Prius mileage increase modification

[Lisa M. Stewart]

I am doing a survey for a capstone engineering project. Our product is an attachment to brake pads on the Prius.

The product is able to increase the Prius by 6 mpg, and will cost around $600 to install. If the product takes about 5 years to pay it off, will you be willing to purchase the attachment?

I am also looking for comments, both positive and negative, about such a product.

Lisa M. Stewart

[Hazyman]

I am doing a survey for a capstone engineering project. Our product is an attachment to brake pads on the Prius.

The product is able to increase the Prius by 6 mpg, and will cost around $600 to install. If the product takes about 5 years to pay it off, will you be willing to purchase the attachment?

I am also looking for comments, both positive and negative, about such a product.

Lisa M. Stewart

wonder to know how it work, is there any interference, and the 6 mpg a theoretical or practical, depend on any specific driving behavious / traffic conditions?

generally take 5 years to pay off is OK to me as I really love Prius and love to make it perfect

but if it takes 3 years only to pay off, I will definitely get one.

[DJKOR]

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No need to feed the spambots.

[CME-LFT]

How about supporting my Nigerian friend instead who requires your bank details so he can place his money somewhere more secure. He promises to let you keep 25% or USD$1 million.

No need to feed the spambots.

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[SuperDave]

I'm curious to know how brakes, the things that slow you down, improve economy?

Also good brake pads for the Prius have been out for ages, it does use the same front callipers as the ZZE122...

[the_random_hero]

I'm curious to know how brakes, the things that slow you down, improve economy?

Also good brake pads for the Prius have been out for ages, it does use the same front callipers as the ZZE122...

Regenerative breaking :) $600? I'd put my finger on it being quite along the lines of the Autospeed Prius mods.

Edited April 18, 2009 by the_random_hero

[SuperDave]

Regenerative breaking :) $600? I'd put my finger on it being quite along the lines of the Autospeed Prius mods.

The only way regenerative braking will regenerate more is if it takes longer to stop. So the brake pads would need to be worse than the stockos. In which case may as well use EBC Green Stuff

Unless I'm missing something in how the Prius works...

[Hiro]

Regenerative breaking :) $600? I'd put my finger on it being quite along the lines of the Autospeed Prius mods.

The only way regenerative braking will regenerate more is if it takes longer to stop. So the brake pads would need to be worse than the stockos. In which case may as well use EBC Green Stuff

Unless I'm missing something in how the Prius works...

You won't get more energy from slower braking, since you are still loosing the same amount of energy just over a longer time. Regen braking in the Prius works by running the electric motor as a generator (ie the interia of the car is the engine powering the electric motor, as opposed to the electric motor powering the car). The only energy that can be inputed into the system is the conversion of the kinetic energy of the car into electrical energy in the generator/motor (and vice versa under acceleration) - the car has the same amount of kinetic energy to lose regardless of how fast or slow you brake (but efficiencies could well be different, which might create noticable differences)

Edited April 20, 2009 by Hiro Protagonist