Continuing the report from the weekend’s work putting Velma the PHEV’s batteries out of sight I’m pleased to report that the physical battery relocation is finished. Velma is drivable again!
More after the jump, along with the (almost) finished Prius trunk! Normal PHEV and EV articles will resume tomorrow.
Picking up from yesterday’s post – while there are three physical packs, there’s still only two electrical packs.
Two physical packs each have twenty modules, and the third pack has eight modules each from each of the original packs. As I only had two sets of plastic end plates, I had to fabricate wooden end plates from 3/4 inch timber.
The spare was taken out and the lower pack (1b/2b) dropped into the wheel well. Using a piece of box section I was able to bolt the bottom pack in place. The insulation tape helps prevent electrical nastiness. The drain plugs have been removed to aid air flow when driving until I’ve put the 12v fans in place.
The top battery packs (1a and 2a) each have the original isolation safety disconnect, plus Anderson connectors. The batteries are bolted to the original floor tray, which rests on the wooden battens below.
It’s surprisingly sturdy and initial drives indicate no vibration at all. It’s all much quieter than it was.
The charger is also in the under-floor area and has it’s exhaust fans pointing out some holes I’ve cut in the boot tray. There are currently six holes for ventilation. Four will get fans, although two are used for cable conduits.
When charging I’m going to leave the trunk floor folded up to give extra air flow for the time being, until the fans are confirmed as working correctly.
With the trunk floor down, you’d hardly know anything was underneath!
There is a safety sticker though, just in case someone gets nosy!
I’m more than happy to help other Brits convert their Prius to a PHEV. Just send me a mail or find me on Twitter (@aminorjourney)
In the meantime, enjoy the sunny weather!