Modding the Toyota Prius

Yeah, hacking your PSP is all fine and good, but you really have to give it up for anyone hacking a hybrid car. The New York Times has an article about two guys in California who are modding the Toyota Prius so that it can run entirely off of battery power for up to ten miles at a time and be plugged into a wall outlet at night, giving owners the option of juicing up the battery so they don't have to fill up with gas as often as they do now (they claim they're getting as much as 100 miles per gallon now). Toyota's not digging it, since they want to emphasize the fact that the Prius works just like a regular car (they say this is just a scheme by the utilities to sell more electricity), but giving people the option to plug their car into the grid when they want to—but still run on gas when they need to—definitely makes sense, and the Times mentions that Chrysler is currently testing plug-in hybrid vans.

[Via Autoblog]

[Paul Wright @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Everybody is so serious. The Prius is a nice car, fun to corner with, cruises above the speed limit in most states, has more room than you would think. The most annoying thing about it is that the accessory plug is only hot when the car is turned on. You can't charge your phone unless you are sitting in the car.

There are several warnings about running the battery down in the manual. I think the writers are weird. The car used to have a switch that let you run on battery power only for a mile or so. What's up with eliminating that?

-----Paul-----

[Clint @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

"PS - How do you jumpstart a Prius ?"

Theres a junction box for jumper cables. The car will start as long as there is juice in the 12 volt battery.

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

QUOTE: "those excellent brakes mentioned earlier are in fact a rather complex (complex or just new? anyone ?) energy harvesting system."

Regenerative braking has been around for years, but the energy hasn't always been harvested.

In diesel trains, for example:
"It works like this: While the train is coasting, the engineer, using an eight-notch controller similar to the throttle, energizes the traction-motor fields, causing the motors to act as generators. The resistance of the motor field acts as a brake on the locomotive, which in turn helps to slow the train. The electric current generated by the motors in the dynamic-braking mode is a waste product and is dissipated as heat in banks of resistors located in the locomotive carbody."
-http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/003/079uwrak.asp

In the trains it was originally intended to spare the brakes from overheating in mountainous terrain. In the Prius it should increase the life of the brakes (if you don't brake too hard) and it recharges the batteries. I don't know how efficient the system is, but at least you aren't spending as much gas to keep your brakes warm.

[Kyle @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

so who is testing a non-hideous hybrid?

[Ben Garmisa @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Kyle, I don't know about you, but I own a 2004 Prius and think it looks pretty damn sleek...

I wouldn't call it anything near hideous. Even if you do, you can't argue that the Honda V6 Hybrid Accord looks "hideous," now can you?

[Craig @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Sorry I have to say that I hate the way the Prius and Accord look. But hey, whatever floats your boat! That is why they make different models. On the plug in side, plugging in seems like more of a pain thaen it is worth, and also(assuming you are plugging in to your own outlet) seems expensive!! Gas is expensive, but I don't know how 30mpg @ $2.25 translates into 10mpkWh @ whatever. Just a thought.

Craig

[gorkon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Actually the Prius is very cool especially the current model. The very first Prius WAS hideous but the current models are damn cool. Especially since every one of htem has a display in the dash that gives you all kinds of info and if I remember right, it is also the map display on the optional GPS system. It also happens to have a different key. Stick it in and you start it by pushing a button.

[theantidote @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

This sounds cool. In the full story it says another company is claiming 180 miles a gallon. It's not surprising that the president of that company is named Kramer.

[All Music Site @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

This is one ugly car!

[Joey Geraci @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

What the hell do you consider "pretty"? A godawful pickup or "forerunner", this has got to be one of the sleekest cars on the road (Accord right below).

Ignorance is not bliss.

[Ben Garmisa @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

To each his own.

As for the key fob, depending on the package you get when buying a Prius, you don't even need to stick the key in. You can lock, unlock and start the car all with the keys in your pocket. The car won't start if the key is an inch out the window (I've tried)... Very cool stuff :-)

Anyway, I guess some people could think the new Prius is ugly, but I really don't understand someone saying that the Accord looks ugly. There's no stylistic differences between the Hybrid and the Gas-only Accord, and it looks pretty damn sleek...

[in Canada... @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

"On the plug in side, plugging in seems like more of a pain thaen it is worth, and also(assuming you are plugging in to your own outlet) seems expensive!!"

In many parts of Canada, people plugin their block heaters during winter anyway, so they're already setup for this. Many garages even have outlets for every parking spot. And I believe electricity is cheaper in many parts of Canada too, so this'll be a great thing.

As far as ugly/not ugly, I've come to the conclusion that the American culture just hates anything other than gasoline-powered automobiles. Every time some new form of transportation is introduced, Americans flip over backwards to find some excuse to dislike it, and if all else fails, they get to the default "it's ugly" argument. It's not really any uglier than many other cars, you just dislike it because of a deep cultural conditioning.

