Quick update - has it been that long???

Wow have I been a slacker! A lot has happened in my life since my last posting:

I got engaged;
I moved to a new house (with a carport for much easier recharging!)
I got married.
I and my PHEV survived the Winter of 2009-2010 (60+ inches of snow in my area).

My car is still running great, and there were times when I got up to 44-45 miles before the A123 battery stopped providing power. Last summer, with a lot of charging, I didn't go to a gas station for 2 months!

Also, the price of gasoline in my area dropped to a low of $1.70 per gallon in late 2008, but now is back up to $3.00 per gallon (unleaded regular).

There are now tax credits for doing the PHEV conversion ($1,000) after 2/17/2009.

Now, this will be the year when several PHEV's and at least one EV go on sale.

Driving Data

Over the weekend of November 7-9, I had a chance to fully charge my batteries and drive around to see the results.

Range with primary electric: 36.6 miles (odometer went from 209.9 to 246.5 when the battery indicator light went off).

Type of driving: 75-80% highway, 20-25% suburban on hilly roads.

Overall MPG: 85.8! (based on ScanGauge readings). That included 1.8 miles driven after the car went back to regular hybrid mode (in suburban driving).

What a difference!

Now that my car has been upgraded to a PHEV, the difference is amazing. I think the following picture says it all:

That is right, I filled up the gas in the morning before the upgrade, and using battery power to get back to my house (mostly highway driving), so far I am getting 77.9 miles per gallon! The gas engine engaged during highway speeds and accelerations, obviously, but for a while, I was getting more than 100 mpg.

Of course, the operation is not for the faint of heart, as the following photos show:

Here are some more photos of the day:

But at the end, everything looked and worked great!

Many thanks to Dan Rodkey and especially Rob Gorman of Fitzgerald Toyota in Gaithersburg MD for doing such a great job!

The Big Day

Well, here it is: October 28, 2008, and of course, it is cold, rainy, and windy (39 degrees according to the thermostat in my Prius). What a perfect day to fight Beltway traffic to get to the dealer!

I got there a few minutes early, and there was a gas station right across the street (selling regular for $2.579 - the lowest I have seen in a couple of years), so I decided to fill up before the conversion.

I am at the dealer right now, and the process will begin soon. I also found out that Fitzgerald is an EPA Green Power Partner. I received the battery owner's manual, and the information is very interesting (they suggest the longest cord to use is 50 feet, which could make it interesting when charging at my townhouse....).

I will get pictures later today.

Big news!

I got an e-mail from the dealer on October 10, saying that my battery pack would arrive soon. In fact, packs are arriving on time and sometimes early.

I found out just how early. When I called last week, I was told that several were in stock, and I could get my car converted this month!

I made the appointment for October 28. I also asked about getting an additional meter/guage, to show when I am getting over 100 mpg.

The dealer also said that they have done about 40 conversions, so even though I won't be in the top 10, at least I will be in the top 50 or 100.....

News from the Feds

Well, some big news: On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed the big bailout bill. It also has incentives for people to purchase PHEV's starting next year. The tax credit starts at $2,500 and is capped at $7,500 (the bigger the battery, the bigger the tax credit) and at the first 250,000 sold in the US.

Unfortunately, it does not apply to conversions, only original equipment manufactured vehicles. Well, there is always next year, and there are rumors of yet another economic stimulus package in the works, so you never know.....

New work benefits

Well, yesterday was the big announcement: My employer is expanding its already generous transportation benefits, as of November 1, 2008. They already provide benefits for riding the electric Metro subway (up to $115 per month), and now they are going to provide pre-tax benefits for parking at Metro lots (up to $105 per month).

In addition, they are going to subsidize people who ride the subway, drive an electric/hybrid vehicle, or carpool to work. They will now provide $50 per month to employees who are commuting in a "green fashion! For example, for people who ride the Metro and were spending $115 per month (pre-tax) for subway fares, starting in November, they will only need to spend $65 per month and they will get $115 for subway fares (the total pre-tax + subsidy can not exceed $115 per month).

Unfortunately, there are no special benefits for PHEV's. At least not yet. But maybe I will be brave enough to ask at some point....