Plug in Honda insight (2001).

[vskid3]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Why do you think his plug-in mod will ruin the battery? Voltage differences?

The battery normally maxes out at 80% SOC (full bars=80%). This is to extend battery life, other hybrids do the same thing. Grid charging is generally done to balance the pack by charging it to 100% and letting all cells reach full charge, which is fine if done every few weeks to few months depending on how healthy the battery is. Unless he has the voltage of the charger lowered to keep it from reaching full charge, he could be easily hitting 100% charging it overnight if the battery is already decently charged. The battery doesn't even hold much energy, the risk of battery damage far outweighs the potential for increased mileage.

The electric motor is before the tranny, so there isn't any hybrid magic going on in there.

[Cobb]

Batteries are designed for x amount of cycles to x amount of discharge. Most hybrids only cycle the battery a fraction of its rated capacity. When you grid charge it you do 100%. You take a lead acid deep cycle battery 100% dod daily it will last a few weeks tops.

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Why do you think his plug-in mod will ruin the battery? Voltage differences?

[Xist]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Why do you think his plug-in mod will ruin the battery? Voltage differences?

I remember a Toyota spokesman saying that modifying a Prius to function as electric-only would damage the battery pack because it was not designed for it.

Don't Ecomodders who bypass or disable the alternator replace the battery with a deep-cycle marine cell?

[Cobb]

Yeah, the toy doesnt use as much of the capacity of the hybrid battery as the honda does. This is why you see soo many Insights and Civics with failed batteries and IMA lights, but prius keep on ticking.

Originally Posted by Xist

I remember a Toyota spokesman saying that modifying a Prius to function as electric-only would damage the battery pack because it was not designed for it.