Sheer Pullen wrote: > > I've been reading the posts on the IN-1 electric insight > > concept. It sound way cool but I gotta have 4 seats (well > > actually 3 would do). Would there be any advantage to > > starting with a Prius? Probably the advantages wouldn't be > > worth the price of starting with a newer car. > > Well, unlike the Insight, the Prius isn't a phenomenal car - > it's just another toyota 4-seater that happens to be a > hybrid. I mean, the drivetrain is way cool, but the frame > isn't anything special.
However, there may be some very real drawbacks to the Insight's widespread use of aluminum in its construction... like wait till you need body work done, or get in just enough of a fender-bender that the frame needs straightening. How many shops are equipped to handle repairs to aluminum frames & body panels competently, and how costly is it? Anyway, there is a very real advantage to starting with a Prius in the sense that unlike the Insight, it comes stock from the factory with an 'electric-only' mode. Just increase the size of the battery pack and you suddenly have a 'unlimited-range' vehicle with very usable around town pure-electric mode. And it seats 5 instead of 2. I believe UC Davis has already done this, including adding plug-in recharge capability to the Prius. Perhaps someone can re-post the links to the papers, etc. describing this project? Cheers, Roger.
