Prius PHV Plug-In Updates?

Just about everything out there is inaccurate or misleading tabloids. Case in point!
Even A 3000-MPG Chevy Volt Has To Turn On The Engine Sometimes
By John Voelcker
Senior Editor
July 27th, 2011

Even A 3000-MPG Chevy Volt Has To Turn On The Engine Sometimes

Will 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Get Us Used To Plugging In?

 

Yes - even if that oil is from GOM.

There is an international oil market and any consumption increases oil price and helps the sheiks who give "protection money" to terrorists.

 

I can order now, can you guys?

(Oh sorry, not 4/1 today)

 

Per the 2010 data, we produced 5.5 million barrels/day (bpd). We import 6.9 millions bpd from the non-OPEC countries and 4.9 million bpd from the OPEC countries.

We import only 28% from OPEC (unfriendly) countries. We just need to reduce our consumption by 28% to stick it to them, not 100% by going cold turkey as some of the plugsmugs have suggested. That’s like going from 15 MPG SUV -> 19 MPG. 25 MPG Sedan -> 32 MPG. Plugins help but cordless hybrids are doing more than it’s share.

Source: Oil: Crude and Petroleum Products - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy
U.S. Total Crude Oil and Products Imports

 

Everything I see about the Plug-in Prius is it has 2 battery packs that once discharged runs as a regular car (or is it like a Prius that runs just a little bit before the motor kicks in). I am not clear on this point. My issue with this is why doesn't it charge up as one pack depletes then start on the next one after the first is charged. It seems as though it is just that next little step that would make it a game changer. Granted I don't know what all that entails but that would make it one Super Prius to me. Then they could probably up grade the electronics with that third digit for the MPG. Then they could start looking at maxing out that reading next. I believe it would take some smart switch and a lot of software to begin with but geez wouldn't that be worth a few thousand dollars??? I think the bigger electric motor is good too. I know it takes more juice but it would be nice if when going down a hill the electric motor could keep a constant speed to at least 55 mph.

I am at 5200 miles on my 2011 model 3 and I am just getting the hang of the mid-range mileage. I didn't like finding that I had an issue getting and keeping 55mpg for the full tank. Then I went on a 500 mile trip (which has netted me 52.5mpg previously) and after filling up at the same station, I averaged 61.6mpg. I spoke to a friend of mine (service Mgr.) at my Honda dealer and he told me that I probably got a tank of NO ETHANOL!!! Talking about deflating my ego. All the stations I know of in my area sell ETHANOL

 

The answer is that power generation from your own engine is inefficient. The goal of the large battery is to transfer power from the utility company to your car and avoid buying gasoline.

The engineers at Toyota have figured out the smaller battery is the most efficient size for "energy recovery" (going down hills and breaking). Beyond that level, the car engine just becomes a generator; As a generator, it is no where near as efficient as a power plant. So, once the "small battery" is charged, it just shuts off the generator function and maximizes the engine's gas mileage instead.

I am confident the engineers didn't just "forget" or stopped short of "optimum" just because they felt like it.

 

Crash0099 wrote " think the bigger electric motor is good too. I know it takes more juice but it would be nice if when going down a hill the electric motor could keep a constant speed to at least 55 mph." The Plug-in Prius is actually capable of running up to 62mph on electric only so you could do short hops on the freeway at 55 without kicking in the ICE.

 

Updated 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in website!

https://auth2.toyota.com/prius/plug-in/dealers/search.do#

 

I don't think the motor has anything to do with it. In fact, I believe the Plug-in has the same transaxle (which includes the motor) as the non-plug-in version. (please correct me if I'm wrong)

I would bet the inverter is different, though. I think the inverter has always been the bottleneck on electric power in the standard Prius.

 

battery output and boost converter were limited to 21kw (35hp). MG2 on gen3 is 60kw. the inverter could always handle 60kw (blending battery output and MG1 output fed by the ICE) and i don't believe total system output has been increased (which it could be if battery output has raised above 21kw) so the inverter shouldn't need significant changes.

 

21kW is about 28hp, not 35. Gen3 battery output is limited to about 27kW (36hp) if I remember correctly.

 

"Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute invented the first mouse prototype in 1963, with the assistance of his colleague Bill English. They christened the device the mouse as early models had a cord attached to the rear part of the device looking like a tail and generally resembling the common mouse. Engelbart never received any royalties for it, as his patent ran out before it became widely used in personal computers." - Wikipedia

Xerox PARC was founded in 1970, so mice came before turtles.

 

hey wait a minute ... Leaf'ers have fun, and can still mix power sources. Many recharge days I do Solar. Other times I throw in a bit of coal ... nuke ... wind ... natural gas ...and the like.


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I got an email from my local Toyota with more juicy info.

 

Prius PHV will be able to charge with those different external power sources as well.

I really meant the on-board power sources. Leaf has only one on-board and that is the battery. Just looking at the "range remaining" display go up and down is quite boring.

I like the PSD blending the ICE with battery power to achieve the highest energy efficiency. I also like the control to choose between the two on-board power sources.

 

I'm on record of predicting we'll see the first of the PHV on the road shortly before Earth Day 2012. That's looking pretty realistic...
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2 trim levels? so, it is not going to be packaged like the Prius v?

 

Antagonists have been pushing the belief that the plug-in model will only be available as the most expensive configuration... which isn't based on anything Toyota has ever said or done. In fact, the PHV so far have been closest to a package 3.

Offering a choice makes good business sense.
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I expect the trims to be similar to what the competitors offer. 2 Trims look likely rather than a full blown 5 trims like in a mature model.

 

Kind of like the Lexus model of Standard and Premium?