Super-battery creates 50km/litre Prius commuter

By Zachary Slobig

Los Angeles, California - Southern California hybrid drivers may soon be weaned further from the petrol pump by a modification that will enable such vehicles to run almost exclusively in electric mode.

Scientists are developing plug-in technology that would allow the Toyota Prius and such petrol/diesel-battery cars to travel their first 100km or so of the day on less than two litres of petrol.

"While we refine technology, we have been compiling an interest list of customers that has reached into the thousands," partner and chief engineer of EDrive Systems, Greg Hanssen, told AFP.

"Initially we will focus on Southern California."

Toyota sold about 108 000 Priuses in the US - more than 30 percent of them in California.

Combustion engine exhaust has been blamed for most of the air pollution in Los Angeles; in 2004 it was ranked as the most-polluted US city by the American Lung Association.

However, if current vehicles in America were replaced overnight with plug-in hybrids, oil consumption would fall by 80 percent and eliminate the need for oil imports, according to University of California energy analyst Jim Williams.

Hanssen declared: "The EDrive System is the ideal fusion of the clean and conveniently refuelled electric vehicle with petrol hybrid technology - renewable power with unlimited range."

The system replaces the existing Prius battery with an advanced lithium ion battery and can be charged at home using a standard domestic power socket. Hanssen hopes to make the modification available by the end of the year for $12 000 dollars, though he believes the price will fall as battery technology improves.

The new battery, he says, is seven times more powerful than the original so the eco-boosted hybrid will be able to achieve the average daily American commute on a sniff of petrol. The cars will operate in standard hybrid mode after the 100km range with a typical fuel consumption of well under five litres/100km.

EDrive's website says the conversion replaces the nickel-metal hydride battery supplied with a new Prius by an advanced lithium-ion battery system with nearly 20 times the usable energy capacity. The battery control system on the vehicle is also replaced with custom EDrive hardware to encourage the Prius to make use of the expanded battery.

EDrive has positioned itself not only as the sole US commercial developer of the Prius plug-in modification but also as a source of pressure on the auto industry.
Toyota responded last month by announcing the development of a "next-generation hybrid vehicle that can extend the distance travelled by electric motor alone" but remains conservative with other details.

Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight explained: "We are in the research and development phase and have made significant progress but until we are confident about the product, no release date will be set."

Hard to fault

Toyota maintains that Prius owners tinkering with the power train and swopping battery systems will lose their manufacturer warranty but no case has yet surfaced.

Hanssen says that since the EDrive system never touches anything under the bonnet, it would be difficult to link any mechanical problems with the modification.

Despite warranty concerns, Hanssen's "interest list" lengthens by the day and the prospect of 1.6 litres/100km commuting has online Prius groups chattering.

"There's lots of interest out there," Hanssen said. "I wish we were ready to go right now."

# Thomas Kahn, a Prius owner in Frankfurt, Indiana, has modified his hybrid to compete in amateur autocross events. With customisations through Toyota Racing Development, including a new suspension, Kahn wants to "break the view that the Prius is a slow dog".

Now he's eager to try the plug-in modification.

"I heard they've only done about 10," he said. "I've been trying like heck to get my hands on one." - AFP

Published on the web by Motoring on July 19, 2006. © Motoring 2006. All rights reserved.