eliminating the "Hybrid" engine and battery from a Prius

Don't forget a starter too...

 

And a conventional ignition switch to crank it (otherwise, good luck getting the Prius Smart Key and start button to start and stop it).

And a conventional shift lever and linkage (otherwise good luck getting the Prius shifter to work a conventional transmission).

And a conventional braking system with vacuum boost. Then, good luck getting the whole thing to pass a safety inspection.

I think this is STILL only the beginning. So many things in the Prius are computerized, and the software is NOT going to like having half the hybrid system missing. You're likely to have to do a whole lot of re-engineering of electronics and software.

Here's an easier project, buy a Yaris, and take the logos off the Prius and put them on the Yaris. Then see if this "Prius" gets Prius-like mileage

If you're going to buy a Prius with a bad battery or other bad components to get one cheap, it would be much easier and cheaper to also buy replacements for the bad parts from a scrap yard, and make the Prius "whole" again.

 

If you're going to go to all this trouble, you may as well end up with something truly special. I say buy a wrecked Corvette, a worn-out Prius, and mash the two together. The track and wheelbase are fairly close, so the only real trouble will be sitting a few feet further back from the windshield. If you want to go all out, the body could be sectioned, and the hood could be chopped a fair bit, but cutting all that glass gets tricky.

 

And you'll have to add an alternator to charge the starter battery.

And if you want a climate control (Air Conditioning), you'll have to add a conventional one of those, since the Prius A/C compressor runs off the HV battery.

Then obviously you'll need to find somewhere to mount both of those devices along with a serpentine belt.

I'm not certain, does the electric power steering use the HV battery or the 12 volt?

 

I'm not a mechanic but I don't think it's feasible to remove the electric portion of the hybrid system in a Prius. However it is possible remove the gas portion of the hybrid system. If fwy mileage is the main goal then you're better off by modding the aerodynamics of a traditional gas vehicle with excellent fwy mileage to begin with. Before I bought my Prius I was driving a 97 Tacoma ExtraCab with 3.4V6auto. The EPA fwy rating is 21mpg. The only mod I did was adding a tonneau cover. The end result was 31mpg @65, 28mpg@70 and 25mpg@80mph. One time I saw a blue Geo Metro convertible with a modded convertible top. The top had been lowered much like a chopped top. It had a very large sticker on the door and the back that said this car gets 75mpg.

 

maybe drop in an edelbrock custom eight.

 

Prius' hybrid system works in a totally complete principle. Prius' eCVT does not shift mechanical ratio to change torque at the wheels. It shifts between gas and electric with the computer splitting and blending two power sources. Everything is tightly integrated with very little moving parts.

If you want to "convert" it to a traditional vehicle, you'll need to understand how it works first.

 

I wonder if the OP is still around to read some of the later replies as most are correct. The OP should really read the hybrid articles at AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICAL ARTICLES to understand why it's such a crazy undertaking to attempt what he's suggesting.

 

Jimbo had a clever idea of dropping a Prius ICE into a Yaris. I would be fascinated to hear about that car, but alas I think F8L is right and OP is not really serious. A half informed person would know that 1, Prius cars with dead batteries are not lying around; and 2, if such a car could be found it would be back to full Prius condition with just a few hundred dollars invested in a salvage battery. I doubt even a most committed tinkerer would destroy a Prius to prove a point demonstrated by millions of cars every day in Europe.

 

Do I really have to post the cute picture of the plastic doll with purple hair again???

 

That's what I suspect too... it looks like a case of hit and run or tossing a grenade given that the misguided OP's had no further activity after 4 days.

 

I was thinking the same thing! I thought the OP's post was just bait for a flame war, but he did not realize that it was a impossible idea. I also think he was discouraged by our civility on this thread and left to troll elsewhere.

 

What? You don't think he took my PriusVette idea seriously?

 

I agree, the only suggestion that halfway makes sense is to try to drop a Prius Atkinson cycle engine into another car with a similar engine block. The Atkinson is more efficient, but lower power. But even this is likely to be more difficult than we might first expect.

The Atkinson engine has different top-end (valve) parts, and a different crankshaft. Unfortunately, there should be a flywheel with a ring gear attached for a starter to engage to. Since the Prius has no conventional starter, I imagine it also has no ring gear.

Maybe we could get halfway to Atkinson by putting just the top end (valves) onto another engine block. But, with the sophistication of today's engines, the controls for the non-hybrid engine may be confused by the different characteristics of the Atkinson engine, and not work well. And forget Prius controls, with the whole electric part of the hybrid system missing.

Here's another suggestion for some more comic relief: build a mash-up of a hybrid (to be run when in city driving), and a conventional combustion engine (to be used on the highway). Kind of like shown in this video, but with a Prius hybrid drive on one end, and a Yaris at the other (or to be slightly less silly, put the conventional drive train in the rear end of a Prius, keeping the whole Prius body, for rear wheel drive on the highway): [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-JhnIcZ6UQ"]YouTube - All wheel Drive K car [/ame]
Or stick on the rear end of a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive car. Maybe a nice sports car, or maybe a nice simple air-cooled engine from the original VW beetle. Or if you put a 2nd Prius Atkinson engine back there for high efficiency, couple it to a manual transmission from another car. Accelerate up to highway speed with the hybrid, pop the clutch, and your rear engine is running. No starter needed, solving the problem of where to attach a starter to the Prius engine. The possibilities are endless.

 

Now that was funny!!!!

 

The land speed record Prius did the opposite, to get more HP, they used an Echo engine in the Prius. (I am just well read, not clever)
Got Hybrid? - Modifying the Prius - Car and Driver

This post may be the only time in the recorded history of mankind anyone ever says " to get more HP, they used an Echo engine."

 

Which brings me to another question?

When is any other mfr. just going to 2nd source the Prius? Insight II does not count! I'm talking about a full hybrid 'copy' of a Prius.

It's going to happen some time. You've got Camry, Accord, Fusion, Altima, etc... copy, copy.

Prius is a mainstream car. It will be copied sometime. I guess sales need to hit a certain number or % for that to happen.

 

Ok, so what might be happening here is OP might be suggesting Prius is not great on FE because of its drive system, but because of its body, so .................

I challenge any car mfr / builder anywhere to retrofit / produce / build a car with very similar body / chassis as 2nd or 3rd gen Prius, put whatever drive train you want in it and try to match or exceed the combined fuel economy and low emissions, but it must run on pump available gas or diesel.

Good luck.

 

If the OP doesn't reply back by Sunday*, please close the thread.

* - We'll be in a church and praying for his well-being.

 

A car doesn't have to be cool or high tech to be copied either. How many K-car look-alikes were there in the 80s? lol BOOYA!