Prius Plug-in Updates

The engine heat is used to assist in heating under 26F. Most of the heating is still done electrically. The engine also generates some charge into the battery as it is warming up the engine coolant loop which is shared via an automatic valve into the cabin heating coolant loop. Otherwise, the cabin coolant loop is heated electrically.

 

thanks, i can understand that, but it's hard to believe you can get heat from a frosty engine in a minute or two. but i really have no idea, just how long it seems to take when driving any car waiting for heat to come out.

 

I was going to say that vehicle heat has always been "energy-free" in ICE vehicles, since it simply recirculates engine heat. But anyone who's warmed their car up in a driveway knows that's not quite so. Either you pay to keep your garage heated, or you burn gas to warm up the engine and cabin, or you drive a cold car with dangerous, fogged-up windows. Gas or electric, warming up the vehicle isn't free, though I suspect the ICE is a more economical heater than an electric heater.

 

It is useless with the regular plug. It requires 240v to work.

 

Adding to Erica's post, I see cars I expected to come are coming wey earlier... and cars I expected to come out of the gate first coming soon after the gate opens. The only cars that feel "late" to me based on their order # are pearl white cars. And, that was expected! I see many more cars here a lot sooner than the time frame had us thinking they would last fall... so BRAVO Toyota for rushing them!

 

With 112 cars on my inventory sheet and 45 others coming soon, I'd say I have a very good overview of what's shakin. But, what I have is estimated for timeline and delivery.

I advocate keeping track of the arrivals and seeing where they correlate, because estimated times on paper mean ZIP a month too soon...

 

Sweet!

My wait started October 1999.

Even way back then THS was an obvious path to offering a plug. We could see that great potential from the PSD approach. It was basically just a wait for battery tech to improve.

Sure enough, that did indeed lead to a plug. Practical. Affordable. Realistic. It's finally happening. Yeah!

Patience has always been required with Prius... and well worth it... but with so much to look forward to so close to arrival, I can't stand it. AHHHH!

:rockon:

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I charge at home only with 120 V and have preconditioned my Volt several times this Winter while plugged in.

On 120 V it will use a combination of power from the charging cord together with drawing down the battery. If you were to precondition (warm) the cabin for a full 10 minute period it would take an additional 20 minutes or so afterwards to top off the battery again. If you don't wait and leave immediately after a 10 minute warm up then you would lose 1-2 miles of battery range.

 

Is that with Volt in the garage or outdoor? What's the starting temp and the precondition set temp to reqch in 10 mins?

 

Jeff can answer on his usage. I precondition in my uninsulated attached garage using 120V. With garage temps low 40s, car set to comfort 70F, the car heats up to low 60s in 10min, and recovers full charge in another 15 (car temps fall down to mid 50s). A second round, which I've only done once, takes it to 70 in about 10 min and recovers in 10 with car temps at 65.

I don't usually precondition unless I'll have passengers. Seat heaters work well and take much less power.

 

So, the end result is about 10 deg F increase after 25 minutes of drawing power from 120V plug. Is it really worth it?

The fact that you rarely use it, speaks loud. It is one of those feature that sounds good but not practical. Perhaps, it is more useful with the 240V charger but then it costs more.

Gas engine should be able to raise the cabin temp by 10 deg F in less than one minute and reach 70 deg F in a few mins.

 

It is not that I don't do it because its not effective, I don't do it because I don't really care mind the cold, and while its only about $0.10, its still wasting power. I wear a coat as I'll walk across campus to my company and so need the good coat/hat..

I keep my house at 62F and am sitting with a blanket on my legs and a fleece jacket on. Its not about the cost, its about not wasting things when I can be comfortable without them.

Preconditioning also improve range but since I return home with 2-4 miles of EV, in the winter, I don't need that advantage either.

But if I had a PHV, I'd probably drive slow enough to avoid the ICE and never use it for heat either. That does not make it bad; its just not my style.

If you want to burn gas and tell yourself its more efficient, its your delusion. I prefer renewable wind power for whatever I can use it for.

 

So, you're saying best use of the 3 kWh or so available includes hard acceleration & heating?
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Only the driver will know what is the best use of their various energy sources. If the trip is such you can complete it all on EV then yes accel and heating are best done with the battery.

But then again I would not want to be limited to a just 3kw as that is too limited and will lead to frequent use of gas.

 

Using the right fuel for the job and reusing the existing hardware to enable more useful role is not delusional.

Not using the existing precondition feature and lug it around like a dead weight is rather a delusional Hummer SUV mentality.

You are ok with using wind power to lug the gas engine and gas tank around but you rather be cold / compromise and not use it for cabin heat in a $40k car? Wow!

 

Did you not read what I wrote? Or are you just that insecure and desperate to put down the Volt that you have ignore it?

I'm not cold driving, and wearing a coat while I drive is not a compromise if I have to have the coat anyhow. I've alway been an efficient and frugal person. I can easily afford to spend $30K on my Volt in large part because I don't waste much. Even with my Volt, my household electric bill is about $70 month for a 3000sq.ft. 4bed/3bath house, and we spend < $50 on heat. Being efficient does not have to mean difficult compromises, just being smart about choices.

I agree one should use the right fuel for the job. Its just that I consider the right fuel to be renewable energy whenever reasonably possible. I carrying the gas engine around because there are time I will need it and its not easily removed.. just like I carry the extra seats in the car, and better than carrying the air conditioner that I don't use.

I dislike that the that I cannot choose to use the ICE for heat when its 27F but the Volt will use the ICE engine for heat when the temp is below 25F (like today). If I'm running over to the store (5m), I don't need/want the ice even at 0F. If I needed to used the ICE anyhow (e.g. taking people to the airport is 150m so I'll need the ICE), I should be able to use it from the start. That is the only sense in which the Volt does not allow me to use the right fuel when I want it. (And that is mostly because of stupid EPA rules, as in EU they get a HOLD mode the US does not). Hopefully the PHV will not have the same silly restriction.

The Prius is more efficient than regular cars because it uses electric motors when it can. The PHV will be more efficient for many because it can use electric energy even more of the time. The Volt is more more efficient for some because it can use electric almost all the time but use the engine when need. The i Mev is even more efficient for some because it is all electric and smaller/lighter. And a Bike is even more efficient, if one can make it work. For one group to have to use the other vehicle, would either be less efficient and/or require them to compromise.

I'm not putting down the PHV, its going to be a success and probably a bigger seller in the next 5 years than the EREVs or BEVs. But that does not make it more efficient/better for everyone or always the most efficient way to do things.

 

Prius design has always offered nice balance of abilities.

What's with the "absolute" mindset?

We frequently see Volt owners attempt to force PHV into that perspective.
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