PICC plug-in Prius can now go 70 mph on battery power
Thanks to a beefed up bit of software, Priuses converted to plug-in drive by Plug In Conversions Corp. (PICC) have gotten quite a bit better. They can now go up to 70 mph using nothing but their batteries and get 170 mpge. The software manages to get around Toyota's built-in top speed limitation of 34 miles per hour in EV mode, as PICC president Kim Adelman told us when we spoke to him at EVS23. All of this goodness doesn't come cheap: the software upgrade will cost customers anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500 on top of the $12,500 conversion; at least there will be a free trial version available at some point. The software goest on sale later this month.
In PICC's announcment of the upgrade (which you can read after the jump), there was no explanation of how Argonne National Laboratory tested the car recently and calculated the 170 mpge number, but, previously, PICC's best and most expensive packs could get around 25 miles of EV-only range.
Gallery: Plug In Conversions Corp. PHEV Prius
[Source: PICC]
Photos courtesy of Plug In Conversions Corp.
PRESS RELEASE:
PLUG IN CONVERSIONS CORP PRIUS-KIT UPGRADE: 70 MPH ALL-ELECTRIC DRIVING
Software Upgrade to Prius Conversion Kit Also Enables 170 mpg Efficiency
POWAY, CA – Plug In Conversions Corp. (PICC) has completed a breakthrough software upgrade to its plug-in conversion kit that for the first time will allow all-electric mode driving at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour in a converted Prius.
Previous Prius conversion kits have been limited by Toyota programming to a top speed of 34 mph in all-electric mode.
The software upgrade also will allow Prius drivers with PICC conversion kits to boost highway fuel efficiency to 170 miles per gallon (until the rechargeable battery is depleted), as recently measured by Argonne National Laboratory. Chicago-based Argonne reported even higher all-electric mileage in city driving tests of vehicles equipped with the software upgrade and PICC's Nickel Metal Hydride battery conversion kit, now in its third generation.
"What we're essentially offering is all-electric performance for about 25 miles at highway speeds," said PICC founder and president Kim Adelman. "The car is no longer limited to 34 miles per hour, all-electric. This also allows a Prius to perform much like the Chevy Volt, but for a much lower cost."
Adelman is displaying a Prius equipped with PICC's third-generation NiMH conversion kit at the 2009 Advanced Automotive Battery and EC Capacitor Conference, through Friday at the Long Beach Convention Center.
The software upgrade is based upon patented technology developed by Chicago-based Ewert Energy Systems, which has granted PICC exclusive rights for its use in Prius conversion kits.
The software upgrade was designed with safety in mind. Some previous Prius plug-in conversion kits allowed motorists to go as fast as 52 miles per hour using "forced stealth" mode. But that can force the electric motor to run above its recommended speed range, said Ewert Energy Systems co-founder and vice president Andrew Ewert.
It also requires drivers to stop and restart the vehicle before its gas engine can engage – which can cause safety issues and erase emissions data recorded for smog checks.
"Our system allows the gas engine to turn on instantly, when needed, and allows us to initiate a controlled engine warm-up at any time to meet strict emissions standards, thus eliminating the traditional problem of a cold start," Ewert said.
The software upgrade also allows PICC-converted cars to "operate in an enhanced hybrid mode at various speeds, with the vehicle heavily favoring the electric motor versus the gasoline engine in different modes," Ewert said.
The upgraded PICC kit boosts mileage while reducing emissions by maximizing use of the car's electric motor in all driving modes. The PICC system also can recoup more regenerative power from braking than a factory-installed Prius battery. When the PICC battery pack charge is depleted, the converted Prius reverts to its normal factory HEV operating mode.
As for performance, a Prius equipped with the upgraded PICC conversion kit "acts exactly like a normal Prius," Adelman said. "You can't tell the difference."
PICC's conversion kit adds about 220 pounds to the vehicle, but rear springs are upgraded to maintain the rear height at factory specifications.
The software upgrade, retailing for $2,000 to $2,500, will be made available for sale later this month to new and existing conversion kit customers. A free trial version of the software upgrade will later be introduced.
PICC's conversion kit, which replaces Toyota's 1.3-kilowatt hour NiMH battery pack with a 6.1-kWh pack, retails for $12,500. Conversions can be completed in about one day and the kit is covered by a three-year warranty. The batteries (which carry an expected 10-year lifetime) are manufactured by Gold Peak Industries North America, a subsidiary of GP Batteries International. Gold Peak purchased an equity stake in PICC late last year.
"The Prius was designed for Nickel Metal Hydride, so by using that same battery chemistry, we can incorporate all of Toyota's well tested battery-safety systems," Adelman said.
The conversion kit and software upgrade also were tested for emissions by Argonne National Laboratories, which determined that the PICC system meets the SULEV emissions standard, the industry's strictest.
