craneplaneguy
10 kW
I stumbled into a good deal on a 2013 Prius, I couldn't resist. I needed to buy a commuter rig to get to my crane yard in town, 13 miles one way, one that would be a company car, I've been missing out on the tax deductions involved with having a specific company car, no more! Damned if the first rig I see at the Toyota dealership (my brand of choice for decades now, I've had super good luck with them) was a used white (preferred) Prius just old enough to be past the worst of the
depreciation but still the newest car I've ever bought. As I'm walking around it kicking the tires, I see a access port on the side that looks like a gas filler door, to my surprise when I pushed the button, it opened.
"That's odd, these days most of them are locked or opened from the inside," I thought, but then a closer look reveals a electrical socket! Just then, the sales guy apologetically starts explaining how they didn't sell many of these plug in rigs in Idaho, like he was afraid it was going to queer the deal for me or something! I instantly knew I was going to buy it, here is what I came up with.
The plug in will go 11 to 15 miles in pure EV, my crane yard is 13 miles, but 3 of that is downhill, then level ground. I have a surplus of FREE electricity at home thanks to my large grid tie wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems. Right now I have over 11,000 KWH stashed in Idaho Power's system, in fact my surplus is so large I recently moved one of my PV arrays down to my crane yard earlier in the year, and have already built up enough surplus there to more then power my electric boiler for the radiant floor heat system this winter. I should be able to make the 13 miles to the crane yard, for free, I can charge it at the yard while out working, and then make the first 10 miles home, the level part, free. Then the last 3 miles, 1200' altitude gain, it will turn into a regular Prius and I'll complete the drive home. I'm picking it up today, after riding to the car lot on my electric bike, which will be easily placed inside the big rear space, with the seats folded down. So, an electric vehicle, sort of, it should be fun exploring it's capabilities.
depreciation but still the newest car I've ever bought. As I'm walking around it kicking the tires, I see a access port on the side that looks like a gas filler door, to my surprise when I pushed the button, it opened.
"That's odd, these days most of them are locked or opened from the inside," I thought, but then a closer look reveals a electrical socket! Just then, the sales guy apologetically starts explaining how they didn't sell many of these plug in rigs in Idaho, like he was afraid it was going to queer the deal for me or something! I instantly knew I was going to buy it, here is what I came up with.
The plug in will go 11 to 15 miles in pure EV, my crane yard is 13 miles, but 3 of that is downhill, then level ground. I have a surplus of FREE electricity at home thanks to my large grid tie wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems. Right now I have over 11,000 KWH stashed in Idaho Power's system, in fact my surplus is so large I recently moved one of my PV arrays down to my crane yard earlier in the year, and have already built up enough surplus there to more then power my electric boiler for the radiant floor heat system this winter. I should be able to make the 13 miles to the crane yard, for free, I can charge it at the yard while out working, and then make the first 10 miles home, the level part, free. Then the last 3 miles, 1200' altitude gain, it will turn into a regular Prius and I'll complete the drive home. I'm picking it up today, after riding to the car lot on my electric bike, which will be easily placed inside the big rear space, with the seats folded down. So, an electric vehicle, sort of, it should be fun exploring it's capabilities.