What's the best EV mod?

Too bad you can't have Voice, as in pressing the button on the steering wheel and saying, "EV MODE ON" after which you'll get the reply, "Displaying Banks."

 

Yay. I'm winning!



Still, the "best" EV mod would be the plug-in variety!

 

I've gone with the OEM button, and while the install was patience intensive, it ended up very clean in the end.
FWIW....

 

I selected OEM but have both installed. Since they were installed by a Toyota Tech, installation was no problem.

I don't see where a plugin version would be of much benefit without additional battery capacity.

 

You're missing a "My Prius came with the button" option; without this people from outside the US might be unhelpfully skewing the poll towards "OEM".

 

I tend to use the OEM most for the reason you mentiioned.

Unless you have a block heater the ICE will have to run through the complete warmup cycle which will bring the charge back up so there is probably no gain.

 

I prefer the OEM. But I installed Coastal's.

I don't want to even enter an argument about warrantee coverage, so I don't want any dealer to know I use EV mode. Once the warrantee is over (150K miles in Cali), I'll install the OEM button I bought. Untiil then, it's stealth EV with Coastal.

 

I'm really surprised more people don't choose the headlight flasher mod.

1. No parts to buy except the one wire.
2. No wires for switch lighting.
3. No altering of cruise control functionality.
4. Completely invisible and reversable.
5. No more disassembly than any other EV mods.

Although the headlights won't flash with headlights off they will flash when the low beams are on. I understand flashing may shorten the life of HID headlights and should be avoided anyway.

 

Headlight flasher - love it

Will probably undo it when my real OEM button arrives, or perhaps I will spice the two together. The headlight flasher may be easier to hit that the little OEM button, which is in a nook I rare put my hands.

All Hail whoever first thought to use the purple wire!

-Ken

 

Indeed, a plug-in version would include more battery capacity and less engine capacity.

 

I still have the luxury of time to decide which way I want to go with this... and you've brought up a couple of questions:

1. "Flashing" the lights usually means blipping the high beams
2. If the low beams are on, the typically stay on when the high-beams are flashed (true in the Prius?)
3. Only the low beams are typically HID because of the "warm-up" period. (true of the Prius?)

So what I'm saying here is that with the lights off, "flashing" them powers the high beams, so it wouldn't matter as far as the HID business is concerned, no?

My main concern with going this way is when the headlights ARE on, at night, and I'm behind somebody and want to enter EV mode. I'm not all that keep on having to flash the guy in front of me, or the on-coming cars.