Prius questions

[Ian22]

Anyone have experience living in a Prius in one location throughout the year?  Is the battery efficient in the extreme heat and extreme cold?

 

[mpruet]

Anyone have experience living in a Prius in one location throughout the year?  Is the battery efficient in the extreme heat and extreme cold?

I'm not quite sure what you mean.  While I haven't lived long term in my Prius, I have car camped in my Prius in all types of weather including rather hot as well as rather cold weather.  When left in ready mode, the Prius runs on both the battery as well as the engine.  When the battery gets below a certain charge, then it automatically starts up the engine to recharge the battery.  You can leave the AC as well as the heater on overnight when the car is in ready mode.

 

[Suanne]

mpruet is exactly correct on how the Prius' internal combustion engine comes on intermittently to recharge the high-voltage drive train batteries. When running the AC that's all that the car does because the AC is run off of those high-voltage batteries.

But, the Prius' heater gets it's heat from the internal combustion engine, like the heater in a conventional vehicle. So, the Prius' engine runs intermittently for two purposes when the heater is on: 1) To create heat to warm the inside of the car, and 2) To keep the high-voltage batteries charged up.

If in extreme cold, I would not expect the Prius to be very efficient. But, I'm speaking theoretically here because I drive to warmer weather when it starts getting uncomfortably chilly.

You may want to consider joining the Facebook group called Prius Camping and ask your question there. I suspect someone in that group may have actual experience being in their Prius in extreme weather conditions.

Suanne ... warming her Prius now, pre-sunrise

 

[mpruet]

When I went camping in l'Hotel Prius in the colder places, it was not as efficient with the heater as with the AC, but it was not that bad either.  I'm guessing that because the fan remained on the air kept circulating and that prevented 'super cold' spots.  So when the engine started up to create heat, it didn't have to run all that long since it didn't have to warm up the cold spots.  At least that's my theory. 

Of course the key is to keep the windows covered so that the air doesn't hit the cold windows so much...

 

[Burbanlife]

Have stayed a couple nights in the prius while going from coast to coast one year. ran into freezing fog and rain pulled into a truck stop and stayed nice and warm and no problems, have also done it in warm weather well hot AZ summer once and car stayed nice and cool. no issues. I loved it, just make sure you have gas in the car it will do the rest with the batteries on it's own.

 

[kllcbosmetris]

mpruet is exactly correct on how the Prius' internal combustion engine comes on intermittently to recharge the high-voltage drive train batteries.  When running the AC that's all that the car does because the AC is run off of those high-voltage batteries.

But,  the Prius' heater gets it's heat from the internal combustion engine, like the heater in a conventional vehicle.  So, the Prius' engine runs intermittently for two purposes when the heater is on: 1) To create heat to warm the inside of the car, and 2) To keep the high-voltage batteries charged up.

If in extreme cold, I would not expect the Prius to be very efficient.  But, I'm speaking theoretically here because I drive to warmer weather when it starts getting uncomfortably chilly.

You may want to consider joining the Facebook group called Prius Camping and ask your question there.  I suspect someone in that group may have actual experience being in their Prius in extreme weather conditions.

Suanne ... warming her Prius now, pre-sunrise

Do you know the voltage of those high-voltage batteries (i.e. is it ~47v or ~360v)? Is it dangerous to sleep in a vehicle when you are close to that level of high voltage (i.e. is there an increased fire hazard)? Do you know the cost of replacing those high-voltage batteries?

 

[Suanne]

I'm on my 2nd Prius. My 2004's high-voltage batteries were NiCad; my current 2015 also uses NiCad. If I understand the research I've done, the most recent articles say that the 2016s and newer (Gen4s) come with the option of either Lithium or NiCad, depending on the package that you get. The newer-technology Lithium batteries weigh less and take up less space for the same power, so Toyota can add more options to the cars with those batteries. Toyota assures that both types of batteries perform the same when it comes to operating the car and its efficiency.

I'm not really answering your questions except to show that it's more complicated than one might expect. The battery voltage is really beyond my knowledge base. But, consider joining the forum Prius Chat and ask that question there.

I've been sleeping in a Prius since 2009. So, my research and experience is that it's not any more dangerous than sleeping above a conventional vehicle's fuel tank. That is, the risk is minimal when your vehicle is maintained. The only concern I've read about the batteries specifically, are from those that think they emit an electromagnetic field which is inherently harmful. Toyota is assuring its customers that the Lithium battery technology that they are using in some 2016 and later models is much improved since the incidents of the Tesla and Samsung battery fires.

