Edmund Storms wrote:
The over charging is not so much of a problem here compared to complete
draining of the battery when going up a modest hill. A larger capacity
would allow greater efficiency and perhaps a change in the algorithm to
turn off the engine completely when the battery was charged above a set level.
Ah yes.
Did you know the present previous model can run in fully electric mode for
about a kilometer, up to 35 mph? The models sold in Singapore and other
crowded Asian cities have a button on the dashboard, on the lower left,
that enables this. This button is not installed in the U.S. version, but
there is a place on the dashboard for it, and the feature is fully enabled
in the computer and dashboard wiring. People are selling cheap kits to
install a button. With a larger battery pack you will be able to go several
kilometers in fully electric mode. It does not save any energy however, so
even thought it is cool to run through the neighborhood without making
noise, I wouldn't bother.
The first plug-in conversion kits are expected next year and they will
cost $12,000.
This is a bit steep, but I expect this feature would be much less if it
were a factory option.
That will be the price for fanatical early adapters and geeks. I am sure it
will fall very quickly, to something like $5,000. (I estimate this from the
future likely cost of the batteries -- the main expense.) For person who
commutes long distances every day, or for someone who operates a delivery
service, this will be a very good deal.
The upcoming Prius plug-in hybrid kit is described here:
http://www.edrivesystems.com/Edrive-FAQ.html
Some interesting quotes:
Plug-in hybrids offer the best chance of transitioning away from fossil
fuels towards a renewably powered transportation future. Full sized
electric vehicles suffer from limited range and may require up to 3 times
the battery capacity of an EDrive equipped plug-in hybrid and still not be
capable of satisfying 100% of a personís driving needs. At present,
hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles suffer from astronomical cost (over
$500,000), limited range (80-180 miles), low efficiency (compared to
batteries) and most notably a lack of economically priced and widely
available fuel. . . .
Q: Doesn't plugging in the car just trade oil pollution for coal pollution?
A: Californians are spoiled by one of the cleanest electrical grids in the
U.S., but even where coal supplies much of the electrical power, plugging
in vehicles is still a smart environmental solution. One thing that is
often overlooked when electric power plant pollution is discussed, is the
upstream pollution required to extract oil, transport it, refine it,
distribute the gasoline then refuel a vehicle (vapor emissions). Comparing
the national electrical grid to the average gallon of refined gasoline
shows that the upstream pollution for gasoline production on average is
much higher than that of the average electricity source. [A VERY IMPORTANT
POINT!]
Q: What is the EDrive system for the Toyota Prius and how does it work?
A: The EDrive system replaces the existing Prius NiMH battery and Toyota
battery control computer with a larger Valence Saphion lithium-ion battery
and a proprietary battery monitoring and control system developed by
EnergyCS. The new system allows the Prius to be charged at home using a
standard 110/120V home outlet. . . .
Q: How long does it take to charge?
A: The EDrive lithium battery system is 9kWh or kilowatt-hours (7 times
larger than the Prius NiMH battery). The charger used by the EDrive system
is 1 kilowatt (kw), about the same as a hair dryer. If the battery were
totally depleted, it could take 9 hours (9hrs * 1kW = 9kWh) to charge the
battery.
Q11: How is the EV range so much larger than a standard Prius with only 7
times as much battery?
A: The standard Prius has a 1.3kWh NiMH battery but only uses about 25% of
it (or 300Wh). The EDrive lithium battery is 9kWh but up to 80% of it is
used (or 7200Wh). Therefore the EDrive system actually has 24x more energy
(7200/300) at its disposal.
Q: What will be the Warranty on the EDrive system?
A: The warranty for the EDrive installation, electronics and Valence
batteries is yet to be determined. The details of the warranty will not be
known until the commercial product is released. [I GATHER THIS IS BEING
NEGOTIATED.]
