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RE: Plugging into the grid

Comment comment by stopgap on 17 November 2005

The PRIUS+ project from CalCars (link to PDF) adds extra batteries extending electric-only operation up to 34 MPH and providing extra (as compared to normal Prius battery pack) electric assist during normal hybrid drive. To get the improved "gas millage" (they also figure the cost of electricity used to recharge the batteries into this calculation) 300 lb. of batteries must be added. With lead-acid batteries used in early PRIUS+ model, this added weight gives you 10 electric-only miles. Anything past that is hybrid miles. Using Li-Ion batteries extends the all-electric millage to 35 miles. BTW, these miles also have to be at speed at or below 34 MPH.

Let's say that taking out the gas engine and supporting systems will reduce the car weight by 30%. With the same Li-Ion battery pack, the all-electric range increases to 45.5 miles (all driven at or below 34 MPH!) between recharge stops, which cripples the car's usefulness in my opinion.

To get beyond the 34 MPH limit, I image you'd need a bigger electric motor, which increases the weight. The current Prius electric motor delivers a tiny 26 HP.

Anyway, there's trade-offs and engineering compromises all over the place here depending on the expected use of the vehicle.

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RE: Plugging into the grid by yaffff :: NR0

Trade-offs are fun. At least for Nerds. So will the evolution of the car eventually lead to user customization of the power plant? The driver could load a feul/perfomance profile into the vehicle's computer that optimized it for whatever conditions were needed. People are already doing this with mod chips that either increase horsepower or feul economy based on personal tastes.

This would be a far cry from the Henry Ford mass-production model!

Posted 17 November 2005, Hide, Parent, Reply