Seattle will have a Plug-In dealer! There's been a plug-in Prius at the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association at times. Seattle should have such since they have very good renewable electric energy production.

Interesting that these are mostly Toyota dealers. I wonder how Toyota feels about that?

Stephen

I wonder if they will offer similar products for mild hybrids. I drive a Honda Accord Hybrid and wouldn't mind upgrading the batteries in the future.

Downside is that you still can't go faster than 35mph, and that all electric mode is often limited if the car's electronics thinks being on all electric will stress the batteries. I'd like to hear if they've circumvented these limitations or have to live with them.
I'm currently driving very pokey, and have gotten 500+ miles @ 62.1 mpg on my last tank of gas. I didn't realize I could get such good mileage, so only started driving like an old phart half way through. On my new tank of gas, I started right away and now have 68.2 mpg over a 100 mile stretch. The batteries must love the warm phoenix weather.

Tom:
You're driving what?

Tom, remember that above 35 mph, the battery still contributes in a "blended power" mode.

This is how you can get 120 mpg at 60 mph in a retrofitted Prius.

whoever came up with that magic 35 mph is a liar. i have driven my mom's 2003 Prius in all-electric mode above that speed without issue. if you accelerate slowly and gently enough, it will let you do it.
moot point.

Don't call anyone a liar, but think lensovetp is probably right. I don't have a hybrid, but do have a CVT transmission that is similar to the transmission on many Hybrids. Careful slow CVT acceleration can be done to keep rpms consistently at or under 2000 rpms, even as high as 60MPH. I think electronics would allow a featherfooted Hybrid CVT electric drive to stay electric only, considerably above 35MPH.

lensovetp,
EV mode means the gas engine is off - period, independent of climbing a hill or coasting down one. Yes, the battery will kick in at times when going above 60mph and a larger battery should lead to greater gas mileage. On a Prius, you can not stay in EV mode when traveling faster than 35mph or when accelerating hard(assuming your car is enable for this mode, which I hear in Europe comes standard, but in the US, you must wire it up yourself like I did after buying the kit)

This is useful when coming home to switch into EV mode to use up the battery that is left and increase gas mileage. The other problem is that when it is hot outside, I can not get the car to go into EV mode. This usually happens in the months from June-Sept in Phoenix.

But yes, having a bigger buffer to reclaim downhill charging would help. How much? I don't know. But I won't spring for a $10,000 add on kit that has a 3yr warranty. $5,000, maybe, but not $10,000

I'll save up for the under $30k volt with ten year 150k mile warranty on batteries. Why invest 1/3 that amount in retrofits that void warranties?

What's the argument about using electricity from the utility, and what kind of carbon footprint that leaves, as opposed to the gas savings with a plug in hybrid or even an all electric car.

A complete affordable LiFePO4 PHEV conversion kit is now available from Egniner under $2000.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200344551230