Plug in your Prius

A group of California-based engineers, electric-car fans and environmental activists have been tinkering to create a plug-in hybrid that can be charged at any outlet and can drive farther on electricity.

Jacco Kroon | January/February 2008 issue

What does it take to retrofit your Toyota Prius so it never sips a drop of gasoline again? Twenty batteries the size of a carton of milk, some aluminium strips, a charger, a spool of electrical wire and electrical components. Oh, and knowledge of automotive electronics.

The onboard computer in the Prius calculates the most efficient collaboration between the electric- and the gas-powered engine. In practise, the Prius only uses electricity at low speeds. A group of California-based engineers, electric-car fans and environmental activists have been tinkering to create a plug-in hybrid that can be charged at any outlet and can drive farther on electricity.

“Not only is it cleaner,” says Felix Kramer, “it’s also cheaper, partly because you can charge your car at night when rates are lower.” Kramer is the founder of the California Cars Initiative, or CalCars, a group that is trying to persuade car manufacturers to mass produce plug-in hybrids.

The first step is to activate the “electric-only” function, an option that has been disabled on the U.S. market, though in Europe and Japan you only need to push a button. The problem can be remedied using wire, a switch and a soldering iron. Then things get tougher. The battery that powers the Prius’ electric engine only makes it 1.5 kilometres, a mile, before needing a charge from the combustion engine. But the “Prius hackers” have drastically expanded the car’s electrical capacity by putting 20 lead-acid batteries in the trunk and installing the necessary software and electronics, as well as a charger that can be plugged into the electricity grid.

There are limitations. Even 20 batteries only last 16 kilometres (10 miles) and the Prius can’t go faster than 55 kilometres per hour (33 mph) on electricity. “An acceptable speed or city commuting,” says Kramer.

Unfortunately, only the technical DIY crowd can follow the painstaking instructions on the CalCars website. But Kramer claims the most important goal has been achieved. “Car manufacturers are testing the prototypes. By 2010 at the latest, you’ll be able to buy an affordable plug-in hybrid from your dealer.”

Find out more: calcars.org

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Comments (4)

OEMtek is doing this conversion in California for about $12,000 oemtek.com

They use a 9kwh (Killawatt hour) battery from Valence to add about 30 miles of electric range.

electricity costs about $.06 to $.12 for 1kwh depending where you live. So to charge the 9kwh battery will cost $.54 to 1.08.

$1 for 30 miles is great but even better if you look at the fact gas is going up drastically.

The valence battery add to a next generation prius will be even better. blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2008/01/prius-plug-in.html

posted by ecospider5 on 2/29/2008 8:27 pm

Hi, I remember reading about some guy (in the U.S.) who invented the light-weight "plastic automobile engine" like 20 years ago. I believe the car makers & oil industry bought & buried his invention.

The article was in an issue of People magazine. It said that only a few parts of an engine need to be made out of metal because the rest of it never gets that hot or suffers much wear & tear.

It seems like that would be an easy way for the planet to quickly improve the mileage of almost all vehicles. (That and making more auto-bodies out of fiberglass)

It could be just what many hybrid car owners need. Some of them will never use their car's heavy gasoline engine, but they still have to haul it around. And the patent for the plastic engine may be expiring soon, so it could be available to everyone!

Also, what about solar panels on your garage's roof that send electricity down to a charger/battery pack located inside the garage. You come home and it "flash charges" your car with the electricity that it's been saving up all day. Or you could throw the battery pack into your trunk and plug it into your car's electrical system and off you go, so there's NO waiting.

It might also be an easy way to increase your car's battery capacity for when you've got a long drive ahead of you. Later, you'd remove it to reduced your car's weight and thus increase it's mileage.

posted by eglo527 on 1/21/2008 8:54 pm

Hello,

I drive a Prius, will never again drive anything else. The Toyota product is indeed great. I am interested in knowing the intake wattage of electricity per night. the cost of Electricity being what it is must be measured with the price of gas. I am sure electricity would win. Also, if one has solar panels would that work?

last question of course is what is the price of all this?

thanks

Eveline Horelle Dailey hed1@cox.net

posted by EveLine on 1/20/2008 3:24 pm

Yes...by the time I finally get my very own car...it's going to be fun fun fun! Next thing you know they'll upgrade the hybrid that can take in any kilomiles...without having to charge it for such and such a time. And...the hybrids would be classy and interesting looking and un-boring. No stress on gas prices and environment hazard.... :D

posted by Loulu79 on 1/19/2008 10:38 am