RE: Prius owner please test this, was RE: Prius comments

[Chris Meier <ChrisM@pptvision.com>]

> The Prius' behavior is independent of whether the ICE is running or not.
> If you're shifted into Drive, the car creeps ahead like any ICE with an
> automatic transmission, regardless of whether the ICE is running or not.

They did a good job of this, because I didn't notice it's behaviour as
any different from an ICE automatic.  Of course, I was more focused
on learning/getting used to the car, and that was while following John
Wayland to the Woodburn dragstrip.

>  - When you turn the key to "start" momentarily, it latches a 'Ready'
>    light "on". The ICE typically starts a within a second by itself.
>    You are not controlling cranking; the system does it automatically.

I demonstrated this to my wife; if when initially turning on the car,
you hold the key in the "start" position, the ICE never starts up.
As soon as you 'let go' to the run position, the ICE starts up.


>  - As long as you don't press the accellerator too much, and the battery
>    is more than half charged, the car runs as a pure electric.
> 
>  - You can drive up to 42 mph as pure electric. Accelleration is VERY
>    slow. It feels like the electric motor is only good for a few HP, so
>    on level ground you won't even reach 42 mph (more like 30-35 mph).
>
>  - The ICE will start a) when the battery reaches about 1/2 charge,
>    b) you go faster than 42 mph, c) you step down on the accellerator
>    a little harder.

Ah.  I must not have been 'light' enough on the accelerator, didn't make it
above about 20mph.  I assumed that unless I was pretty much flooring the
pedal, it wouldn't vary when it would start the ICE, assuming the battery
pack didn't go below the charge threshold.



> And there
> are certain speeds, around 45-50 mph, where it will cycle the ICE on and
> off even though there was no change in speed or accellerator pedal
> position.

I did notice this while on the freeway.  Mostly by observing the graphics
on the display.

> So far, we averaged 50 mpg and got 540 miles on our first tank of gas.
> It only gets 42 mpg at 70-75 mph on the expressway, but driving around
> town at low speeds, it easily tops 60 mpg.

At speeds of 55-65, my test drive car was in the 40's to 75 range, except
on hills.  The only time it dropped below the mid 40's was on hills, or
aggressive acceleration.

Pretty neat car from the engine management perspective.

So Lee, have you hacked into the processor I/O busses to determine state/
control lines, and have you added that pack of 13Ah Hawkers, and added
the contactor control logic to switch the pack in and out as necessary to
drive pure electric for longer distances, at any acceleration rate desired?
:-) :-)

More seriously, what happens if you are driving around at say, 20mph, and
the ICE is off, thus pure electric, and you turn the key to the 'start'
position?
I wonder if it might inhibit the ICE starting?  If you feel brave enough,
report
back on what behaviour the car has when the key is turned to the 'start'
position while driving: pure electric, and hybrid mode.

-Chris