Need help from Prius v owner in San Diego area

I purchased a 10kW plug-in modification from Plug-in-Supply, and it doesn't work with my 2012 Prius v.

Toyota has apparently changed something in the software of the 'v' that prevents the Plug-in-Supply system from putting the car into EV mode.

This same change has been made in the newer Highlander hybrids, so they are no longer selling their kits for the Highlander.

I would like to ask some generous soul in the San Diego area, or within reasonable driving distance, to "donate" some time with their Prius v so that the software engineer can figure out what needs to be updated to make this work with my car (and possibly with the Highlanders as well).

You'll be a part of something very cool; helping me to use virtually no gas for my daily driving!

No modifications to your car will be made, only listening to the car's diagnostic port and trying to tell it to go into EV mode. It may be necessary to install battery packs in the trunk in order to test it, but they would only need to be hooked-up, not bolted in.

If you'd be willing to help with this, I would be eternally grateful.

I should add that I am on the East Coast; it's the developer that's in the San Diego area.

Anyone want to help out?

Thanks!

-Wes

 

Yeah, it's really amazing.

I expect the Prius v to not get quite as many miles due to the higher final drive ratio, heavier weight, and larger frontal surface area and coefficient of drag.

Hopefully I can make it work for my car.

-Wes

 

Thanks everyone for their interest. From my research, the Plug-in-Supply kit is superior to the Enginer kit in a lot of ways, especially safety and engine reliability.

syscon, you are correct, this is the first installation in a Prius v. I asked before I purchased if it would work, and they told me it would. It wasn't until after I installed it that they told me this was the first Prius v installation.

I don't mind being the guinea pig when it's been so well-tested on the Gen 3 Prius, but I do find it frustrating to not be able to get it working.

It took so long to ship me the kit that they had dropped the price by nearly $800 before I even received the parts, and it's dropped another $800 since then.

I still think Robb Protheroe (the proprietor) is a good guy, and is really doing this for the right reasons; to make a difference and help people use less fuel. I don't feel like he lied to me; I think he just assumed there was no technical reason the kit won't work with a Prius v, and he was wrong.

It's just a very small company and I don't think he has the resources to keep doing R&D on this system when Toyota changes things in the cars. I know he doesn't have the resources to refund my money.

The system is very well thought-out, I could tell that as I was assembling it. Lots of safety disconnects and such. For a company that is essentially one guy and a couple of contract engineers, it's amazing what they've built. Designed and manufactured custom circuit boards to interface with a modern CAN car!

I'm definitely upset that it's not working, but at this point I'd rather play nice and try to help make it work than try to fight for a refund. Honestly, I'm still exited about this thing.

Any of you California folks that want to help, please chime in.

Again, I'm not asking people to let us take apart the car, and we don't need to "borrow it", we just need to meet somewhere (maybe a few times) and have an engineer sit in it with a laptop while you drive around

-Wes

PS How do I edit the thread title?

 

Supposedly that's what the front controller board is for; it fools the computer into pulling more current from the battery, and running in EV mode at speeds of up to 72mph.

...but of course the ICE still comes on if you accelerate faster than a certain amount.