Solar Energy Kit Gives Prius 10% Better Mileage

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/productstory;jsessionid=a11oXzVFzxea?id=40320

edit: one paragraph article...

On Edit: try this....

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/productstory?id=40320

if that doesn't work go to...

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/home

look under "product news"...

[Matariki]

1. link not found

sounds interesting though

[phantom power]

2. O Skinner, hear me now...

Canst thou upgradeth thine holy parser to handle semicolons...

[Richard D]

3. And . . .

. . .to show the whole URL without the . . . stuff.

[silverweb]

4. Here's product info....

http://www.solatecllc.com/

[wakeme2008]

5. here is the link

http://tinyurl.com/8qpm6

[skids]

6. Don't believe it.

This thing's been around for months and the general consensus is the claims are impossible. The panels
they are using only generate 60W.

It is useful in that it shows how a solar mod could be done withot affecting aerodynamics, but until they find a flexible panel with a decent efficiency -- and hook it up to the HV battery pack not just the 12V system -- they are just trying to cash in on credulous yuppies.

[JohnWxy]

7. And it only costs ....... $2,195.00!!!

The kit costs $2,195 -- and will be available nationwide through dealer franchises.

[NickB79]

8. And that's to gain an extra 5 mpg

If the average Prius gets 50 mpg.

[IDemo]

9. "Output Current: 30 watts"??

Anytime I see a manufacturer using wrong units such as the above (current is measured in amps), I have to question the technologists behind the technology.

[NNadir]

10. Some commentary from the second link.

That would be this one:

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/productstory?id=40320

Technically, these claims are very over-rated. Just charging the little 12 volt aux battery amounts to very little. There is no way for the wattage to even get through the dc/dc converter that charges (only) this little battery from the main traction battery.

I'm afraid this is all show, but no go .

-- Florent Cozon, December 14, 2005
I agree with Dave, how come let say a 1 square meter of cell, (according to what I can see from the picture of the Prius' roof)with an efficiency average of let say 20% can save up to 10% of gas.
I you work it this way: the car is parked outside in the day time, it receives on a sunny day 200 W x 6 hours = 1.2 kWh.
What are these punny 1.2 kWh will do in the total energy balance.
Now, suppose something else: if the Prius' battery is already topped up (if I am correct, the max cap is about 2 kWh), where will this extra sun energy be stored, if the car is parked?
Difficult to say that is not super hype, especially regarding the prohibitive price. Will someone explain that to me please?

-- Brian Julin, December 18, 2005
60W of panels (if I read it right, could be 30W) isn't even enough to carry the whole accessory load (100W in the Prius.) I'm betting the mileage claims are overblown. It's a nice, sleek system for preserving the life of the 12V battery, but at $2k?

I'll have to see some independent test results. I guess it's a good first step -- well second if you count Lapp's Prius Classic but...


-- Jim Stack, December 21, 2005

I couldn't have said it better myself.

This is one toy for rich boys that is mostly snake oil and salesmenship. It's pretty typical of the stuff we've been hearing a few decades.

It probably can increase mileage by 10%, but only if you drive 10 kilometers a month.