Right Lane Cruiser
04-16-2009, 08:05 AM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Steve Rosenstock spent $10,900 converting his red 2008 model Prius to a plug-in – roughly half the cost of the entire car. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/16/prius-hybrid-plug-in)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Hymotion_PHEV.jpgSuzanne Goldenberg - The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk) - April 16, 2009
It may be expensive but it is the direction we should all be moving for our next vehicles. --Ed.
The major US automakers are not due to roll out their first electric cars until late 2010, but for those unwilling to wait, there is a new trend for DIY plug-in hybrids.
Owners of the popular Toyota Prius hybrid, which runs on petrol and a nickel-metal battery, have begun a slow-but-steady move towards converting their cars into plug-in vehicles. A few hundred Prius owners around America are believed to have taken the plunge.
Six Prius dealerships in the US now convert standard Priuses into plug-ins using commercially produced lithium-ion batteries.
The process is straightforward. The mechanics install a lithium-ion battery in the spot formerly reserved for the spare tire. They then drill a hole in the rear of the car to put in a plug point for charging. The battery has a range of 35 to 40 miles, and takes about five hours to recharge completely.
Prius owners have long had a reputation for trying to eke the maximum miles out of every drop of petrol – trading tips on the web. But the conversions began gaining a following in mid-2008 when... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/16/prius-hybrid-plug-in
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Hymotion_PHEV.jpgSuzanne Goldenberg - The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk) - April 16, 2009
It may be expensive but it is the direction we should all be moving for our next vehicles. --Ed.
The major US automakers are not due to roll out their first electric cars until late 2010, but for those unwilling to wait, there is a new trend for DIY plug-in hybrids.
Owners of the popular Toyota Prius hybrid, which runs on petrol and a nickel-metal battery, have begun a slow-but-steady move towards converting their cars into plug-in vehicles. A few hundred Prius owners around America are believed to have taken the plunge.
Six Prius dealerships in the US now convert standard Priuses into plug-ins using commercially produced lithium-ion batteries.
The process is straightforward. The mechanics install a lithium-ion battery in the spot formerly reserved for the spare tire. They then drill a hole in the rear of the car to put in a plug point for charging. The battery has a range of 35 to 40 miles, and takes about five hours to recharge completely.
Prius owners have long had a reputation for trying to eke the maximum miles out of every drop of petrol – trading tips on the web. But the conversions began gaining a following in mid-2008 when... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/16/prius-hybrid-plug-in