Some local folks here, that are paired up with calcars, just did THE ultimate conversion. I hope their business goes far! http://www.pluginconversions.com/about.html And the paint is WAY cool too. You like? [attachmentid=10860] [attachmentid=10861] For my drive to Disney 5 days a week, it would in essence be pure electric. Now THAT's how to pimp your ride! Battery pic's, I'm told, will follow, for those who are interested.
Pretty sparse website. Who are those people? Is it a hymotion pack, or hybridsplus, or some wacked new thing out of left field? And what's "millage"? . Red flag city so far, in case that wasn't obvious. . _H*
The info I looked at from a SD EAA club newsletter showed a NiMH battery pack , that could be ok for many but the heat here in AZ could cause the batteries to fail if they aren't kept at 100F or less. If it's in the back trunk area it would get some AC cooling but also could get very hot parked in the Sun. I emailed them asking the same questions we all have, cost, time frame life expected etc. Nilar’s nickel-metal battery distributor Kim Adelman named for San Diego Area on 8/15 August, 2007 EVAOSD Newsletter Volume 17 Number 8 http://home.att.net/~pinklemonade/NL/NL078.htm
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hobbit @ Aug 23 2007, 10:47 PM) [snapback]501382[/snapback]</div> Hobbit, Millage (otherwise known as "Property Tax") ". . .is an ad valorem tax that an owner of real estate or other property pays on the value of the property being taxed." So apparently, by increasing the millage of their vehicles, they are paying more in taxes. I'm not sure why anyone would pursue this. Definition via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millage
LYLUVLY, cost of power varies, but here on PC, Darelldd says his RAV4-EV's electricity is now free, after investing in his Photo cel roof panels. Here's where I'M expecting the rub to be. You run your car with NO gas, and gas tax dries up. Who wants to bet that the tax basis for road tax will be switched over to edison? As for the sparse web site? That doesn't bother me as long as their energy is being put into their product. Word of mouth is better than a shmoozed web site IMO.
Sounds interested, but from their site, it doesn't tell you a lot. I'd lobve to hear what they say from those that contacted!
Nilar is here in Colorado. I have personally met one of the higher ups. He is a great guy, a person who I trust. Their batteries are amazing, perhaps better than Toyota's own batteries. I hope these guys get rich supplying plug in batteries. Nate <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Aug 24 2007, 10:47 AM) [snapback]501540[/snapback]</div> The day road tax comes from Electric use I will throw the biggest f&#@ing party you have ever seen. Bring it on. Nate
How did you come to this conclusion? Feel free to be as specific as possible with testing methodologies AND with results. The more metrics, the better. Thanks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Aug 24 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]501540[/snapback]</div> I expect they'll put black boxes in our cars to monitor how many miles we drive and charge us per mile. It was suggested and shot down before. It will probably be revived periodically until it passes. So early adopters either won't have one or will be required by law to have one installed before their next registration renewal. Something like that. What they're going to have to resolve is the privacy issue, as there was some talk that these black boxes could also track where the car is and where it's been driven. Major Big Brother alert.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 24 2007, 11:25 AM) [snapback]501638[/snapback]</div> There are black boxes in cars now. http://www.prisonplanet.com/black_box_in_your_car.html
Did not realize that your request to post pictures of our cars would generate such excitement. Thought I would try to answer some questions and let you guys know why I started Plug-In Conversions Corp to convert hybrids to PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles). I owned a RAV4-EV for 3 1/2 years, selling it in November 2005 and believing I would have a plug-in Prius shortly thereafter. As we all know, that did not happen. In December 2006 I heard about Nilar 's NiMH batteries. I knew these were the batteries that we all needed for conversions and they were real and available! I decided to start Plug-In Conversions to make this technology available. (Others are working on providing conversions, too, using various battery chemistries and are making good progress.) I am working as a partner with CalCars, and our goal is to get as many plugs in Priuses as soon as possible. Consequently, our technology and designs will be made open source (available to anyone) through CalCars. Our conversions do not modify any of the stock Prius systems. We simply add an additional battery pack in parallel with the original OEM pack, and control the connection to keep the OEM Pack in a fully charged state. This causes the Prius energy management system to use more electric power than it normally would under most driving conditions. When the energy in the PHEV pack is used up, the Prius reverts to original operation. The car can be plugged-in as little or as often as desired. Electricity cost is about 2 cents per mile (or zero if you have PV solar at your home). A PHEV-25 that can store enough energy for 25 miles will provide 100+ miles per gallon for the first 50 miles of driving after a full charge. If you drive fewer miles per day, and can charge more than once per day, a smaller system can be just as effective as a larger system. For example, a PHEV-10 system charged three times per day can provide 100+ miles per gallon for 60 miles of driving each day. We are using our first three conversions to provide data for emissions and safety engineering. Our goal is to begin taking orders in mid-November and start installations in the first quarter of 2008. We are considering pricing from $8,000 to $15,000 depending on the desired size of the system. Converting our Priuses is one small way we can respond to the planetary emergency we find ourselves in. Kim A. Plug-in Conversions Corporation www.pluginconversions.com Plug In... Charge Up... Rock On!