[Erik Cohen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

#8...my GFs Prius allows you to start it, drive, then get out of the car and go into a store. The car doesn't shut even when the key is nowhere near the car. Does yours do this?

Thanks,
Erik

[Mark Sumner @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

It won't shut down if you take the key out of the car as long as you leave the power on. You can put the key in the car, turn it on, and drive it away. But God help you if you turn if off and try to restart. (There's a warning light that flashes when the key is out of the car with the power on.)

The Plug-In Hybrid is the best and most immediate solution to our oil problem. With the US importing 65% of its oil, and no domestic sources that can help (even if you start drilling the Artcic Refuge and other sites today, there are major fields within ten years of shutting down. By the time new sources are around, domestic production will actually decrease) depending on oil for our transportation means depending on a resource that going to always be out of our control. We can wait twenty - twenty five years for the first commerical hydrogen fuel cell cars to come on the market (and watch the huge handout oil companies will get to put in hydrogen fueling stations), or we can start making plug-in hybrids -today-. If we could replace the current fleet with plug-in hybrids having a range of 20 miles on electricity, we would eliminate between 60-70% of our oil consumption. And a plug-in hybrid has all the range of a conventional auto when it's time for a longer trip. And it doesn't require a massive program of retrofitting every gas station in America.

[JJ @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

The Prius is a great commuter car. It ain't a "car car". It just plain works if you want to get from point A to point B. And if you take a few minutes to get used to it, it not only works flawlessly but tends to be pretty efficient.

It's just not a fun car though. And that's understandable. It's no Mustang. I wasn't designed to be a fun car, it was designed with effiency in mind.

If I want relatively cheap fun, I'll buy a Nizzan Z, a Audi TT Coupe or a 05 Mustang. If I just want to get somewhere, I'll ride the bus or buy a Prius.

Personally, I like the Prius. But I'd much rather drive a TT or a Mustang. It's just a lot more fun. YMMV though.

[RP @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

A lot of people here in the SF Bay Area must think the Prius looks great -- there is a 3+ month waiting list! Seems like I can't drive a mile without seeing one.

Love the large hatch-back too -- few companies still make a hatch. Not sure why -- trunks are stupid.

[Erik Cohen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I think the car is crazy fun. It handles like a big go-cart. I take freeway exits at 45MPH and those little tires squeek the entire time. The brakes are the best I have ever tried, the damn thing stops on a dime. The only thing that gets me is when your at a light the engine cuts out, and since I normally drive a stick, I keep thinking she stalled.

I worry about long-term issues with the engine since it turns on and off hundreds of times per day. This car will be sold way before the warranty goes.

Erik

[Riskable @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I have a Prius and I have to say that...

A) I think it looks awesome. There is no other car on the road like it. Not to mention it has one of the lowest drag coefficients of any vehicle, period.

B) Mine is fully loaded with the keyless entry system and the bluetooth/voice navigation. If you get a Prius, get this package!!! After using the keyless entry system you can never go back and the bluetooth is just damn convenient!

C) Its the most fun car I've ever driven. Sneaking up on people in parking lots is a blast. Since the internal combustion engine (ICE) doesn't normally run at low speeds, the car is absolutely silent in parking lots, at stop signs, etc. I consider this feature to be extremely luxurious.

D) Its nice to only have to fill up once a month. Then when you *DO* fill up, you end up putting in like 9 gallons so you're in & out of the gas station very quickly. I've driven up behind many SUVs that were in the process of filling up and finished fuelling and paying while they were still pumping gas.

E) Oil prices just continue to go up which means the return on my investment just keeps getting better.

[Marc @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Yeah, but I can blow by your butt at a stoplight in a BMW. That's what chicks *really* care about.

[jonathan neil @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Re: Mark Summer

Most of the electricity in the US comes from oil and coal burning power plants. Chances are you would still be using oil when charging a car directly from the power grid.

[atomb @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

oil/coal is just that.

electricity can be produced by many different methods. if i had to choose which i'd rather have my entire country powered by, it would be electricity any day.

once the oil/coal runs out, electricity can be generated by other means.

so while you may still be using oil/coal when you plug in NOW, it doesn't always have to be that way.

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Whether it's ugly or not is a question of taste and there is no arguing taste. Personally I think it's kind of cute, and more people I talk to think it looks cool rather than ugly!

I own an '05 Prius and traded in a '95 Acura Integra GS-R for it. I find the Prius a very entertaining and fun car to drive; it's just fun in a lot different way than a souped-up Integra (or BMW or 350Z or Audi TT or what have you) is. Don't knock it 'til you try it!

I get more attention with this car than I would have ever imagined. And it is a chick-magnet, provided that what you are looking for are environmentally conscious, intelligent women and not mindless bimbos.

