Product Questions
Performance, Warranty of the Prius+BREEZ
Availability & Cost Questions
Environmental Questions
Answers
-
How far can my PHEV drive?
Unlike a fully electric car, a PHEV can drive as long and as far as you want to drive. The range is unlimited because it maintains the regular hybrid system as a backup for longer trips.
-
What is the PHEV range of a Prius+BREEZ?
Average range of our 9kWh battery pack is ~50-70 miles, depending on speeds, terrain, driving styles. After the PHEV battery has been fully depleted, you revert to a regular hybrid vehicle.
-
Can I drive as an all electric vehicle?
Yes! Our BREEZ system automatically will enter Electric Vehicle Mode (EV-Mode) when conditions are met (e.g., urban driving speeds < 34 MPH; gentle acceleration). Just drive the car like a standard Prius and the BREEZ system will prioritize electric energy whenever possible to reduce gasoline consumption.
-
Does the Prius+BREEZ reduce my acceleration?
No. A Prius+BREEZ basically has the same accelerating power and speed capability of an standard Prius
-
Is there a warranty?
OEMtek offers a 12-month warranty for the installation, electronics and advanced lithium-ion batteries of our BREEZ solution.
-
How do you recharge the battery?
The OEMtek BREEZ comes outfitted with a standard 110V electric plug so you can plug it into any standard 110V wall outlet. Just use any standard 110V extension cord to charge the battery.
-
How long does it take to recharge?
A standard overnight charge will be sufficient to charge a fully depleted pack. Typically, the battery will take 4-6 hours to be fully charged from a standard 110V outlet.
-
What if I forget to charge?
No big deal—your vehicle will still run as a regular hybrid but your MPG will not be as high as a PHEV.
-
How much does it cost to charge?
Using the national off-peak average of $0.08/kWh, it will cost $0.80 to charge up a fully-depleted pack.
-
How long do the batteries last?
Lithium batteries will degrade slightly over time, but the energy cells from Valence are expected to have cycle life of 1000 cycles for full depth-of-discharge. The batteries in a BREEZ system is expected to maintain good performance for about 100,000 miles or three years, whichever comes first.
-
How much additional weight is added with the BREEZ?
Approximately ~95 kilograms.
-
Do you “spoof” the original ECU software?
No. The Prius was designed to have electric driving modes. The BREEZ merely enhances the existing Toyota system and does not alter the original Toyota software in any way.
-
I drive less than 25 miles a day. Can I get “lite” version of the BREEZ with less batteries at a lower cost?
Ideally, the battery should be sized in order to balance utilization, cost and battery life. We are currently exploring a version that will be for drivers who have shorter driving distance needs.
-
I drive over 50 miles a day. Can I get a “bigger boost” version of the BREEZ with more batteries to increase the PHEV range?
Again, ideally, the battery should be sized in order to balance utilization, cost and battery life. We are currently exploring a version that will be for drivers who have longer driving distance needs.
-
Will my original manufacturer’s warranty be void with this after-market upgrade?
To be honest, it is uncertain how Toyota will regard their manufacturer warranties post-upgrade. Toyota has four different warranties on the vehicle, but there is only one that may be affected by the BREEZ upgrade. While Toyota has expressed explicit disapproval for after-market modifications that remove the factory battery pack or remove the spare tire, the BREEZ system does not remove the factory battery pack, does not remove the spare tire, does not alter the ECU vehicle software, and does not alter anything under the hood of the car (e.g., engine, motor controller, etc.). To that effect, it is unclear how Toyota will treat the BREEZ product. However, if you wanted to service an part under warranty and Toyota disputes your claim, Toyota would be required to demonstrate that our upgrade caused the specific problem that you are servicing. Nonetheless, we do not expect any change in dependability with the BREEZ system installed.
-
Is Toyota involved?
Toyota has not been involved in the development of the BREEZ system for the Prius and is not presently involved in BREEZ's efforts. Toyota has not endorsed BREEZ nor has Toyota discouraged it. Toyota is currently testing and marketing a Prius that has plug-in capability that has EV-mileage maximum of 8 miles and uses NiMH batteries. This Prius is expected to be ready for the consumer market in 2010. Our Prius+BREEZ will be available in 2008, uses safe lithium phosphate batteries, and will have EV mileage of 30-35 miles
-
Back to top
-
What vehicles can be upgraded with the OEMtek BREEZ pack?
OEMtek’s BREEZ will be available for the Toyota Prius hybrid (model years 2004-2008). We are currently testing the BREEZ in a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid. Additional follow-on applications will be explored (e.g., Toyota Camry/Lexus RX400 Hybrid SUV) and we will announce the availability of these new models on our website.
-
Will BREEZ work on Honda hybrids?
The Honda Civic’s electric motor and factory battery pack are less powerful than the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system, and the Honda unit has no Electric-Vehicle Mode capability. Given these limitations, we believe the performance improvements from a BREEZ upgrade would be less beneficial and would have less impact on efficiency.
-
Is the OEMtek BREEZ available now?
BREEZ is available for pre-order with an anticipated delivery date in 2008.
