If you could fill any car with Prius guts, which would you choose? :)

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

cRiPpLe_rOoStEr -- The Lexus/Highlander 3rd member is three orange cable in and axle drive flanges out, so it's perfect for pure electric conversions, but a hybrid would have to be through-the-road.

I was referring to the HSD, but not specifically to the all-electric rear differential. I was thinking about the setup out of a Prius c, but with its 1.5L 4-pot getting replaced by a single-cylinder 0.5L 2-stroke.

The title of this pic is Screen shot 2013 03 27 at 12.29.57 PM. So March 2013.

The donor vehicle has a drag coefficient of 0.42 or so, the Prius is 0.25 or 0.26. The donor vehicle, in it's original small displacement, low compression configuration was good for up to 40MPG.

The front suspension components are Rabbit/Golf. It has a longitudinal transaxle with the older non-hypoid differential. The straight cut gears cost less power. It has a Porsche cooling fan running off the crankshaft at 1:1 and eleven blades in the fan instead of five to make up the difference. Into a Type III air ducting with the generator on it's own belt.

The longitudinal transaxle from the Beetle can have its rotation reversed for FWD applications, like it was done in the early Passat/Dasher. But the Golf/Rabbit always had transverse engine.

[Cd]

" If you could fill any car with Prius guts, which would you choose? "

What aboat this one :

Would it even move with a Prius engine ?

I'm thinking the Kammback tail is not helping things a bit though.

( Hey that looks a lot like Bondo's design ( even the window design ) ...yet truck guys see this as 'macho' but only because it's mounted onto a Dummer. )

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Cd

What aboat this one :

Nearly everything is possible when the pockets are deep enough. Maybe some geek could attempt to make the the setup of a Lexus LS600h work into that rig. Not exactly Prius guts, but still based on the HSD Or the setup from that hybrid Hino truck, as it's more dimensioned to a higher load factor. As for 4WD, one could either try to couple the HSD to the Hummer's stock transfer case or to try repurposing that all-electric differential for FWD.

[freebeard]

Two Prius drivetrains, one at each end.

Here's what Toyota themselves did with the LX600h/Highlander drivetrain, the Allesandro Volta


http://auto.howstuffworks.com/toyota-pm4.htm

The Lexus setup is swapped end for end.

[AJI]

Letting my imagination drift today, I wondered whether many people had swapped Prius drivetrains into other cars - and which thread should I find?...

Anyway, here's my answer to the original question: The Toyota Sera.



May be interesting finding space to squirrel away the batteries, but I'm sure an enterprising soul could do it. It may not quite attain the economy of a Prius (though I'm aiming low - I'd be thinking gen-1 Prius, possibly better suited to the Sera's age), but it's a way of getting Prius-like economy in a much more interesting vehicle.

Find some way of transplanting the Prius electronic speedometer and the hybrid status display into the Sera's instrument binnacle, find a space for the column shifter, and you're set.

[Daox]

Ah the Sera. I always wanted one of those. The Paseo was a pretty close second though.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

The Sera looks more hi-tech at all than the Prius.

[bryn]

i have thought about the prius guts swap for a while now. i have an volvo 850 wagon. witch is a joy to drive, but terrible fuel consumption, around 20 mpg 22 if i really drive for economy. curb weight of 3300# 750# ish is engine trans etc. i think the prius drive swap would be close in final weight
my wife will not drive a stick so that is off the table. weneed a wagon with two kids in car seats and a 70#+ dog
neither of us like driving the prius "gen 2" it's uncomfortable with terrible visibility and our 3 yo seems to get really bad car sickness, that does not happen in any other vehicles we have driven.
i know the aero is a huge part of the prius efficiency, but if i could get 35 from the old volvo with a drive train swap that would be good enough for me

[Fingie]

Toyota Mr2.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by bryn

i have an volvo 850 wagon. witch is a joy to drive, but terrible fuel consumption, around 20 mpg 22 if i really drive for economy. curb weight of 3300# 750# ish is engine trans etc. i think the prius drive swap would be close in final weight

Since the Camry also has a hybrid version, it might work for your Volvo.