I've read how to install the EV button, about how it may or may not void parts of the warranty, and I've even see a picture of one installed, but I have yet to find what EV stands for and what it does? How does it improve things?
It stands for "Electric Vehicle" It allows you to delay the ICE startup, so the car runs longer in electric only mode. How it improves things is open to debate, but it certainly makes the car quieter. Some places it is considered to be thoughtful not to disturb your neighbors as you pull in and out of your parking space at home. Beyond that, folks here are trying to figure out when and if it can save some fuel. But, general consensus is that it at least improves things by adding to both the 'cool' and 'geek' factors of the car.
Don't know about the Japan model but the UK model shows the picture. Go to the third topic from the top in the left column "See the Range" Click on "Prius" Click on "Start Viewing" Click on the far right of the steering wheel.... http://www.toyota.co.uk/cgi-bin/toyota/bv/...jsp?id=homepage
Nice... I expected to see the English countryside on the NAV and it's Orange County, CA, home of Toyota USA! Price
How is the EV button installed? Is it something a dealer in the US can do? Anyone have one installed, and, if so, how well does it work? Bob
EV = Electric Vehicle Allows you to run in elctric only mode for a short time (5 Minutes or so) Urs White 04 BC with 6K and EV
Look under "mods" here on PriusChat for a long discussion of the proceedure. In short, you have to stick a wire into the proper slot on the ECU and connect it to a momentary switch and another wire from the switch to ground. The OEM EV button is NOT available in the US, you'll have to find a source outside the US to order it and ship it to you if you want that. But, any old momentary switch from Radio Shack will do. I plan to do a detailed write up on this when I get my button (coming from Japan) similar to the one I did for the NAV. The kicker for the EV is that there are several options one can use...Coastal Dave wired his Cruise Control cancel to double as his EV switch. Someone mentioned using the high-beam headlight flasher as the switch. You can use a jumper to clip into another wire coming off the ECU for the ground or just thread the wire to a grounded bolt. It'll be tricky to refine this so all options are laid out clearly.
I really don't think putting a EV Button into the dash is going to void the warranty. Say that you are doing it for looks because there is a space for a button and you wanted your car complete. (Just unhook the wire tap to the button before you do any warranty work is all.) Or at least that is what I'm planning on doing. I've already started the process by asking endless questions of my poor toyota tech about what that was supposed to be and could I put in a button that doesn't do anything. BTW, he took copies of all my stuff from Priuschat (checklist, option checklist) so now all Toyota of Berkeley, California Prius owners will have options on how they want their car to work. (no reverse beeper, all doors open on one click, etc.) Xo
Do you know what the part number and price is for the Japanese part? A friend of mine may have someone coming to visit from Japan in a couple of months. I was thinking of maybe asking them to bring the part over for me.
Toyota part number for the Japanese button is 84720-47010 (about $20). It should be attached to a matching 6-pin connector 90980-10964 (about $2). If you can, have your friend bring as many as he can. I guarantee you'll be able to sell them, for a profit even if you're so inclined. The guy on the YG who started the group order was overwhelmed and cut off the number of people at 12 that he'd order for. Dozens more are clamoring.
I don't believe this is why Toyota left the EV button off the US Prius. The car still goes into stealth mode even without the EV button, only it does so when it feels like it. So the legal issue is the same. I have two theories: One is that Toyota felt U.S. drivers would be scared of having to decide when to press the button. Even though you never have to use it. They might have regarded it as a marketing disadvantage. The other is that Toyota wanted to analyze real-world experience in similar markets, and decided randomly which countries would get it, and which not. Then they will analyze owner feedback and perhaps real-world mileage reports as the car is actually used by owners. I'll be really envious if the 2005 comes out with the EV button.
I've suggested that before. What better way to differentiate the "New and Improved" '05 for absolutely no expense than to add some features that are already built in. Every market seems to have something it can gain. I would expect the US to gain at least EV Button, Rear Disc Brakes, and maybe Rearview Camera option. The EV button and Camera can be retro-fitted easily enough for current owners. I will probably wish I had the read discs though.
Actually, my understanding as to why they left the EV button out was that there was some EPA rules that it violated . Kinda funny that there are rules in place that didn't anticipate Hybrid technology and now prevent a good feature.
Do you think the general manager of a Toyota dealer can get a hold of what kind of improvements will be on the '05? Thanks Brian
It would surprise me if they told dealerships anything more than a day or two before going public. It would just be too likely that one of those thousands of dealerships would leak the information. They'll tell us (the public) when they're ready. I just hope that, if they come out with an EV button, they make it available as an approved dealer retro-fit so I can get one and have the dealer install it with the warranty intact.
There *is* one important question: if EV mode is not harmful to the car, why wouldn't Toyota make it the Standard Mode so the poor American consumers wouldn't have to struggle with push-it-or-not button questions? I have yet to see a downside to EV mode mentioned, yet here we are, forced into trying to enable it. Supposedly, the car will go on battery until a need to recharge is determined. Go too fast, over 35MPH I believe, and the ICE starts anyway. No fear to the oil companies: gas will eventually be burned. None of this makes SHV (Standard Hybrid Vehicle) mode look better, but it's what Toyota gave us. Just seems weird...
