Featured Finally! Toyota is investing in large scale battery plans

The Prime has a one way clutch so both motors can move the car forward. But the control laws were not as good as I wanted.

Bob Wilson

 

I thought it could use bother motors when in EV mode ... what was missing ?

 

Yes, it can use both motors as EV because of the one-way clutch. The problem were the control laws turned on the engine too easily.

Bob Wilson

 

The generator size doesn't have to be tied to the main motor's size. The main advantage is in not having to stick engine and both motors, with a transaxle connecting them all, in one place.

I think only the Prime transaxle can have both motors working for breaking. Was anything said about that when both motors could propel the car?

Was battery out put a limiting factor?

 

They both, MG1 and MG2, move the car forward because of the one-clutch (Sprag Clutch.) But regenerative braking is limited to the larger MG2 only. That part worked fine. It was the super sensitive control laws that turned on the engine too easily and limited 25 mi EV range that made it 'driveway art.'

The irony is Toyota could have use a cylindrical cell assembled battery that would fit in the spare tire recess of the body. It would increase interior volume and with liquid cooling easily boost the range to 35-40 mi. Add fast DC charger, and it would be a serious replacement for our BMW i3-REx.

Bob Wilson

 

maybe the big bucks going into toyota batteries is R&D for SS batteries ... kind of like pouring $$$ into hydrogen ... where the future is less certain than bringing to market today's tech?

 

Read that the SS batteries available today for small electronics and medical devices cost 8 times that of common Li-ion. Starting with hybrids will mean the battery cost per car isn't a huge increase to the purchase price.

 

Yes. Without the necessity to seal the liquid electrolyte, such as using prismatic or pouch construction, they can use thin film laminates to not just separate the cells of a module/battery but to laminate the electrodes as part of the packaging. They assume some type of expansion with liquid electrolyte modules/batteries but none with solid state lithium. They are not only much thinner but simpler to manufacture odd sizes as well.


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