Prius and $3,000 on a 4 Kwh Enginer kit. Yes, there are some more expensive kits out there but I also couldn't justify those because by the time I bought one of those, I'd have invested as much as the price of a Leaf. The enginer kit (the new one) can deliver 5000W continuous, which is enough to keep a Prius moving in low-speed EV mode (under 34mph) until the pack runs out. So, yes, I agree it is limiting compared to a Leaf or a Volt. But it is a short-term solution for me to transition from gas to electric. Actually, I already had a 2002 Prius with a 3000W enginer kit installed. Unfortunately, that prius doesn't have a true EV mode so the gas engine always starts when I turn the car on and runs for a while. After that, it will shut off and I can drive on EV for several miles as long as I'm light on the accelerator and don't turn the A/C on. However, I was getting about 90 mpg out of that car. This 2008 model I bought will work MUCH better as a plug in.

adric22 said:

I spent $12,000 on the Prius and $3,000 on a 4 Kwh Enginer kit.

Click to expand...

That sounds decent. If I was in TX with a short commute, one thing I might have considered is an electric bike.

That sounds decent. If I was in TX with a short commute, one thing I might have considered is an electric bike.[/quote]

I've thought about that many times, with my short commute. The 2 main problems I see with it are 1) I have to take my daughter to school in the morning, which is on the way to work. She's in 2nd grade. I'm not going to carry her on any kind of scooter or bike. 2) What about when we have thunderstorms, snow storms, or like right now with 104 degree heat. I really need a car.

I think the electric motor in my 2010 Prius is only about 32 hp.
I think the ICE is around 92 hp, for a max of approximately 124 hp for both together.

adric22 said:

1) I have to take my daughter to school in the morning, which is on the way to work. She's in 2nd grade. I'm not going to carry her on any kind of scooter or bike.

Click to expand...

Yes - that more or less rules it out. In US this would be reckless ...

evnow said:

Yes - that more or less rules it out. In US this would be reckless ...

Click to expand...

Only because they are not wearing helmets, right?

garygid said:

I think the electric motor in my 2010 Prius is only about 32 hp.
I think the ICE is around 92 hp, for a max of approximately 124 hp for both together.

Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius
Wikipedia reports that the '08 has a 67hp electric while the '09/'10 has 80hp electric available.

http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/specs.html
Toyota agrees on the '09/'10's 80hp electric rating. The gas engine provides 98hp.

A used Prius and the new PICC system might divert me from my 'electric dreams' for quite a while. That would create a package more capable and less expensive than a Volt - and seat five as a bonus.

geek info overload! :lol:

AndyH said:

A used Prius and the new PICC system might divert me from my 'electric dreams' for quite a while. That would create a package more capable and less expensive than a Volt - and seat five as a bonus.

Click to expand...

In CA - Leaf + used Prius costs same as Volt :lol:

evnow said:

adric22 said:

I spent $12,000 on the Prius and $3,000 on a 4 Kwh Enginer kit.

Click to expand...

That sounds decent. If I was in TX with a short commute, one thing I might have considered is an electric bike.

Click to expand...

Good Plan! Two years old might be a bit young, but six years old works just fine!



Behold - 5000 watts of EV bliss.

evnow said:

AndyH said:

A used Prius and the new PICC system might divert me from my 'electric dreams' for quite a while. That would create a package more capable and less expensive than a Volt - and seat five as a bonus.

Click to expand...

In CA - Leaf + used Prius costs same as Volt :lol:

Click to expand...

MAN! That's a painful statistic!
And I'll bet that's without GM price gouging! :lol:

AndyH said:

Good Plan! Two years old might be a bit young, but six years old works just fine!

Click to expand...

I resisted linking nice family outings. How about a 7 seater ?

evnow said:

AndyH said:

A used Prius and the new PICC system might divert me from my 'electric dreams' for quite a while. That would create a package more capable and less expensive than a Volt - and seat five as a bonus.

Click to expand...

In CA - Leaf + used Prius costs same as Volt :lol:

Click to expand...

Even more if you add in the chevy dealers $20k gouging addition

The Wiki says 98 hp for the 2010 Prius ICE, 80 for the e-motor, and 130 hp total.

If the e-motor was 32, the 130 hp total would seem correct.

A total of 178 hp does not seem correct, so ... something is wrong (perhaps with me).

I'm thinking 98 + 32 = 130 total.

I do not get the "80 hp" feeling from the e-only mode.

I will check the owner's manual specs tomorrow.

Maybe because the electric motor has maximum power at low speed, and the ICE at high speed? So you can't get max ICE + max e-motor an any speed. (I'm just guessing, here.)

It could also be partly, or even mostly, a matter of how the computer manages the system. Pulling maximum power out of the (relatively small) battery would drain it quickly, so it may be that the ICE is always being used in large part to drive the generator when the e-motor is at max. Thus only a fraction of the ICE power would be available at the wheels.

Also, there are two e-motors, the "traction" motor, and the "generator" (just designated "1" and "2" because of their complex relationship, I guess). Both e-motors, and the ICE are connected to the planetary-gear assembly, but the "traction" emotor is also geared directly to the wheels.

Since both e-motors could be used either to generate (or to "drive"), maybe they get the "80 hp" by adding the two, or it could be a typo, or a number left over from a previous model year.

I see 98 hp for the ICE fairly consistantly, and recall that it had increased a little from the previous year.

I also see 134 total many places, and I seem to recall reading a "30's" e-motor figure in the owners manual, perhaps 36.

I will check later today.