Jungle Motors now selling Prius PHEVs in Orange County
Despite Toyota's reluctance to release plug-in hybrid versions of its popular Prius hatchback, there are a number of companies that are willing to sell you a retrofitted model. Add another to the list, as Jungle Motors in Orange County, California, which has been converting Porsche 911s and Chrysler PT Cruisers to electric drive for a little while now, has just released its PHEV Prius. The company has created a facility that performs the conversion so the owner just needs to drop the car off. Afterward, the driver can choose from Normal Prius Mode, Enhanced Prius Mode and Battery-only Mode. The last one, as you might guess, provides completely petroleum-free operation.
Currently, Jungle's conversion uses old-tech lead-acid batteries that only allow for 10 miles of EV-only operation. In February, the company plans to offer lithium iron phosphate power packs that will bump EV range all the way up to 40 miles. The cost for the lead-acid conversion is $4,995 plus installation. A kit for the Highlander Hybrid is also in the works.
Gallery: EDTA 2008: Toyota Plug-in Prius
[Source: Jungle Motors]
PRESS RELEASE:
Jungle Motors Now Converting Toyota Prius into High Mileage Plug-In Hybrid
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA - December 8, 2008: Jungle Motors, Orange County's largest electric vehicle conversion facility, is now offering a new Plug-In Hybrid conversion for the Toyota Prius.
Jungle Motors, which has been converting gasoline-powered Porsche 911s and Chrysler PT Cruisers into clean, green commuter cars, is now offering its latest conversion: a Plug-In Hybrid modification for the Toyota Prius.
"We convert the 2004 to 2009 standard Toyota Prius by adding batteries and hardware to dramatically improve its performance," states Director Brad Sachs. "When we complete the conversion, the driver has 3 (three) options for motive power. Normal Prius Mode, Enhanced Prius Mode and Battery-only Mode. In the Normal Mode, the vehicle performs like a stock Prius getting over 40 miles per gallon (mpg). In a blend of Enhanced and Battery-only Modes, the car delivers over 100 mpg. And in the Battery-only Mode it becomes an Electric Vehicle (EV) and gets infinite mpg as the gas engine is totally bypassed. All the user has to do is plug in the vehicle at night to recharge the batteries."
The current version from Jungle Motors utilizes Lead Acid batteries and offers over 10 miles of 100% pure electric range. The next version, due out in February 2009, will use the latest generation of battery technology, Lithium Iron Phosphate, or LifePO4. With the LifePO4 batteries, the Prius will deliver over 40 miles of engineless range that will enable over 70% of drivers in the United States to drive every day without ever turning their gas engine on. The company also has plans to offer a similar conversion kit for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and other hybrid vehicles as they become available in the near future.
Prices for the conversion kit start at only $4,995.00 and installation is available. For further info, call Jungle Motors at (949) 833-8100 or visit our site at www.junglemotors.com.
Jungle Motors is fully committed to saving our planet. We convert polluting gas guzzlers into green, earth-friendly commuters.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
why not the LS2LS7? 8:41PM (12/10/2008)
What is top speed in EV only mode?
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CanaDoc 1:18PM (12/11/2008)
As you can see in their Prius conversion gallery, the pack is from pluginsupply.com and, according to them, their EV mode does up to 52mph... tho I can't imagine you'd get far at that speed, considering the nominal EV range of their pack is 10-15 miles.
electriccustomcars 8:32AM (7/30/2009)
yes thats right 50+ mph and 40 mi range we now offer a pack with 80 li-pod batterys added to the factory toyota pk
rob 10:08PM (12/10/2008)
Weird that they're doing them with lead/acid, because they're selling some BIG lithium iron phosphate batteries on ebay.
And by big, I mean single cells from 40 up to 260Ah.
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Damon 11:30PM (12/10/2008)
Interesting, this place is apparently right next to my office and I've never heard of it. If they can do the Li-ion conversion for under $10k, then theoretically you can get something with the specs of the Chevy Volt, now, for under $30k (including base price Prius). That's huge.
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Paul Sallmen 2:56AM (12/11/2008)
A nice idea, though, if I had a Prius, I'd trust Toyota over a backyard operation. You get a full warranty. This may, however, be an idea for an older Prius where the warranty has expired.
I'd be inclined to wait a few years for a factory plug-in Prius. If the Volt is scheduled to come out in 2010, I can't imagine a plug-in Prius is far behind.
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jzj 11:31AM (12/11/2008)
It seems very unlikely that for $10,000 they can add the approximately 10KWH of lithium batteries (in addition to the Toyota 1.2KWH NMH battery pack) that are necessary to get a Prius to be able to go 40 miles on all-electric power -- unless they are using a very optimistic and unreal way of calculating that 40 mile distance. I am also dubious that their lithium battery pack will be healthy for very long if they draw it down completely to achieve the espoused 40 mile distance: I do not think Chevy is wrong in calculating that you need a 16KWH pack to achieve 40 miles due to the need to avoid drawing the batteries all the way down (Chevy is mindful of their 150,000 / 10 year lifespan requirement, which is relevant to emissions equipment and applies to battery packs, and Toyota has voiced the same longevity concern for its battery packs).
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paulwesterberg 3:09PM (12/11/2008)
Only 6.5 grand for plug prius conversions, I would do it if I lived in cali.
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Nirmalanow 12:10PM (6/10/2010)
I just wanted to share my experience with Jungle Motors who are also the new owners of Plug-In Solutions (formerly Plug-in Supply). They offer electric car conversions and Prius plug-in conversions at their shop in Southern California.
I bought a used Prius from them with a plug-in system already installed. Unfortunately, it turns out they did not have a valid title to the vehicle and also never told me it was a total loss salvage vehicle. As a result I have a car in my garage that I cannot register or drive. My lawyer has asked them more than once to refund my money, but they have not complied. I have filed a complaint with the Department of Motor Vehicles, so hopefully this may still get resolved without requiring a lawsuit.
I would advise anyone to be very careful in doing business with Jungle Motors or Plug-In Solutions.
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