-
How much does it cost to upgrade my Toyota Prius with an OEMtek BREEZ?
Our initial BREEZ solution will cost in a range between $12,500 to $15,000. Fleet and volume discounts may be available.
-
Will the cost come down?
We are continually trying to reduce costs but also maintain the highest quality and safety standards. We believe that with larger volumes and economies of scale, costs will come down and we will pass this on to our customers.
-
Do I install my own OEMtek BREEZ?
Given our focus on safety, installation of the OEMtek BREEZ will be completed by our certified technicians at our Silicon Valley headquarters (in Northern California) or at one of our OEMtek-certified installation service centers. Self-installations are not warranted nor allowed.
-
What areas do you service?
At the moment, our installers and technicians are located in Northern and Southern California, but aim to expand nationwide. We are constantly looking to increase our installer locations; please contact us if you are interested at
info@oemtek.com
-
Back to top
-
Is the BREEZ really environmentally-friendly?
In a well-to-wheels analysis (meaning from the power source to the vehicle), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reduce greenhouse gases by an average of 50% compared to its gas-guzzling counterparts. Additional results from the environmental impact of PHEVs can be found in our Resources page
-
What is OEMtek doing to ensure its environmental sustainability?
We plan to maximize the energy output during the product life cycle by centralizing all manufacturing, maintaining inventory at regional dealer locations to minimize shipping of single units, and providing a means to recycle/reuse the batteries.
-
Can the BREEZ system be recycled?
Despite reduction in energy capacity that may no longer be suitable for motive application, our batteries should still have a usable life after 10 years for backup energy storage applications. Furthermore, BREEZ uses lithium phosphate batteries that have no hazardous chemicals or waste.
-
What is the environmental impact of widespread adoption of PHEVs?
Transportation accounts for 25% of US annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and is estimated to grow. According to a comprehensive joint environmental study by EPRI and NRDC in July 2007, widespread adoption of PHEVs can reduce GHG emissions from vehicles by more than 450 million metric tons annually in 2050 – equivalent to removing 82.5 million passenger cars from the road!
-
Is the electric grid really “clean”? I thought the grid was powered by polluting coal plants?
Approximately half of the nation’s electric grid is powered by coal-fired power plants, but compared to the burning of fossil fuels, electricity is still over 50% cleaner. Additionally, the electric grid is increasingly ‘clean energy’, which is defined as any source of energy that is renewable and produces little to no pollution, which include solar, wind power, biomass, hydro-power, and landfill gas. Solar power is derived from photovoltaic panels that capture the power of the sun to produce electricity or to heat water. Wind power comes from high-tech turbines mounted on towers, which spin when the wind blows, creating electricity. Biomass is a name for crops grown specifically for energy production. When these crops are burned, they often produce far less air pollution and global warming gases than fossil fuels. Some examples of biomass are switch grass, corn, and soybeans. Low Impact Hydro power comes from hydro electric facilities that are built in such a way that they do minimal damage to rivers or the surrounding ecosystems. Landfill Gas is a term for electricity generated by burning the methane gas that comes off of landfills. Methane is the most potent global warming gas in existence and burning it to make electricity prevents it from migrating to our atmosphere and accelerating global warming. Furthermore, new technologies being developed by the Department of Energy are working on eliminating the sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury pollutants released when coal is burned, and working to increase the fuel efficiency of coal-fueled power plants.
-
Do we have to build out the electric grid infrastructure to serve the greater demand for electricity to charge PHEVs?
Not for a long time. Currently, there is excess capacity in the off-peak night-time hours to supply electric energy for transportation. DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a Grid Capacity study and found that 84% of today's cars, pick-up trucks and SUVs (220 million vehicles) could be charged off-peak on today's power grid if they were PHEVs…without building any new capacity. Additionally, the US Department of Energy and NREL determined that even a 50% penetration of PHEVs would only increase the per capita electricity demand by around 5-10%, and would not require additional generation capacity. Furthermore, the increased generation could lead to replacing aging coal-fired plants sooner with newer, more environmentally friendly versions.
-
How many barrels of petroleum will PHEVs displace?
According to a study by EPRI and NRDC, if PHEVs represented 60% of the U.S. market share of transportation, they can improve nationwide air quality and reduce petroleum consumption by 3 million to 4 million barrels per day in 2050. This would represent a reduction of ~15-20% of today’s daily petroleum consumption.
-
Is there any way to add solar power to the BREEZ system?
Some folks want to integrate solar panels on a vehicle roof, but the energy generated is limited and inconsistent, and could also degrade the vehicle aerodynamics. The best way to utilize solar power is by installing solar panels on the rooftop of your home or office. You could harvest a large portion of your vehicle power from renewable solar energy. Alternatively, some residents have the option of buying renewable power for their homes from their local utility provider. This would enable a consumer to live a climate-neutral energy lifestyle—whereby he could utilize solar panels to recharge the electrical grid to power up a PHEV to plug back into grid (V2G).
-
Back to top
© 2008 OEMtek, Inc. All rights reserved
Blog
Media
Installers
Owners