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Couple of questions from a prospective buyer

4K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  rsn48 
#1 ·
Power add-ons:
What are the limitations of adding additional electric consuming items to the hybrid system?
Things like LED light bars, stereos with amplifiers, on-board air compressors and portable refrigerators.
Can the small starting battery be upgraded to an AGM type battery?
Can a solar charger be hooked to the starting battery when camping to keep it charged?

Aerodynamics:
What effect on mileage and power would something like a roof-top tent have? Is it similar to a gas CUV or will it have a larger effect on a hybrid design?

I currently have a 4Runner but it is too tall to get into the garage with the rooftop tent which is one reason I am looking at the R4H. That and the 15mpg I get.

Have never had a hybrid before and just wondering how additional power draws affect the system. The dealer had no idea of what I was talking about.
 
#2 ·
The 12v battery is very small. It can be upgraded to a better battery but it will still be relatively small. The good part is that the hybrid system can also run all that stuff when the car is "running" and the ICE will only run occasionally. You can draw approximately 1000 watts through the 12v battery, and some folks use a hybrid as an emergency home generator. In that scenario the car can run for days on a tank of gas. There's no real reason to bother with a battery charger. Install a standard inverter on the 12v to run your 110v stuff, or just use 12v gear.

The only thing the 12v battery has to do is boot the system computer. However if voltage drops enough the system will refuse to start. Once started the 12v is charged from the traction battery. So you can put a small charger on it, or just start the car every few hours to charge it up. Once its warmed up the ICE will only run when the traction battery gets low, then it will run for about 10 min to charge it up. The 12v battery remains fully charged unless you shut the car off.

Yes, roof top stuff increases drag and lowers MPG. But at highway speeds the hybrid performs much like any RAV4 anyhow so you're not losing much over a regular Rav4.
 
#3 ·
Rdgrimes, you seem to know an awful lot about Toyota's technology. Can you convince your employer (or Toyota if you are not one) to come up with battery electric vehicles (BEV's) so I can cancel my Tesla Model 3 deposit? :)

Honda has already had a change of heart and will be coming up with a BEV Clarity but Toyota has this joke of a car:
http://insideevs.com/toyota-unveils-gen-z-focused-electric-concept-car/
 
#6 ·
Forget the Tesla 3, its vapour ware. Tesla has built 90,000 cars total and the T3 has close to 400,000 pre-orders on a car that isn't due to be released for another year and a half, so if you plunk your $1000 down today, you'll be lucky to see your car until about five years from now. And you will have given Tesla and interest free loan for this privilege.
 
#9 ·
Chevy Bolt (not the Volt) is the new game changer, was suppose to be out this September but now early 2017. I saw one at the Vancouver Auto Show but you couldn't get close to it, still not finished inside I guess. I'm definitely interested when it arrives. I've come to the conclusion, for my wife and I, a two car family should be a hybrid and an electric.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt Release Date, Price and Specs - Roadshow
 
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