PIS 10kw conversion or new PIP?

I think the most obvious difference is that one is a real car and one is a hack. If you look beyond the stats and at the actual systems, one is going to be factory-built and engineered to be bulletproof... at the cost of range. The other (PIS) is likely going to require patience and a technical hand to keep on the road. a lot of people get into it and it becomes a sort of hobby. But most definitely all of the early adopters I've met who have gone with PIS or otherwise have been tweakers. Knob fiddlers. garage electrical engineers. a lot of people would be turned off by the occasional tweaks - and duct tape - necessary to maintain a conversion system.

another factor - resale value? it's going to be undeniably easier to sell a factory one later on, if that matters to you.

I can only speak for myself, but I think really the sweet spot is taking an old high miles gen2 that's out of warranty and having it done, not taking a pristine gen3 to the operating table. once you get up into the general ball park price range of the factory PIP or a Volt, it becomes hard to justify hacking.

I suppose at some point, years in the future when the cars are out of warranty, someone will hack a PIP with a better battery pack and give it some real range so it's not just a toy EV. let the sparks fly!

 

I am not sure who you mean by PIS?

If you have the resources and time. I would vote on the side of OEM Plug In Prius.

 

An existing PIP (plug-in prius) - if it has a PIS kit depending on how old it is may not have a ECM (engine control module) assembly which allows EV mode at highway speeds and allowed the ICE to kick in if the load is too high. The old PIS system does not have a ECM assembly and therefor only allowed EV mode up to 84KPH and needed to be stopped and cycled power to enable the ICE.

If you are talking about a factory fitted PHEV Prius then this would be a wise choice unless you are looking for a new hobby.

 

I have the 2 examples available to the world, a PHEV converted 2008 and a 2012 PiP .
In your case, having the monetary resources, I would choose the latest Toyota introduction of the PiP.
You can't beat the feeling of a bran new car with a proved 12 years technology on the road.

 

All this is very interesting to me. I have a 2008 and would like to add the 10 kW-h PIS conversion. The price has recently dropped to under $7,800 for a DIYer. Of course, we all know we cannot justify the cost of the conversion based on fuel savings. By the time the system pays for itself, the batteries will already be DEAD. I have estimated, based on 50 MPG and 40 kW-h per gallon of gas and 25% ICE efficiency that you get about 5 miles per kW-h of energy in ICE mode. Similarly, the NiMH battery is about 1.1 kW-h and the BMS limits the use to 50% SOC. THis gives about 2 miles EV range on the standard battery. At 5 miles per kW-H and a cost of $0.10 per kW-H, it costs $0.02 per mile to drive on battery stored electricity. Likewise, that same kW-h from gas costs $0.08. FIgure $0.08 per mile times 50 miles = $4.00 or the cost of a gallon of gas. So, you save $0.06 per mile driven on electricity. OK, assume you have 10 kW-h of useable energy and drive exactly 50 miles per day. In 365 days you drive 18,250 miles and save $1,095 in gas. Assuming the batteries last 10 years, the cost would be $780 per year. So, with this example, you save $200 per year or $2,000 over the life of the system. Now, if you had the unit assembled and installed by the factory, that $2,000 would be given to them. So, there you have the state of affairs for the Prius Conversion.

 

Having sequentially owned three Prii, I think overall feature integration and general daily livability is best in my current PiP. the PiP is eons beyond my original Prius, a Gen I, and significantly better than my Gen II was. Toyota learned from each generation to make the subsequent one better. The PiP, in non-EV mode, gets better mileage and handles better than my gen II did, and its data management features are in another category altogether. Also, with a used 2008 Gen II you might be buying someone else's out-of-warranty troubles...

 

Although I vote for a new PiP over a used Gen II with its battery upgrade in my previous post here, I would be tempted by a PiP battery upgrade once those aftermarket systems get really solid... another 10+ EV miles would be a welcome addition.

 

Has anybody calculated the ROI for a 10kWH PIS kit if a kill switch was used (infinite mpg) or if a ECM assembly was used (aprox. 800 mpg). Could the savings on not using gas return the $7800.