Plug-in Prius Battery Upgrade

Hi Oscar, I love that you are trying to double your EV range with the extra battery. I think many of us would like to do the same.

My best guess would be that your display does not indicate the true EV range because the computer still believes that XX volts always equals YY range. Of course you are not doubling the voltage, but rather doubling the amount of time or distance that your charge should last, and the computer does not realize that – yet.

The estimated EV range is always being adjusted according to your actual driving habits and which accessories such as air conditioning are operating. After you go from a full charge to empty several times, I believe there is a good chance the computer will begin to display an accurate EV range, as long as the software was properly written to allow the bigger numbers.

 

sounds like you did something wrong...

please post some pics of your pack build and install, and all the electronic changes you made to get the car to adapt to the extra pack.

and if you want 50-80 miles, i hope you filled the entire hatch with batteries!

 

The car may not be able to take into account the additional capacity.

 

dare I say it? The extra quantity of batteries will "weigh" heavily on range improvement as well.

.

 

A gen 1 PIP with EV range greater than a Volt!

I'm having a conversation with Oscar and doing some research on my own. If one were to "rebuild" a PIP battery pack using cells from 3 modules of a Tesla model S. It should be possible to use the PIP BMS, cont actors etc. and replace the cell modules with "re-purposed" Tesla cells in a 23p56s array (with 44 spare cells) and get a 16.2kwhr pack that fits the stock location and weighs about the same. I've found the Tesla modules for $1500 each and a salvage PIP pack goes for about $800 so the materials would cost about $6k. Since I get about 12 actual EV miles on the stock 4.4KW pack, I'd estimate I'd get 44EV miles with the "rebuilt" pack.

 

sounds easy peasy.

 

To Ben, the original poster:
The Ecomoder "stuff" that is on my posts has my fuel economy in HV mode only. It indicates that I am a confirmed hypermiler. I run with the lower grill blocked, all year long and block half of the upper when avg temp is below 50f. I watch temperatures with Torque and never see 205F even up mile long 6% hills. I also run 60 PSI in my 50PSI rated Bridgestone Ecopia tires and use high speed pulse in HV and glide in N after selecting EV on hills. When I calculate MPGE for EV mode it is typically 120 MPG. During the summer my range guestimate is 13.6 typically and my actual EV range is about 12.5. My car has about 60k miles on it. If your 69 mpg doesn't include some EV miles I'm a pretty poor hyper miler and you have a superb PIP!

 

idk, wouldn't one have to attribute a few more % / miles loss due to the additional weight?
.

 

NO essentially the same weight.

 

ya, this is a no brainer. i took a look at nice oscars youtube channel. all those batteries laid out on his kitchen floor made the whole installation look simple!

 

Yes, I too looked at Oscar's videos. If and when I pursue this project I'll start with NEW cells purchased on Alibaba. There are 2 cells that look real good, a 3500 Mah with <20 milli-ohms and a 3000Mah with 15 milli-ohms both weigh 53g/cell. I'd could go with 27p blocks and mimic the 4 modules of the stock pack, making each module 27p14s (1512 cells). So, assuming the higher capacity cells, 53*1512=80KG of cells for a 19KW battery and 50 miles of EV range, ignoring the added weight. The 3Ah cell would be more efficient and run cooler and a 3x range improvement would make all my "local" driving pure EV so a pack with the lower capacity cells in 22p14s modules with 4 modules (1232 cells) is appealing, this battery would have about 65KG of cells and be rated at 13.3Kw. The total pack weight with the 13.3KW pack should be very close to stock.

 

if i could even get prime like distance without giving up any hatch space, i'd start working on it now. otherwise, might as well trade in for a 20k prime, and get the sweet heat pump.

 

Maybe just throw in the towel on the plug-in Prime, get a regular Prius? Less compromise and hassle, and very good mpg.

 

It is very clear that this is a major project! I do believe I've found the cell to build it, it is the Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA, rated at 10 amps continuous current , 3.3AH, 38 milliohms and weighs 50 G. The existing pack is fused at 150 amps which means a minimum of 15 paralleled cells and 840 cells for a cell weight of 42kg. Such a pack would be rated at about 10 kw which is a bit above the Prime. The (genuine,no knock offs) cells go for, in lots of 200+, $5.22 delivered in the US through queenbatery.com and Aliexpress.

EDIT: The NCR18650 has a near identically spec'ed competitor @ LG the INR18650MJ1 which is $4.27 @ queenbattery.com. I've read a review of both which found the Sanyo had slightly,almost insignificantly, better performance.

 

mendel, i really don't understand how you resist the lure of ev, i'm hooked.

 

I have my hillbilly plug-in, a block heater.

 

one area i really like is being stuck in traffic on a hot day. so nice to be sitting in air conditioned comfort on a hot highway and not have the engine come on every few minutes.

and i used to feel that way about my prius, until i was spoiled by the plug in.
i only wish the cars around me weren't belching fumes for me to drink in.

 

Getting coal rolled in traffic?

 

iirc, there IS one car w/ sub micron filtration .... iirc, the filtration's called, 'bio-weapon defense mode' ....
if only i could remember the manufacturer .....

.

 

pip has the extra 100% recirculate button. very impressive over the years. i suspect it doesn't do much except for the smell, and whatever else the activated charcoal filter can pick up.