First PHEV Honda Insight (1st gen.) with Enginer.us system

[NeilBlanchard]

Hi,

You can carry a can of "fix-a-flat" which could get you out of a bad situation, the weight and space would not be an issue.

[ericbecky]

Took another snapshot of mpg and posted on flickr.
100.3 mpg over 60 miles.

Multiple drivers.

Multiple trips.
- In town at speeds under 35 mph heavy assist use and then plugging in. 10 miles
- 10 mile trip not using any Enginer system at all. A bit in town under 35, rest rural 2 lane hwy 55 mph.
- 40 mile trip at low highway speeds. 55 mph road. Travelling 5 to 8 mph under speed limit at times on highway. Trying to eke every bit of mpg. 15 mph side wind at times. Enginer system lasted about half of it. (Achieved 96 mpg on this trip.)

[discovery]

Geat job.
Question:
Do you need to have MIMA to operate the whole system or the Insight's BCM and MCM are enough?

I really like the system

[ericbecky]

MIMA is not a requirement. But I'm certain that you will get much better gas mileage if you have MIMA and Enginer system together since you have more control over the assist/recharge capabilities.

[discovery]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

MIMA is not a requirement. But I'm certain that you will get much better gas mileage if you have MIMA and Enginer system together since you have more control over the assist/recharge capabilities.

Thanks for the info, now how much is the whole system with instalation?

[ericbecky]

The Enginer kit is currently $1,495 for the 2kwh system. $2,295 for the 4 kwh system. The site says these are sale prices that are only godd through Dec 31 or until suplies last. Usually the 2kwh is $1,995 and the 4kwh $3,495.
Enginer | Prius Plugin PHEV Conversion Kit with Lithium-Ion | Hybrid
Installation is generally an additional $500 if you have an installer put it in, but if you have confidence and good skills you may opt to tackle it yourself.

[NeilBlanchard]

I'll be curious to see more details and real prototypes of the Enginer steam micro turbine:

Steam Micro Turbine Engine | Enginer | Hybrid Plug In, Plugin

[Artric]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

The Enginer kit is currently $1,495 for the 2kwh system. $2,295 for the 4 kwh system. The site says these are sale prices that are only godd through Dec 31 or until suplies last. Usually the 2kwh is $1,995 and the 4kwh $3,495.

Installation is generally an additional $500 if you have an installer put it in, but if you have confidence and good skills you may opt to tackle it yourself.

Wow, that's A LOT of cash... I'm averaging just about 90MPG stock. Let's say that I get 80MPG, and this thing gives me 100MPG. At 16,000 miles per year, I'll save $116 per year, and that's not factoring in paying for electricity for charging.

It's cool, but it's not likely to pay for itself. I like the fact that my Insight will pay for itself in 3-4 years. I can't wait for these prices to come down!

I'd like to hear more about your results!

[ericbecky]

Yeah, it's not about saving money.

In fact I would argue that my Insight I bought for $10,500 in 2003 has not saved me money either. There were plenty of cars that got 40 mpg instead and cost thousands of dollars less.

For me the Enginer system, for now, is just another option to improve mpg, and not about saving money.

[Artric]

Originally Posted by ericbecky

MIMA is not a requirement. But I'm certain that you will get much better gas mileage if you have MIMA and Enginer system together since you have more control over the assist/recharge capabilities.

Without MIMA, you would have to mash the pedal to get any assist. The highest instantaneous MPG you can get generally with assist is 60MPG. To get any real assist, you're down around 25MPG. Without MIMA, you have to be really light on the assist - it's not the best setup, for sure.

I generally only use it by dropping to 60MPG to gain speed that I slowly lose. BTW, I got 106MPG yesterday on my 25 mile trip home (70% highway).