<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TwelveInchPrius @ Jul 2 2006, 10:42 AM) [snapback]280149[/snapback]</div> Driving. light braking down hill. But the best method that doesn't exist is plugging it in!
What Darell is somewhat flippantly saying is that there is no way to "recharge" it. Similarly there is no reason to recharge it. The car will adjust the SOC of the battery as the driving conditions dictate. There is discussion that the next generation Prius may have a plug-in option. There are also some very expensive aftermarket plug-in options available for the current generation (on the order of $12k for the commercially available products). You best be is to completely ignore the 'battery level' and just drive the car. I won't let you drain it too low and there are negatives to it being too high (which it also won't let you do).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jul 2 2006, 11:40 AM) [snapback]280165[/snapback]</div> Hey! I resemble that remark!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wstander @ Jul 2 2006, 12:45 PM) [snapback]280185[/snapback]</div> For what vehicle? The current Prius? No clue. It isn't meant to drive on electric power at any kind useful speed. For a properly-designed EV version of a Prius? about four miles/kwh at freeway speed. Doesn't matter where the electricity comes from, of course. The EV1 managed about 180 W-hrs/mile on the freeway. And that is astonishing. We'd do better today with more efficient controllers.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jul 2 2006, 12:51 PM) [snapback]280188[/snapback]</div> I am just thinking of how much it would cost to power a pure EV at current utility charges versus a similar hybrid or non-electric vehicle. Recall a few years back that we in SoCal were paying over twice what some other areas were.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wstander @ Jul 2 2006, 01:09 PM) [snapback]280193[/snapback]</div> With the most expensive rates in the country, it would cost about half as much to power an EV as to power a gas car. In CA, you are offered a Time of Use Rate for EV charging that would cut that in half yet again... assuming you charge at night during "off peak" which must of us naturally do anyway. You charge while you sleep... and while there is surplus capacity at the generators. As it is now, if I were buying my power from the grid, I'm paying about 60c for my gallon of gas equivalent in my EV. Still more expensive than bicycling, but free compared to gasoline.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TwelveInchPrius @ Jul 2 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]280149[/snapback]</div> All she needs is a good night's sleep and a Starbuck's in the morning. Mine likes caramel frapachinos best. (Just like me!) I'm sorry. I really couldn't resist.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hawkjm73 @ Jul 2 2006, 02:34 PM) [snapback]280227[/snapback]</div> Do you pour that directly into the battery? Actually, I thought Darell's first answer to the OP was straight from the hip: Driving the Prius is the one and only method of charging it, downhill being faster than level. Unless you've modified it. As for the cost per mile to run a modified Prius on electricity, there's some information at the EDrive Systems web site: http://www.edrivesystems.com/faq.html
