Bob,Phil,Ken,Schwa- great stuff.Thanks.
Anyone have any idea of the cheapest way to add a second battery/battery pack?
You guys know that biggest boost in FE would be to add maybe 3000 Watt Hrs (2000 useable, maybe 3000 ) and the EV button with plug in capability. This would give ~ 10 mile low speed all electric (10 cents per 1000 WT HR) capability. You could do 10 miles at 2 cents per mile instead of the 6 cents a mile a 50 mpg Prius gets with $3 gasoline.
I know that there are a couple of expensive ($5000 and $10000) kits, but the cost is too high. Any of you engineers planning to DIY one of the kits? I'm fairly sure the Lead Acid batteries would weigh only 300 lbs and cost just $300. The EV button is just $50 from Coastal. The frame would have to be reinforced to handle 300 lbs of tongue wt.
I would be reluctant to have the batteries in the passenger compartment, so maybe you could add a receiver hitch and carrier and carry them behind the car?
If I was more electrically adept-and the Prius was out of warranty-I would give it a try. For brave souls still in warranty, the batteries on the carrier would allow a quick return to OEM configuration just in case you had to bring it in for warranty work??
Maybe this is the wrong thread to post this in, but this would allow a 1st gen Prius to absolutely KILL all other cars in FE, giving it the equivalent of 100-150 mpg -an Insight Killer. This is the real advantage of Toyota's system over Honda's system.Granted hauling 300 lbs of batteries with them protruding 2.5 ft isn't elegant, but it would certainly help the city FE.A quick D/C could be used to put the Prius back in Hy trim(or warranty trim). A HH would be a natural for this treatment. It would require maybe 500 lbs of batteries to get 10 mile range. I don't see any reason to try to make them rechargable by the ICE or regen-too complicated.Just "trick" the control unit into thinking it is in EV mode, and just draining/using its own battery.
Sorry to step on the thread.Great stuff posted in the FAQ Bob!!
Charlie

 

I could tell you but then I'd have to shock you. <grins>

How about starting a separate thread with this question. I have some plans but I'd prefer not to 'muddy up' the waters of this thread. But there are several technical challenges:

- avoiding triggering a ground fault
- a modular approach so you don't have to deal directly with lethal battery packs
- non-battery, electrical power source, a compound engine approach
- getting the EV switch modification

I was thinking this would be a nice project for my second year of Prius ownership.

Bob Wilson