How to hack a hybrid
#1
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How to hack a hybrid
For 'hybrid hackers' selling plug-in kits for the Prius, high gas prices add up to a big opportunity.
by David Kushner, Business 2.0 Magazine
July 13 2006: 9:19 AM EDT
(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- Rising gas prices and booming sales of the Toyota Prius mean a big opportunity for Pete Nortman. A year and a half ago, the Monrovia, Calif., engineer hacked his Prius by replacing the battery with a lithium-ion version and adding a system that plugs into an ordinary 110-volt socket.
After charging in the garage overnight, the souped-up Prius gets about 100 miles per gallon--roughly twice what a regular Prius gets at best. "This is just the beginning," Nortman says.
Now EDrive, the startup Nortman co-founded, and Hymotion, a competitor based outside Toronto, are set to turn such tinkering into cash. They're the first two companies to market PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) kits for Prius drivers.
The EDrive kit will debut by December with a price of $12,000, installation included. Hymotion's kit, also due later this year, will cost $12,500, a figure that co-founder Ricardo Bazzarella plans to drop to $6,500 by this time next year. He estimates profit margins of 20 to 25 percent and says the success of his business hinges on public awareness.
In that, the hybrid hackers get an assist from nonprofits like Palo Alto-based California Cars Initiative. The group holds public PHEV demos and predicts a market for as many as 100,000 plug-in vehicles (260,000 Priuses have been sold in the United States).
"The goal is to make carmakers build these cars," says the group's founder, Felix Kramer. Toyota's (Charts) response: "We admire the entrepreneurial spirit of the people making conversions," says spokeswoman Cindy Knight. "This is something we're seriously investigating ourselves."
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From the July 1, 2006 issue
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/busin...ce=yahoo_quote
by David Kushner, Business 2.0 Magazine
July 13 2006: 9:19 AM EDT
(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- Rising gas prices and booming sales of the Toyota Prius mean a big opportunity for Pete Nortman. A year and a half ago, the Monrovia, Calif., engineer hacked his Prius by replacing the battery with a lithium-ion version and adding a system that plugs into an ordinary 110-volt socket.
After charging in the garage overnight, the souped-up Prius gets about 100 miles per gallon--roughly twice what a regular Prius gets at best. "This is just the beginning," Nortman says.
Now EDrive, the startup Nortman co-founded, and Hymotion, a competitor based outside Toronto, are set to turn such tinkering into cash. They're the first two companies to market PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) kits for Prius drivers.
The EDrive kit will debut by December with a price of $12,000, installation included. Hymotion's kit, also due later this year, will cost $12,500, a figure that co-founder Ricardo Bazzarella plans to drop to $6,500 by this time next year. He estimates profit margins of 20 to 25 percent and says the success of his business hinges on public awareness.
In that, the hybrid hackers get an assist from nonprofits like Palo Alto-based California Cars Initiative. The group holds public PHEV demos and predicts a market for as many as 100,000 plug-in vehicles (260,000 Priuses have been sold in the United States).
"The goal is to make carmakers build these cars," says the group's founder, Felix Kramer. Toyota's (Charts) response: "We admire the entrepreneurial spirit of the people making conversions," says spokeswoman Cindy Knight. "This is something we're seriously investigating ourselves."
__________________________
Related:
Pushing a finely tuned Maserati to its limits.
To send a letter to the editor about this story, click here.
From the July 1, 2006 issue
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/busin...ce=yahoo_quote
#2
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very nice to see the business opportunities. i think it's going to boom for them for maybe 2-3 yrs. by then the new toyota prius would be out, which carries a promising ~100mpg as well.
the question then would be whether these guys can continue to hack those systems for more
the question then would be whether these guys can continue to hack those systems for more
#4
Outside of the cost of the conversion you still have to pay for the electricity to charge the batteries. This really isn't something for nothing.
I wonder how the cost of electricity to gas breaks down in this car. Also, I wonder which is more efficent at power the car given the energy needed to make and deliver the electricity or the energy needed to refine, deliver, and burn the gas. You also need to consider the fact that you will be supporting nuclear or coal power by using more electricity compared to more gas. Still sounds promising none the less.
I wonder how the cost of electricity to gas breaks down in this car. Also, I wonder which is more efficent at power the car given the energy needed to make and deliver the electricity or the energy needed to refine, deliver, and burn the gas. You also need to consider the fact that you will be supporting nuclear or coal power by using more electricity compared to more gas. Still sounds promising none the less.
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Toyota's current hybrid batteries operates b/w 20-80% charge capacity. Any other extremes will reduce the life of the batteries, hence why Toyota doesn't currenty offer plug-in hybrids.
And I'm thinking Toyota bought shares of Fuji Heavy primarily for their battery technology
And I'm thinking Toyota bought shares of Fuji Heavy primarily for their battery technology
#7
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Originally Posted by Milla...
Man, so for most people then this will mean having a second loan to get these batteries..12k for some batteries did I get that right?
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Originally Posted by Trexus
Correct but by next year the price would be reduced by almost half...
#10
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Special batteries for your Prius: $12K
Additional electric bills after installation: $6K/yr
Laughing my *** off at any suckers who do this: priceless.
Additional electric bills after installation: $6K/yr
Laughing my *** off at any suckers who do this: priceless.
#11
Originally Posted by bitkahuna
Special batteries for your Prius: $12K
Additional electric bills after installation: $6K/yr
Laughing my *** off at any suckers who do this: priceless.
Additional electric bills after installation: $6K/yr
Laughing my *** off at any suckers who do this: priceless.
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