Making a Prius Fast?

How about electric drive on the rear wheels? Upgrade the traction battery with an extra one, or even go to lithium ion.

If all you want is a burst of power, then the existing engine could be used to charge the extra battery capacity. You could tie into the existing gas pedal position sensor, and activate the rear wheel motor(s) when the pedal is at 80%+ of full power.

One advantage of rear electrics would be that the normal drivetrain could remain essentially unchanged. Engineer the addon - don't reengineer the entire power train.

 

One of the car magazines did something like this years ago with a Honda CRX. They swapped out the rear axle for an additional transaxle and engine, with the engine sitting in the hatch area.

Tom

 

+10000000000000000

rrollff, have you ever picked up a copy of import tuner? They do these feature stories in their "Power Pages" section which illustrate the effect of modifications though systematic Dyno testing. Let me help you out a little here - let's look at a car that produces roughly the same power as the Prius engine.

Import tuner power page for a 2008 Scion Xb:
2008 Scion xB RS 5 - 2.4L I4 - Import Tuner Magazine

Note that by the end, they spent over a thousand dollars to replace the intake, headers, and exhaust system (which is basically what you're proposing) to gain a total of 15hp. The TRD performance muffler had a -1.1 to 3.3 hp gain.

Unfortunately, you're not likely to "unlock" much power through mods on the exhaust system.

 

Nice pull - not the 1.8L, but it is a Toyota

Looking at the tests, and reading elsewhere, it looks like by-passing cats doesn't do much, EGR really doesn't do much since it's closed at wide open throttle...

The cold air induction looks like it does add bang for buck - at $260, and an easy 30 min install, i'd be interested in something like that...
AEM Cold-Air Induction System
Peak HP: 134.4 / Peak TQ: 138.6
Horsepower Gain
* 4,000 to 5,500 HP range: 5.5 to 10.8
* 5,500 to redline HP range: 6.9 to 12.0
Torque Gain
* 4,000 to 5,500 TQ range: 4.3 to 14.8
* 5,500 to redline TQ range: 5.7 to 11.2

 

What on earth are you going to do with 5-10 HP extra in a Prius? I would never make such a mod that would sacrifice MPG!

 

With the MPG gained by adding mud flaps (proven in the JPL wind tunnel), it more than offsets any MPG hit. However, this mod may not hit MPG.

Please read the article, then do some research, then shout out an informed opinion..

Also, this thread is not about MPG - in case you hadn't guessed.

Don't make me break out the eye bolt on top of my car!

 

I have posted three articles about real Prius that are fast, Supercharged, Turbocharged and the land speed record holder, I guess whining about Prius is more interesting than actual results.

I do not see any articles with a real Prius using Nitrous (in case you want to be first) and my 'pet' idea for a fast Prius is untried, tap the 201 volt battery for an electric Supercharger (A typical 12volt battery is so inaduquate for a supercharger that rodders have dismissed the idea, without realizing that a Prius DOES have an excellent power source built in, no need for belt drive.

 

this^^^^^

 

The way to make a prius fast is to attach it to a trebuchet. You get pretty good gas mileage that way too.

 

Until the eventual impact. Then you get leaking fuel - bad for the environment. But the idea is pertinent to this weekend's punkin chunkin contests around the country...

 

Classic nonsense

 

This is better. Strap your Prius to one of these and you could reach escape velocity with 22 million horsepower.

 

Really nice - bad things happen. Please note and respect what *can* happen when the trebuchet is wielded without respect - or a moral conscience.



PETA here the call....

 

rotflma

 

Now I see why milk delivery's not so popular anymore.

 

nice

 

Ok from a mech veiw on this.. if there is no drive shaft on this car conecting the Eng to Wheels.. how is moding the eng going to make this car more fast.. when it runs on an electic motor at the wheels..

wouldnt putting a stronger Battery like the one out of the Highlander make more sence and putting a stronger electric motor make more sence..

 

I believe we're talking stronger battery and different software for the electric side - but on the gas side (they work together), you can get more from the 1.8L engine. The 1.8L engine is likely the one that will add performance (yes - battery will - but at what crazy cost).

Engine mods are somewhat standard - but I have not seen much here regarding it........ Our engines in theory don't need smog (no testing), but it seems most of the smog mods won't work for a variety of reasons...

 

I have no clue to how this car works but from what my freind told me that wrenches at toyota, there is no drive shaft that lead to the wheels of the car the eng is connected to the generator that charges the batt and also the eng doesnt also power the AC nor the Power steering so it has no belts .. so adding more HP to the Eng.. doesnt make any sence you can put a header exh intake turbo and youll make the eng breath and perform better but there is no acutal transmission and a drive shaft to transport that extra HP directly to the wheels..

This is totaly new to me but from what i know I think aftermarket parts comapnies are just in this for the money if ther going to be selling things like Intakes and Exh and headers and even turbos..

Does someone have dyno sheets to prove the normal mods to eng will actaully give more more HP to the Wheels.. and it just doesnt add HP to the Eng.