This is sort of a strange question, but is there a way to "hack" my Prius (if you forgive the terminology)? I have a few ideas I'd like to do to help myself with my fuel efficiency and driving. For one thing, I'd like to increase the EV mode limit to about 60 mph. Quite often, I'm driving around with an almost-full battery because I don't use the power. If I can switch it to EV mode when normal driving, I can save on gas. Secondly, I'd like to decrease the cruise control minimum speed to about 15mph, for personal reasons. Third, maybe if I see the code, then I can figure out the STUPID friggin' EV mode! I can figure out the requirements for using it (when it says not available for whatever reason), and why it is that sometimes it works at 25 mph and others it won't work at all even if I'm only going 10 mph WITH an almost-full battery.
Doubtful you could do this. And you wouldn't go very far nor save any fuel. But Toyota does sell at kit to do this. Not cheap, but it comes with an entire car. It is called the Prius Prime. Mike
Increase EV mode to 60 mph, there wouldn’t be enough regen to charge then pack to keep it EV for long. Plus the amperage of regen & sending electrity to the inverter back and forth would be so high it would not be safe and practical to not fireball up. Similar to raising a phone charger from 2.1amp to 10amp to reduce the charging time.
sorry, no. it's proprietary software. many have tried and given up. there was one guy a few years ago who hacked his prius and converted it to an bev, but his knowledge was einsteinian, and no one else has ever shown that kind of software/hardware expertise.
Prime owner here can confirm my car was hacked by Toyota and now I can drive with or without EV mode at any time I want.
Of course there is a way. But generally if you're asking, then you don't have what it takes now to make it possible. It is extremely easy and documented to get the Gen-2 and Gen-3 Prius up to 60mph+ in EV mode. The Gen-2 is the easiest since the Hybrid ECU was separate. But in a Gen-3, your best bet is to starve the fuel. Either via software or actually kill the pump with a relay, whatever. No fuel, no engine, EV mode! You do have to learn how to reset the ECU while operational to get out of that mode, otherwise it is like an opposite-NOS button where when you engage it you get high speed EV for 15 seconds and then your car dies on the side of the road. And no, you won't get better gas mileage in EV mode. Use of EV mode is detrimental to your overall efficiency. It may be counter-intuitive now, but work through the math of where that energy comes from and the problem stares you in the face. You can modify the cruise control but there are multiple systems depending on what package you have. And if this is your first foray into embedded hacking and coding, I would NOT start with a system that has control of the go-pedal. That seems like a good way to kill a newbie. EV mode is pretty simple. Your car has to be in the correct stage of warmup. The battery has to be in the right state of charge. The battery has to be in the right temperature band range. The power demand has to be in the right band. There can't be any charge/discharge/balance cycles going on from the ECU. That sort of thing.
All those restrictions make sense to me. The one that prohibits moving the car even a very short distance in EV on a cool day does not!
Outside ambient temperature is not part of the equation. If you meet all the other requirements you can EV mode in -40C. Been there done that. It can effect warmup stage, HVAC requests, and battery temperature obviously. All of which can deny you EV mode.
At least for 2011 in USA, the temperature (of coolant) must be over 20C. Outside ambient temperature affects engine temperature of a parked car, oddly enough. Versions for other countries do not have that restriction. (Not sure about Canada) This has been discussed in earlier threads--- from which I learned the specific temperature limit.
Yes but that's part of the "stages" of the engine. The coolant temperature is one variable for when you get to the final stage and what allows EV mode.
Bottom line is still that I can not move the car 20 feet without firing up the engine unless the engine is above 20C.
And that should be tweakable because the European spec cars can go into EV until 0C. But then still you'd have to know what to do.
You ALWAYS have EV, for about 10~15 seconds after start up. How about a hack that could make that 60 seconds? Basically more time for a a driveway shuffle.