PICC's existing conversion kit allows Prius owners to recharge their vehicles in six hours using a regular 120-volt outlet, or in as little as two hours with an optional high-capacity charger.
PICC will begin California Air Resources Board emissions-control certification testing later this month. The company also intends to complete crash testing of PICC-converted vehicles so that future owners can qualify for green-vehicle tax credits.
PICC also intends to develop conversion kits with lithium-ion batteries manufactured by Gold Peak. PICC has three existing dealers with seven additional sites planned nationwide by year's end. The company plans to produce similar PHEV conversion kits and software for other hybrid electric vehicles.
ABOUT PLUG IN CONVERSIONS CORP: Plug-In Conversions Corporation, based in Poway, CA, was founded in June 2007 to help restore and protect our environment by converting as many Hybrid Electric Vehicles as possible to Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles. In December 2008. Gold Peak Industries North America, Inc., a subsidiary of GP Batteries International, took a substantial minority equity position in PICC.
ABOUT EWERT ENERGY SYSTEMS: Privately held Ewert Energy Systems aims to create affordable and dependable alternative energy solutions and help the world move towards more renewable energy.
ABOUT GOLD PEAK BATTERIES INDUSTRIES NORTH AMERICA: GP Batteries, the parent company of Gold Peak Batteries Industries North America, is one of the world's major suppliers of primary and rechargeable batteries. It is the largest consumer battery manufacturer in China and the world's largest manufacturer of Nickel Metal Hydride batteries.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tohe 1:34PM (6/10/2009)
$2,500 for hacking the Prius? it is not like the have to code from scratch their software each and every time.
Reply
kert 2:59PM (6/10/2009)
Well, its seller's market, and Toyota has left the field wide open for playing, by not offering a plug-in option at _any_ price.
guyledouche 1:57PM (6/10/2009)
Yea that seems a bit steep and piggish on their part. Come on guys, do you ever actually want to generate any volume? I'm not saying they should sell the kit at pep boys, but at least make it slightly affordable and desirable for the average prius owner, which btw, there are a shit load of here in the US!!!
Reply
Dave 2:51PM (6/10/2009)
Software development is not cheap - especially once you consider all the additional (crash) testing they will be doing to get the conversions to qualify for tax credits and factor in the relatively low volumes this will sell in. Once they've recouped their R&D costs, expect prices to fall.
I don't fault them for charging maximum dollar for their product. Once someone else designs a similar workaround the standard Prius limitations, their price should drop.
Hymotion is a good candidate since they are probably the highest volume PHEV conversion company out there right now.
mister nomer 3:38PM (6/10/2009)
$12,500 is a lot of money but I'm sure they're using this money to pay a return back to their investors, bolster support for R&D, pay down debt (salaries, overhead, insurance, etc), and maybe even pay bonuses to key contributors to encourage them to stick around.
By doing all of these things they demonstrate themselves as a responsible business and more easily attract the sort of funding and supplier commitments that makes it possible to expand production and bring prices down.
Crawl, then walk, then run. We'll get there. = ))
guyledouche 3:48PM (6/10/2009)
Agreed. I am involved in a high tech R&D and MFG business myself and needless to say, it is a bitch. Recouping R&D costs are really the hardest part. On the same note though, we have noticed that if you can be as competitive as physically possible, while still turning a profit, you will sell more product. That was my only point.
I think once they have some competition and some sales under their belt (As well as a little brand recognition) we will undoubtedly see a pretty deep slash in their pricing. These guys are on the right path. It is stupid to re-invent the wheel, just make it better. While Tesla has made an amazing car, it has come at a great cost to them and their investors, AND they didnt even engineer or build the actual car!!! I think these guys have the right idea by starting with an excellent platform (The Prius) and tweaking it to make it the least expensive, most capable true EV/PHEV available today.
Do they only do conversions in CA?
Tohe 6:00PM (6/10/2009)
@Dave
You would be right if the code base was their intellectual property, it is not, they are merely tweaking Toyota's software, so to me it is not worth the 2,500 sorry.
Dave 9:28PM (6/10/2009)
@Tohe
You have no idea what's needed to be done to reverse engineer Toyota's electronics in order to produce a system that can completely control the hybrid system.
I'd estimate it to take 1-4 man year hours with talented engineers who have experience reverse engineering and programming embedded automobile electronics.
That type of engineer isn't exactly easy to find or cheap. Let's be optimistic and say it only takes 1 man a year who gets paid $100k/year. They have to sell at least 40 of these at $2.5k just to break even on the engineers salary - and that doesn't take into account the overhead, which is typically about double the salary cost.
Now add in test vehicles, the crash-test vehicles, and more, and all of a sudden you need to sell at least hundreds of these software upgrades just to break even.
You can't compare this to something like spending $150 on Windows Vista where there are massive economies of scale (and MS still makes a nice profit). You are looking at a very small volume, custom embedded software. I think they'd be lucky to sell 100 of these upgrades in a year.