If you go to a dealer to replace high-voltage NiCad batteries, it'll probably cost more than $3000. If you get reconditioned NiCad batteries from a shop that specializes in that, then it'll be around $1000. I don't know about Lithium battery replacement costs. That's another question to ask at the Prius Chat forum. My 2004 had 232,000 miles on it and all of its original high-voltage battery cells were in good condition at the time I gave the car to my son-in-law earlier this year. And the car is still running trouble-free for him today. I was the original owner.

Hope that helps.

Suanne

 

[user 37446]

x2 to above. 
My Gen 3 Prius only has 103K on it but the big traction battery is doing fine and even the 12v battery is factory (2011).  The newest Prius Prime plugins have the LION battery and get double the elect-only miles but then they are double the size (8.8kw vs 4.4), and they sit up 2-3 inches higher in the back so there's even less room to use. Can't see it competing with the NIssan Leaf for electric only yet.

The Prius,while cramped and not what I would choose for long term living, is ok for a temporary solution until one can find/afford something larger. It's what I can afford at the present, and "you make do with what you have" as opposed to going into debt.

 

[mpruet]

Do you know the voltage of those high-voltage batteries (i.e. is it ~47v or ~360v)? Is it dangerous to sleep in a vehicle when you are close to that level of high voltage (i.e. is there an increased fire hazard)? Do you know the cost of replacing those high-voltage batteries?

Not sure of the actual voltage, but there is one consideration that should be followed.  On the passenger rear seat there is a vent that is used by the high voltage battery.  You should NOT cover that vent, including when the seat back is down and you have a bed set up. When the seat back is down, there is still a gap so that the vent is not blocked, but just be careful not to cover is with your stuff.

 

[John61CT]

Nominal voltage of the power pack at rest charged is over 200V.

Generator outputs much higher, but internal voltage conversion going on.

Not dangerous in normal use, believe me US tort liability is much more effective than any gov reg agency could be.

But, if you start peeling stuff away and encounter signs saying

DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE!!!

in big red letters, leave those bits alone.

 

[QuahogDave]

I'm on my 2nd Prius.  My 2004's high-voltage batteries were NiCad; my current 2015 also uses NiCad.  If I understand the research I've done, the most recent articles say that the 2016s and newer (Gen4s) come with the option of either Lithium or NiCad, depending on the package that you get.  The newer-technology Lithium batteries weigh less and take up less space for the same power, so Toyota can add more options to the cars with those batteries.  Toyota assures that both types of batteries perform the same when it comes to operating the car and its efficiency.

I'm not really answering your questions except to show that it's more complicated than one might expect.  The battery voltage is really beyond my knowledge base.   But, consider joining the forum Prius Chat and ask that question there.

I've been sleeping in a Prius since 2009.  So, my research and experience is that it's not any more dangerous than sleeping above a conventional vehicle's fuel tank.  That is, the risk is minimal when your vehicle is maintained.  The only concern I've read about the batteries specifically, are from those that think they emit an electromagnetic field which is inherently harmful.  Toyota is assuring its customers that the Lithium battery technology that they are using in some 2016 and later models is much improved since the incidents of the Tesla and Samsung battery fires.

If you go to a dealer to replace high-voltage NiCad batteries, it'll probably cost more than $3000.  If you get reconditioned NiCad batteries from a shop that specializes in that, then it'll be around $1000.  I don't know about Lithium battery replacement costs.  That's another question to ask at the Prius Chat forum.  My 2004 had 232,000 miles on it and all of its original high-voltage battery cells were in good condition at the time I gave the car to my son-in-law earlier this year.  And the car is still running trouble-free for him today.  I was the original owner.

Hope that helps.

Suanne

Suanne - I'm having a hard time finding the Prius Chat form here - can you direct me?  I just bought a 2012 Prius V a couple of months ago, and am looking forward to trying it out camping at the RTR.  Will there be a gathering of Prius owners there, do you know?  
David

 

[Suanne]

David,

Here's the link to the Prius Chat forum, https://priuschat.com/forum/

For the past 2 or 3 years we've had an impromptu gathering of Prius owners during the RTR by another Prius Dweller named David. I'm not sure if that will happen again this year or not. But, if it doesn't look like it's going to happen, and you want to have one, then feel free to organize and announce it yourself.

Suanne

 

[QuahogDave]

Thanks for the link and info, Suanne. Looking forward to seeing you and the other Prius People at the RTR.

 

[Harmonica]

Is it possible (and easy for one person) to take the back seats out of the Prius?

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

Any "YouTubers" attend any of the RTR Prius related get-togethers ?  Got any links ?..........Thanks

 

[Oberneldon]

Is it possible (and easy for one person) to take the back seats out of the Prius?

Hi

On my gen 3 the rear bottom cushion comes out very easy

The gold down seats require I believe a 14 mm wrench and they take a bit of time to remove but not hard

Brent