[Ziggythewiz]

I didn't think the C had an EV only mode.

[todayican]

She does, weirdly though, if you select EV mode with the button, it seems to be limited to 25mph.

If you select ev mode with your foot (by being careful with acceleration) it will go to 34.

lastly, I have seen it as high as 40 on slight downgrades

[Ziggythewiz]

In that case you just need to hack it to allow EV up to 55, or whatever your highest non-highway limit is.

With the old prius you had to hack it just to add the EV mode button, along with the higher performance.

[Wild]

Originally Posted by todayican

That's what I am thinking too.

I've done some research and apparently the "regular" Prius up-converts a 168v pack to 650v and the Prius C up-converts 144v to 550v going to the electric drive.

So one would think the mission at hand is to add a string of 48 calb 60s say to make 144v for another 8.6 KWH

I (Potentially Nievely) think that since the car is limited to 34mph in ev only mode, that there shouldn't be any problem with c rating on the calbs.

Which would be "upstream" of the up-converter..

So would it be as simple as finding an appropriate 144v charger and adding the calbs to the main pack and (with luck) the main pack would simply think it was at a higher charge state then it really is (Thanks to the Calbs?

Can you explain how you will succeed in finding a charger that will successfully charge two different types of batteries? Not to mention how you will prevent burning up the original Prius battery pack.

[todayican]

No idea, thats why I asked :-)

My vague understanding of charging is that the charger charges to a certain (set) voltage then shuts off.

If the charge voltage on pack 2 is within the "safe zone" of the main pack (IE lower then fully charged so as to not even be in danger of frying the main pack)

What I dont know (among other things) is what the operating voltage of the main pack cells are?

[Wild]

Originally Posted by todayican

No idea, thats why I asked :-)

My vague understanding of charging is that the charger charges to a certain (set) voltage then shuts off.

If the charge voltage on pack 2 is within the "safe zone" of the main pack (IE lower then fully charged so as to not even be in danger of frying the main pack)

What I dont know (among other things) is what the operating voltage of the main pack cells are?

Yes, well the simple answer is you can't. You are dealing with two different battery types.

[lottos]

With Hymotion ( http://www.hymotion.com/ ) no longer selling their kits, the market is ready for a new player.

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by Ziggythewiz

In that case you just need to hack it to allow EV up to 55, or whatever your highest non-highway limit is.

With the old prius you had to hack it just to add the EV mode button, along with the higher performance.

The 'C' stands for City.. That's where the C does it's best work.
If you look at your average speed around a congested city, it's not that fast.
My wife's 'C' can easily stay in EV up to 44 MPH (slightly downhill).



I can go get a pizza over in Lexington (it's close by) and get 70 MPG roundtrip.

My idea of a simple upgrade would be an 8A 144vdc nimh charger built in.

Topping off a half-drained pack might help the MPG.?.
We always park the 'C' in the garage between trips during the day.
If it was charging during those breaks between (mostly very short) trips,
it seems like our MPG would be improved..
Since a high percentage of those trips are in EV mode..

[EVPowers]

It certainly is possible to make a C into a Plug in Prius.

There are aftermarket kits, such as the one from Enginer, that use a separate LiFePo4 battery pack to slowly charge up the Prius' main pack.

I have done many of these kinds of conversions on Insights, Gen1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Prius. Should work on a Prius C as well. Would take up a bit of the storage space room though.

There are also other people I know who have made a "Universal Grid Charger" that you can use to directly charge the main hybrid pack. Wouyld just need to set it for the Prius C pack voltage.

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by EVPowers

It certainly is possible to make a C into a Plug in Prius.

There are aftermarket kits, such as the one from Enginer, that use a separate LiFePo4 battery pack to slowly charge up the Prius' main pack.

I have done many of these kinds of conversions on Insights, Gen1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Prius. Should work on a Prius C as well. Would take up a bit of the storage space room though.

There are also other people I know who have made a "Universal Grid Charger" that you can use to directly charge the main hybrid pack. Wouyld just need to set it for the Prius C pack voltage.

The pack voltage is 144v. It seems like it would be pretty simple to make a 120vac to 144vdc smart charger for topping off the pack.
A regular 120vac outlet is rated for 15A, so it could raise the SOC, if left on charge overnight.

I read the early Insight had a 144v pack, so maybe there are some chargers out there.?.