$3,500 tax credit for a Plug-in upgrade

I'm not sure I follow all of your reasoning, but I do agree that having an add-on work at all without changing the Prius software is pretty amazing.

Regarding the comments on the serial hybrid being a better fit: I thought the reason for Honda's poor real-world performance was the conventional transmission (auto or manual) the battery/e-motor had to work through. No?

 

chogan,

I suspect you are right regarding the possibility of inefficient ICE use in PHEV'd Prius. For the obsessive Prius drivers like me, however, I don't think it will be much of a practical obstacle --

The Prius ICE is pretty efficient once you get past 15 kW or so, and downright spiffy after 20 kW. So the power band to avoid is actually pretty narrow, and one I tend to avoid anyway in city driving where I am usually either accelerating or gliding/coasting. It also allows mild lead foot coming off red lights

I am less sure about highway driving, where steady speed driving in the 20 - 30 kW range may be more common, and pulse and glide is frowned upon ..

btw, apologies in advance to the engineers and hard science types who may read this or other posts from my semi-quantitative mind.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(fan-atic @ May 17 2007, 10:26 AM) [snapback]444113[/snapback]</div>

Delta Flyer can probably answer this question much better than me, but I'll take at stab at it --

I don't think the drivetrain power losses are excessive, but rather that it is an assist design, leading to inability to avoid inefficent low power load conditions using *standard driving habits. IOW, the car does not glide very well, although G2 is better than G1.

*This is borne out I think by the results of HCH drivers with exceptional MPG results: every one I can think of manually turns the ICE on/off during driving.

 

dp

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ May 17 2007, 11:13 AM) [snapback]444153[/snapback]</div>

Good points, fair enough, probably a minor issue. I just didn't expect to see that, and hadn't seen it until Argonne mentioned it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ May 18 2007, 08:04 AM) [snapback]444850[/snapback]</div>

I agree with the point in the above quote that you can actually buy a parallel hybrid.

Given ideal component selection of motors and batteries serial hybrid will be better.

No transmission.

ICE only runs at one speed and shuts down when the battery is recharged. Peak power of demanding conditions is supplied by the motors.

I do have question about serial hybrid.

I wonder about the recharge. If the engine is running when destiantion is reached, will it be turned off or continue charging after occupants have exited?

WHat about cabin heat?

I am very excited about the new direction of the auto industry.

Upgrades for existing hybrids will be a good market and may be affordable after battery manufacturing production increases and the cost of the batteries decreases. I have read about many factories that are being built to manufacture Li-Ion batteries.