Hybrid conversion kits are possible for most drivers, but the staggering costs may turn many away.
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With gas prices holding steady at $4 a gallon or more in many parts of the country, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)
are being touted as the next big thing by auto manufacturers and consumers alike. But with the research and development of
these vehicles just in the beginning stages, it may be years before an affordable PHEV is made commercially available to consumers.
Still, demand for these vehicles is high — leading aftermarket companies to develop kits that will convert hybrids, and in
some cases regular vehicles, into full-fledged plug-in electric cars.
A123Systems, an automotive technology company and battery supplier based in Watertown, Mass., is currently testing its Hymotion
L5 conversion kit, which can turn a second-generation Toyota Prius into a plug-in electric car. The kit works with Prius model
years 2004 through 2008 and adds a special, range-extending lithium-ion battery to the vehicle's existing drive train. This
allows the Prius, which normally runs short distances at slow speeds on electric power alone, to extend its electric-only
range and boost gas mileage to more than 100 miles per gallon. An added plus is that it is very inexpensive to fully charge
A123's innovative 5 kilowatt-hour battery, with some estimates boasting that the price-per-charge would cost less than a dollar.
According to Craig Van Batenburg, owner of the Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) in Worcester, Mass. and the nation's
leading hybrid guru, these conversion kits are tailor-made for people who do "city driving," that is, for people who drive
the city streets at 30 to 40 mph, without having to travel on an expressway. But the kit is not cheap, nor is the installation.
"This is a $10,000 option that doesn't include installation," Van Batenburg says. "But it will enable the right person to
run their car on electric power, off the grid. Once the electric battery runs low, the 'regular' battery starts up and begins
running, and you have the same car you had before — with an extra weight penalty. But there's a long waiting list for people
to get this kit installed; in some cases, the list is as long as six months to a year." The extra weight penalty Van Batenburg references is the lithium-ion battery pack (complete with crash sensor and emergency
shut-off switch) that A123 Systems places in the trunk of the Prius during the conversion process. In addition to the extra
weight, the A123 removes the spare tire to seat the battery pack, and loses cargo space once the conversion is complete —
which some consumers may view as a negative.
The Hymotion L5 kit is due out this fall and will include a three-year warranty as well as installation at an authorized dealer
— six of which are currently in existence. However, the company says it plans to add more authorized dealers across the nation
to install the kit on second generation Priuses and service the growing demand for such conversion kits.
Poulsen Hybrid, a small company based in Shelton, Conn., is also offering a conversion kit that will transform any conventional
car — not just a Prius — into a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Originally, the company intended to offer the kit to DIYers,
but has since decided that only a network of properly trained and authorized dealers should do the conversions. Poulsen's
kit, due out this fall, will retail at $3,500 and installation will cost between $500-$600.
The Poulsen system works by mounting small electric motors onto the rear wheels. It also uses a lithium-ion battery pack that
will double a car's gas mileage, says Poulsen. Although the company hasn't released data on how far the system will go on
a single charge, it claims that charging the battery pack will cost less than a dollar. However, the company does plan to
offer a traditional lead battery with the kit to keep the total cost of the conversion down.