Let me know. I'll buy one as soon as they are available (seriously). Apparently it not only increases mileage but may contribute to hedonistic behavior. From their website:
Noooooo! That is a Salsa Red parked out on the street. I hope it's not next for the conversion . . . and subsequent clown car paint job. Oohhh the humanity! :lol: I would be fine with taxing electric cars on a miles driven basis . . . as long as a formula is used which credits them for decreased environmental damage - in comparison to gasoline vehicles - and proportionately increases the tax rate as the weight of the vehicle increases. The heavier the vehicle, the more road damage it causes. Lightweight electric vehicles should have very low taxes imposed. This would help increase the number of electric vehicles on the road.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PlugInNow @ Aug 24 2007, 12:12 PM) [snapback]501664[/snapback]</div> My gas engine would never come on. I live about 2 miles from work.
Nilar's batteries are superior to traditional NiMH designs due to their physical layout. http://www.nilar.com/index.php?pageID=27&languageID=1 The particular structure they are perfecting will be a modular lego-style case, allowing for the perfect air gap, and ideal energy density. Also, they advocate the use of a (soon to be) built in pressure and temp sensor to determine SOC. Using only voltage and temp to determine SOC, and therefore when to stop charging, actually overcharges the battery just a little, causing damage. Using internal gas pressure allows the charge algorithm to stop short of the damage, allowing for vastly more charge cycles. So, here's why I concluded the Nilar battery may be superior to Toyota's NiMH battery: -better internal structure (see link above) -better modular design (lego type interconnects) -better SOC determination (internal gas pressure metric to prevent overcharging) By the way, these are guys who started Optima. Optima is a superior lead acid battery, better than the ones Toyota uses in all their new cars today. Nate
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PlugInNow @ Aug 24 2007, 12:12 PM) [snapback]501664[/snapback]</div> The cheaper the better, of course. I'd love to have a plug in, but that's a bit too steep for my blood. I know the batteries aren't cheap, but one can hope, right?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Aug 24 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]501540[/snapback]</div> well, I can say here in Missouri the road tax that you DON'T pay by not buying gas now comes by way of a DECAL you put on the windshield. I had to buy a decal for my electric vw cost is $75.00 a year for all vehicles up to 18k pounds which is my only complaint is that at 18k pound vehicles tear up the road more than my 2200 pound car and it cost the same $$$ so that needs to be corrected into different weight zones /classifications. here is a pic of the decal; [attachmentid=10876] [attachmentid=10877]
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 24 2007, 03:31 PM) [snapback]501676[/snapback]</div> Of course if you over tax the heavy gas guzzlin' folks, they'll get their shorts in a bind, making the transition a little slower, getting us all off of our mid east crack addiction. OH! almost forgot ... welcome, Kim, to PC !!
Right. Most companies explain on their websites how their products are superior, as do their competitors. A company's website is not evidence of a superior product. It's great that you know someone who works there, and that you trust him, but do you have anything other than marketing materials? And Toyota doesn't use only voltage and temperature to calculate SOC. Nor do they have pattern failures of Ni-MH cells due to overpressure. Again: please describe how you came to the conclusion that Nilar cells are better than Panasonic EV Energy cells? Feel free to be as specific as possible with testing methodologies AND with results. The more metrics, the better. Thanks. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(naterprius @ Aug 24 2007, 04:35 PM) [snapback]501713[/snapback]</div>
