Edmund Storms wrote:
I expect in a few years a battery upgrade will be available for a modest cost.
Ed: What kind of upgrade are you expecting? Larger capacity? Plug-in
capability?
The way the car is engineered now I do not see much point to increasing the
battery capacity, unless the car is converted into a plug in. The battery
does not saturate often, except when driving down mountains. (But then, you
*live* on the mountain.)
The first plug-in conversion kits are expected next year and they will cost
$12,000.
http://www.calcars.org/priusplus.html
http://www.edrivesystems.com/
They will have a "Valence Saphion lithium-ion" battery pack about 3 times
bigger than the present Prius battery. Toyota warns that the kits will void
the warranty, but I expect they will reach an agreement to certify the
kits. Toyota has been cool to the idea of plug-in conversion, but they are
being pressured by national on-line Prius user groups. These groups are
wildly enthusiastic about the plan, and they are influencing Toyota's
designers and executives to an unprecedented extent. This shows how the
Internet affects everything, including automotive design.
- Jed