Once you look past the styling and the somewhat idiosynchratic controls it is a very practical car: it is surprisingly spacious, with the hatchback design and flip-down seats you can get very bulky items in it, it handles, rides and performs like a regular Toyota sedan (in some aspects even better), and it uses normal, regular gas and not Diesel or some alternative fuel which you may need to go out of your way to find. And it gets about twice the mileage of any other car offering the same or similar space, comfort and convenience.

Any hey, regardless of what John Travolta says, the Prius IS the Cadillac of Hybrids!

[Bill @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Whether it's ugly or not is a question of taste and there is no arguing taste. Personally I think it's kind of cute, and more people I talk to think it looks cool rather than ugly!

I own an '05 Prius and traded in a '95 Acura Integra GS-R for it. I find the Prius a very entertaining and fun car to drive; it's just fun in a lot different way than a souped-up Integra (or BMW or 350Z or Audi TT or what have you) is. Don't knock it 'til you try it!

I get more attention with this car than I would have ever imagined. And it is a chick-magnet, provided that what you are looking for are environmentally conscious, intelligent women and not mindless bimbos.

Once you look past the styling and the somewhat idiosynchratic controls it is a very practical car: it is surprisingly spacious, with the hatchback design and flip-down seats you can get very bulky items in it, it handles, rides and performs like a regular Toyota sedan (in some aspects even better), and it uses normal, regular gas and not Diesel or some alternative fuel which you may need to go out of your way to find. And it gets about twice the mileage of any other car offering the same or similar space, comfort and convenience.

Any hey, regardless of what John Travolta says, the Prius IS the Cadillac of Hybrids!

[Mark Sumner @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Geez mon, check your numbers. Almost NONE of the electricity in the United States comes from oil.

[Al @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I want to find someone that will yank the gas engine from my '02 Prius (after I get a newer model year), replace the electric motor with a group of more powerful motors, and then drop a diesel generator in.

That'd be a nifty little mod...

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Since there are a number of Prius owneres posting in hear I can ask now...

Aren't you going to have to do a rather costly battery replacemnt in 5 years or so (or is it an included warranty item)? This is not a criticism or an attack, I'm just curious if you really to end up saving money in the long run, 'cuz if your saving $500 a year on gas and doing a $2500 battery replacement every 5 years (these numbers are pulled right out of the air so if you've got the real ones I'd love to hear'em) it sounds like all you're doing is keeping the air cleaner and helping the US maintain some semblence of economic self sufficiency. Which is of course great, but I'm just curious about the overall dollar comparison...

Any info is welcome...

[dan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

# 23, that is exactly the comment I was going to mention. Several people who manufacture the car have mentioned that draining a battery completely down and recharging it is VERY hard on it.

I almost always walk/bike to school and to work. granted I'm a college kid, but by simplifying this way, I have no commuter car, and oil prices only (directly) effect me when I purchase things at the store or drive somewhere fun.

A professor at my college once asked us a question in class: is it faster to drive a car across montana at 125 mph, or is it faster to ride a bike?

the answer is a bike, because you the amount of time you have to spend working for gas/insurance/license/the car etc. is cheaper than the bike.

just a thought.

[l.st @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

batteries: my dad has a prius so i know about the warranty program; not too surprised toyota doesn't like this... you get an eight-year warranty on the battery system. the system costs a few thousand dollars. ouch for toyota.

Mark Sumner:
you're right, most electricity isn't generated by oil. it's generated by coal. yum. various sulfur compounds, carbon products AND tons and tons of radioactive compounds. do you know how good coal is at trapping radioactive particles? not just carbon-14 but also uranium and plutonium. wonderful. burning oil is cleaner than coal. not by a lot, but it is. then you have to figure in the energy ineffciencies: turning chemical energy into electrical energy by burning it, not very efficient. then transferring it over the power grid, you lose energy there too. not very good.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Thanks 'l. st' :)

"you get an eight-year warranty on the battery system"

I wonder how efficient the battery is in year 7.0 - 7.9 (and how environmentally sound the batteries actually are). Still, with either Japanese or German cars it is often worth it to dump some money into them if need be at the middle of their life. Assuming no other specific abuse (and considering it's a toyota, maybe even WITH some abuse) given a new battery/system the gasoline engine et al else will likely run another 8+ years...

Then again those excellent brakes mentioned earlier are in fact a rather complex (complex or just new? anyone ?) energy harvesting system. If those don't have a life similar to the brakes, I would assume that they are then similar to the batteries and would have to be replaced at the same time as well. $$$.

Any info/comments/enlightenment on that ?

PS - How do you jumpstart a Prius ? :)

[Peppermint @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

My new 2005 Prius has a 10 year warranty on the battery, and I didn't have to pay anything extra for that. Maybe some dealerships recently increased the time limit on the battery warranty.