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by Lwerewolf
621 days ago
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The Prius and other HSD cars (i.e anything with a power-split device of the Toyota variety - input-split PSD) are some of, if not flat out the most reliable and simple ICE cars. Permanent atkinson-cycle engine, no turbos because there's no exhaust gas pressure to drive them in the first place (and if there was, it'd be an inefficiency to be rooted out), bulletproof starter/generator especially since the ls600h (double-sided cooling of IGBTs >> no usual IGBT packaging degradation-related failure modes - this was NOT the setup on the 3rd gen prius), still a very efficient power transfer from the engine to the wheels (a big percent is still transferred mechanically), etc, etc. Adding a bigger battery to those isn't a whole lot of increased complexity. The only issue is making a PHEV that has the same performance characteristics in both EV and hybrid mode - not that it hasn't been done. Specifically on HSD cars, the two electric motors combined, or even just MG2 (the "motor") have way more power than you'd assume - they actually function as an AC-AC converter, converting a significant portion of the engine's output power from mechanical to electric and back to mechanical again. It's essentially the way the eCVT works. Therefore, with a battery (and buck-boost converter) that can support such a load, they can propel the car alone way more than adequately - with a speed limit to protect the "generator" from too high RPM, due to the way the HSD works. Anyways, it absolutely can be done and it absolutely can be way simpler. If it's a case of a typical modern ICE with a big battery and a motor thrown in somewhere that makes it "hybrid"-ish - i.e. all the ICE complexity + the EV "complexity" (minus the classic starter/alternator) - yeah, no thanks. IMO: Good examples - the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV. Bad examples - C63 AMG (the PHEV version). |
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I was told this is not true for 2006 Alphard hybrid (I have one). ~USD1000 part (usually old Toyotas have cheaper parts).
And beware that older hybrids use small (e.g. 50Wh) NiMH batteries - I think they started to change to Lithium in 2017 or something