the least expensive PHEV
kits (from
Enginer) add additional
current into the stock pack
via an inverter..this does not
allow all electric mode at speeds
above 32 mph.
new info Enginer no longer
selling prius phev kits
new info Plug in supply not
shipping product, has angry
customers
The kits from AutoBeYourshave the Hybrid Energy Module
( HEM) from Ewert Energy and
therefore the most sophisticated
control. This most expensive
system allows all electric driving
at speeds up to 70mph.
All kits allow " blended
mode" driving with improved
gas mileage. Blended mode allows
the Internal Combustion Engine
(I.C.E.) to assist when needed.
What happens when the new
Battery pack becomes depleted?
The Prius reverts back
to original mode just like before
the pack was installed..achieving
about 47 mpg ( less in freezing
weather).
Which kit to you Recommend?
( ours of course!)
We should talk to determine
your usual drive... Are you
able to Charge at work?,
I need to drive 80 miles one
way, how much will it cost to
make my Prius go that far on
battery alone?
More than 21,000. Phev
conversions are best suited
for commuters until the cost
of Batteries comes down.
How much is one of your cars
plus the PHEV conversion
as little as 19,000
are there any testimonials?
You bet! please scroll
down to the bottom of this page,
Bill Moore talks about his Plug-in
Conversions (PICC) prius
Typical
public Charging Station for EV
and PHEV vehicles
an
ordinary 120 volt outlet will
also work.
These
two images are the 10KW/h LiFeP04
system from Plug in Supply...the
cells are Sky Energy
but the BMS we buy must be programmed for the
chemistry of pack we have chosen ( lead-acid, nickel metal hydride,
or lithium iron phosphate, or whatever)
NiMH weighs more thatn Lithium Ion
Force = mass x acceleration
Work = Force x distance
Power = Work / time
/\Energy = Work + Q (delta heat)
Excerpt from EVworld April 2010
Upgrading LIVN GRN Kim Adelman and Mike Dibble flew
in from Chicago Saturday morning, where I picked them up at the airport.
They had just done an install of their Prius plug-in conversion kit
on a car in the Windy City. They would spend the weekend with Judy
and me -- attending the event in Lincoln -- to do several upgrades
to our 2009 Prius conversion, LIVN GRN. The first upgrade was installation
of a set of buttons that now allows us to control the mode in which
the car is operating: normal Prius hybrid mode, all-electric mode,
and blended plug-in hybrid mode. Prior to the buttons, I had to connect
my MacBook laptop and run a Windows app in VM Fusionware to change
the settings, which is defaulted to short-range PHEV. That mode allows
us to drive up to 20 miles in blended PHEV mode, usually resulting
in fuel economy ratings of better than 100 mpg. The medium range mode
increases that to around 30 miles, while long range can be upwards
of 40 miles with fuel economy falling in the 75 mpg range. Each mode
makes a little more frugal use of the battery and little more use
of the Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine. The second upgrade was to PICC's
software and consists of three separate patches to improve the performance
of the system. The third upgrade was to replace the small accessory
battery charger with a more robust one. To test the car, we put Judy
in the driver's seat and had her take her normal route to work at
Omaha Steaks, with one important difference. Kim had her immediately
put the car in EV-mode after it started and we drove the first mile
and a half at the setting. Then before we got to the hill she climbs
every weekday, Kim had her push the PHEV button. This causes the Prius
engine to turn on and warm up the catalytic converter. Once up the
hill, Judy put the car back in EV-mode. We drove the rest of the two
miles to her office and then, all in EV-mode. The results were astounding.
The computer showed that over the 11-mile trip, the car got 468 mpg!
Here's the rationale behind Kim's strategy: it makes more sense to
burn the gasoline the Prius uses to prep the catalytic converter while
moving than doing it parked in the driveway or driving out of the
subdivision at 25 mph. When you do it at 40 mph, your effective fuel
economy goes from near zero to better than 70 mpg. I captured this
all on video and I'll try to post it online in the near future. This
is really cool stuff. Kim and his colleagues have done a remarkable
job of making an already potent system even better. Check them out
at Plug In Conversions Corporations. Until next time, stay plugged
into EVWorld...
