Installed kit from Plug in Supply getting 28 miles!

Since the 100 lbs isn't affecting mpg, Toyota must have decided to not use the extra batteries because of lost cargo space and the added $4000.

 

Or maybe Toyota only has a limited supply of batteries from their supply chain, not enough to put 8kwh in every PiP.

 

Sounds about right. With this kit the PIS/PIP should have about 8-9kWh total capacity and about 6kWh useable. Volt has 16kWh and about 10kWh useable. 10 / 6 = 1.67 * the observed 27.5 mi average would be 45 mi.

Not quite a Volt, but sounds like it meets the OPs range needs well so for him its as good as a Volt. IMHO that's the tricky thing with PHEVs. The ideal battery size/range is very dependent on each individual drivers needs. Any extra battery you have that you don't regularly use while recharging as often as possible is basically a waste of money. Having less battery than you need ensures you're always getting the most out of the battery investment wise, but means you'll end up using more fuel.

I hope PHEV manufacturers will eventually recognize this and start offering different range options to better meet the needs of more people. A 20 mi Volt that's more affordable might be just the ticket for a lot of folks. Similarly a 25 mi PiP would also be attractive to many. In picking just one size, it forces customers to accept either spending more or getting less gasoline offset if they don't just skip plugins all together for now.

In the mean time, this kit that effective creates a new 27 mi PiP is a nice way of filling one of those gaps!

Thanks Jim for sharing your results, please keep us posted on how its working!

Rob

 

How the charge inlet looks like on your PiP from PIS, Is it in the trunk ?.
Also, is there a way to undo this quickly before you service your car in Toyota, just in case if Toyota voids warranty due to this
addition ?. Did you do yourself, of PIS installed it for you, if so how many hrs and cost please.
thanks

 

Also wondering how its charged, separately ect.....and does your EV range show 27miles now? or does the new battery not tap into the dashboard electronics at all? More into on the day to day would be great and pics of it all.

thanks
Dan

 

It seems to me that a Pip + 4kWh costs quite a bit more than a Volt. I have been watching the lease deals for the PiP and they seem to have finally gotten down to the $350/month ($0 down, all taxes baked in) level, on par with the Volt. When you add the capital cost of the additional 4kWh pack for the PiP it goes south again.

Matching EV range is critical, but if you are getting 10-20 more EV miles for the same price, along with integrated 3.3kw charging, why would you hack a PiP rather than trade it in?

 

John, while I agree the Volt is better from a total EV performance standpoint (and price), the car may not work for some people from a functionality standpoint. I really like the Volt but couldn't buy one because of the rear seat and cargo area design and the car is way too low for my off-road work. Maybe the OP has the same concerns.

 

one reason i would not touch one...its a GM. Sorry even though these might be working well, most GM products are horribly rated by consumers over the many years. Toyota in contrast is always one of the highest rated autos.

But i do like how the volt looks !

JMO

Dan

 

I am assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the 4kWh kit pretty much kills the cargo area.

 

I understand the hesitancy with GM. The Volt is my first since the early 90s, but the lure of the Volt was just too strong to wait another 5 years. With only a few months, I can't attest to the overall quality of GM at this point, but the Volt seems to be well built and low maintenance.

 

Very possible but the ability for the rear seats in the Prius to fold completely flat helps keep the area useful. I went back and looked at pictures of the Volt configuration and it is not as bad as I remember.

 

If the traction battery in my G2 Prius ever dies, I'll think about replacing it with a 4-6 kwh plug-in instead.

As an aside, I wish dealers would get into the act and install these aftermarket battery packs on new cars before delivery. Then (I think) the tax credits would apply.

 

I finally installed a bolt on receiver hitch for my bike rack but I was folding the rear seats down and putting my bike in the back with just the front wheel removed, same as I did in the 07 Prius.

Are you looking at the removable air dam for determining ground clearance? I think there is an alternate air dam with more clearance, just tell the dealer which one you want at delivery.

 

The cargo area problem is the seats don't fold flat and the loading area is well below the lip of the hatch opening . It makes loading/unloading more difficult and dogs don't like jumping in and out as much.

I,ll look into the air dam though!

 

+1

I really hope the Volt ends up being rock-solid in reliability, but for me I wasn't willing to roll the dice compared to a proven design and overall quality record like Toyota...

 

Oddly enough, I had an under bed storage container from the container store for my cycling stuff that happened to bring the cargo floor up to the lip and I throw a movers blanket on the top of it that I fold out over the bumper for my 130lb Pyrenees to jump over. The rear entry is much higher than the Prius though. I might get a ramp for the Pyrenees.

 

Guys, I didn't mean to hijack Jim's thread to pitch the Volt again. The statement that 28 miles of EV was equivalent to a Volt caught my attention though, and deserved some clarification.

 

Yet you are already hacking it.