Hidden in the Environmental Technology Development and Future Plans, there is a piece that said: TMC plans to enhance the appeal of the “Prius PHV” plug-in hybrid vehicle (launched in January of 2012) by expanding available vehicle grades and by offering an accessory outlet designed to use the hybrid system as a power supply that can also be used in times of emergency. Will we see a stripped down model? If anyone has information about 2013 PHV models, please chime in.
Note that this is TMC, not TMS. They may be expanding the packages in Japan, but I haven't heard anything about it for the US. Although that plug would make the PiP a great tailgating vehicle.
I hope they can eventually get it down to an option type system where the buyer can decide on how much battery/range/power they want/need/afford; just like a buyer can decide which ICE they want (IL4, V6 or V8, etc).
I also noticed that little nugget of info. Being such a flexible platform and knowing how Toyota strives for a diverse offering, it isn't any surprise. Already seeing the variety of motor & battery configurations, it is exciting to think about that potential being taken advantage of. The fact that the plug-in system doesn't require liquid-cooling suggests opportunity too.
I read somewhere that they were working on an EVSE that would allow power to flow both ways. Meaning if you car needed a charge and there was power the car would charge. If you lost power in your house and you wanted to send power from your generator errrr PIP, then it would send power back to your house. I dont know if it was real but it is a great idea. Id definitely want one.
I have read this myself about a year ago, but can't find the article which contained more details. Definitely a cool idea, but concerned it won't happen since most people would probably run their central air etc all at the same time.
While the concept of using the car as a generator for power outages is awesome, I can't imagine it'll be that simple to implement. I'm pretty sure you'll need to have your house outfitted with a transfer switch. Otherwise you could easily be sending electricity out into the neighborhood during a power outage, which could potentially electrocute a lineman working on the outage. I know that my Solar PV system automatically shuts down when it sees the grid go down (we're pure grid-tied).
Yeah, Im sure the prototype unit they were working on sensed when the house lost power and included the appropriate switches.
I found a power supply board which can take +/- 190VDC and convert it to 120V or 240V, the PS2448. Google it.
Yep. No pricing or availability unless you're, say a business, and request a quote. Definitely interesting though!
It's more or less a waste of effort using the car in a house-powering manner. Even a Leaf with its massive lithium ion battery would be depleted in no time at all running a house with anything more than its bare bones systems, so running juice in both directions via EVSE is a recipe for disaster. I do think that these things should all as standard attire have a 120 V outlet, however.
Its not a waste at all for a pip. Its basically a generator. It would be a great back up source of power. I wish I had that option.
The AC inverter/converter would just be switched-in in place of the traction motor. Drawing current from the ICE driven generator and or battery as needed. The battery would be used as it is in HV mode to balance the power output and to supply current when only low levels are needed. You can't charge the Pip's pack because the car would be on but this would work for aftermarket add-on batteries. So how much power could we get?