$2.5k seems fair until volume ramps up at which point the price will drop. But I doubt you'll see any significant reduction in price until the price of the PHEV conversions drop significantly. If they can get the price down to $8.5k, - ~$4k tax credit, then they will really start moving volume.
If you don't want to pay the early adopter price, then wait! If you think the price is way too steep - I challenge you do it yourself for less.
olhat 2:39PM (6/10/2009)
Pricey Hack! Probably on rapidshare near you quite soon.
But still. This conversion makes for a first truly road-worthy plug-in on the market for a price way cheaper than Fisker, Tesla, the dreamware Volt or anything. It is also much cheaper than imiev or the Subaru electric.
And the range, this car beats them all, combined all el and gas of course. I raise my hat again!
Reply
olhat 2:41PM (6/10/2009)
And forgot to mention all in a midsize REAL car.
Reply
Nikki Bloomfield 2:48PM (6/10/2009)
I think kudos should actually go to the guys who figured this out - Chris and Andy Ewart of http://www.Ewartenergy.com
I have the original Ewart Energy press release at my blog: http://tinyurl.com/kjzkg5
Nikki
www.aminorjourney.com
Reply
Snowdog 3:22PM (6/10/2009)
I can't image Toyota will honor the E-motor warranty when you are running the motor way beyond design specs.
Reply
Chris M 4:28PM (6/10/2009)
Excuse me, but Toyota put that EV speed limit in there for a very good reason. Both the engine and the two motor/generators are permanently engaged through the planetary gear train. If the Prius tries to drive too fast with the IC engine stopped, the first motor/generator must over-rev, spinning way beyond it's design limit, likely leading to sudden and catastrophic failure.
Now, changing the gearing ratio in that planetary gearset and/or designing a motor/generator with a much higher top rotational speed would be the safe way to obtain a higher "EV only" speed, but it doesn't sound like PICC did that. Wait until one of these modified Prius fails catastrophically because PICC foolishly disabled a key safety feature, and there will be major lawsuits and the plug-in hybrid movement could suffer a serious setback.
Reply
Paul 7:49PM (6/10/2009)
$2,500 for a software hack? How rediculous.
Reply
sydbot 10:33PM (6/10/2009)
How slow is it in EV only mode? Tortoise mode?
Reply
Chris M 1:16AM (6/11/2009)
The standard Prius was limited to a maximum of 35 mph in EV mode, but their plug-in prototype was modified to hit 60 in EV mode.
The rarely seen "tortoise mode" isn't limited in speed, it is a limit in power, and only occurs if the battery is depleted to the point it cannot provide supplementary power. In 6 years of Prius driving, I've never seen that mode activated, even when driving over mountain passes.
marz 11:52AM (6/11/2009)
Chris, the stock '04-'09 Prius will go upto 41mph before the ICE must kick in. Early reports on the 2010 say somewhat higher at about 46mph. Yeah, I'd be concerned about over-reving the E-motor with their software override.
Reply
Jim McCullough 3:50PM (6/11/2009)
I see (smell?) marketing slight-of-hand (B.S.?) In their P.R.. Their "all-electric performance" (not EV-only driving) software upgrade must run the engine at idle speed and power level (near zero with accessories off) "when needed" (above 34 mph). This allows (SULEV-OK) "warm-up", "heavily favoring the electric motor" for 25 mi (4+ mi/kwh) "at highway speeds" (above 34 mph but below 70 mph?), 170 mpge (about 1/7 gal for idling during 25 mi drive), provides vital transmission lubrication, and prevents E-motor over-reving.
I hope they offer a ride and drive at the show so someone can see if engine is on or off during "all-electric performance." ..Or see if the E-motor explodes from over-reving (remember software upgrades don't include gear changes).
100 MPG or BUST
Reply
Steve 5:00PM (6/11/2009)
They say that their software allows electric only operation up to 70MPH. It does NOT say that the ICE is not turning (0 RPM) at 70MPH. Since there are 2 electric motors in the Prius drive system, it seems like it would be possible with software changes to achieve 70 MPH electric only (i.e. no gas being used) operation without exceeding the normal electric motor RPM design points as long as the electric motors are also used to turn the ICE. I suspect that is what they have done. There would of course be some loss of efficiency in spinning the ICE without gas, but it would avoid over-reving the electric motors and would provide lubrication.
Reply
Andrew 4:45PM (6/12/2009)
The software upgrade mentioned here takes full advantage of both MG1 and MG2 motors and does (at certain speeds) spin the ICE without injecting any fuel to prevent damaging the motors. MG1 and MG2 operate within the technical specifications during full electric drive.
For further information about how the Prius power split device works, please visit: http://www.eahart.com/prius/psd/
There is also another demonstration of the modification (considerably less bumpy) that has been posted on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y5n32p6u3Y
Thanks!
Andrew
Reply