Will Hybrids Fail Or Succeed In Sri Lanka?

[Pericles]

The first recall for the brakes doesn't really need to be done IMO.

And that is exactly why no one should listen to your opinion.

[Californikan]

And that is exactly why no one should listen to your opinion.

Whatever. I speak from direct experience.My Prius has had the update done. The update makes no difference in braking in regular driving. In only a very specific and extremely rare combination of circumstances does the update makes a tiny difference in braking feel. The difference is feel between pre-and-post update is smaller than the difference in feel between brand new brake pads and the same brake pads after a few hundred kms. Toyota's floor mats were a bigger safety issue than this.

[Californikan]

Having said that there are plenty of crap drivers, old people drivers and people who have a very hard time getting used to the feel of hybrid regenerative braking, so Prius drivers should pay hybrid motors and get the update, as peri has suggested, done.

[charitha19]

on a related note.. the news from this part of the world is all hybrids and electric cars in the future must have ad on engine noise.. apparently they are too quiet and dangerous for pedestrians.. ha ha ha ha ha ha h ah aha .. biggest complaints coming from the blind....

[Pericles]

Having said that there are plenty of crap drivers, old people drivers and people who have a very hard time getting used to the feel of hybrid regenerative braking, so Prius drivers should pay hybrid motors and get the update, as peri has suggested, done.

Peri suggested nothing of the sort. Peri only suggested no one should listen to you. Weren't you the one who said that most of the cars with the issue would have been fixed when I pointed out, very early on, that it is quite possible that we are suddenly getting tax breaks on hybrids coz some political crony stood to make some money buy bringing in defective recalled cars?

[Californikan]

Peri suggested nothing of the sort. Peri only suggested no one should listen to you. Weren't you the one who said that most of the cars with the issue would have been fixed when I pointed out, very early on, that it is quite possible that we are suddenly getting tax breaks on hybrids coz some political crony stood to make some money buy bringing in defective recalled cars?

Now that is some conspiracy theory.

[Pericles]

Now that is some conspiracy theory.

You're missing the point. The point was that you said those cars would be fixed. And now you think they should go and pay hybrid motors to fix it again.

[Pericles]

On a different note, I found this somewhat interesting.

http://www.windingroad.com/articles/reviews/quick-drive-2011-honda-insight/?utm_campaign=Weekly+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-235&utm_content=WR75+1

Thought the Insight was the better driving experience, according to users.

[heavyD]

Now that is some conspiracy theory.

Sigh. Maybe it is. But if you actually lived in this country, you'd see why he would say such a thing.

[Californikan]

You're missing the point. The point was that you said those cars would be fixed. And now you think they should go and pay hybrid motors to fix it again.

OK. Let's look at the recall step by step for the 3rd gen 2010 Prius

1) The 3rd gen Prius first went on sale in May 2009.

2) The abs update recall was issues in Feb 2010. About 130,000 Prii were involved in the recall. This means that pretty much all Prii from May 09 to Feb 10 were given the software update in the Feb/March/April time frame.

3) Toyota incorporated the software update into cars it was building from Feb 2010 onwards. So Prii built from Feb 2010 onwards were not affected by the recall.

4) MR announced in Nov 2010 that the 2011 budget will reduce taxes on hybrids and a few months later hybrids started coming into SL in great numbers.

Looking at this timeline, there should not be a significant issue in SL with this brake recall because the the update was done to the cars in Feb 2010 - almost a year before Prii started being imported to SL. The problem was already fixed months before the cars arrived here. And cars built after Feb 2010 don't have an issue.

The real question you should be asking is if Hybrid Motors is intending to do the update on cars that have already had the update done in Japan or the UK.

[Pericles]

The real question you should be asking is if Hybrid Motors is intending to do the update on cars that have already had the update done in Japan or the UK.

That IS the question I have been asking! post #304

You are the one who said

Prius drivers should pay hybrid motors and get the update

and tried to associate it with me.

I disagreed with you on the importance of brakes. Which highlights the importance of quoting what you're replying to coz backpeddlers like you keep editing their damn posts! If there is an actual issue with the brakes, then I think it should be fixed, but in this case, (as stated in #304) I think someone is trying to make a fast buck.

[Californikan]

On a different note, I found this somewhat interesting.

http://www.windingro..._content=WR75+1

Thought the Insight was the better driving experience, according to users.

You've driven the Insight. What did you think of it?

[Californikan]

.

Edited October 20, 2011 by Californikan

[Californikan]

You are the one who said

and tried to associate it with me.

Sorry, I was just teasing you.

[Californikan]

An interesting article on the Prius brake update: not so much a safety issue but perhaps more so an issue of people not being used to the different "feel" of hybrid regenerative brakes compared to conventional brakes. http://www.hybridcars.com/safety/sorting-out-hybrid-brake-issue-safety-issue-or-different-feel-26604.html

[Magnum]

Only Lexus LS600hL Hybrid in Sri Lanka?

umm this is not the only one, one of ma relative brought one down too, its sort of gold in color and i think he was the first one to bring it down here

[tglk]

I was just thinking how "Hybrids will become accepted and 'mainstream' and will 'SUCCEED' in Sri Lanka"

In few years time, once the battery or the electric motor is dead... the owners will not replace them since that would cost few hundred thousand rupees... instead.. . they will just say... "the money required to replace the battery or the electric motor would be enough for pumping petrol for few years...... so why replace them when car has got an engine run by conventional fuel.........."

And they will not be Hybrids any more.................................

[Californikan]

I was just thinking how "Hybrids will become accepted and 'mainstream' and will 'SUCCEED' in Sri Lanka"

In few years time, once the battery or the electric motor is dead... the owners will not replace them since that would cost few hundred thousand rupees... instead.. . they will just say... "the money required to replace the battery or the electric motor would be enough for pumping petrol for few years...... so why replace them when car has got an engine run by conventional fuel.........."

And they will not be Hybrids any more.................................

The assumption you're saying is that the battery needs to be replaced after a few years. Real world data suggests the opposite.

(And a battery doesn't cost hundred of thousands of rupees, currently less than Rs 50,000 and dropping)'

How does the battery and hybrid system in a Prius hold up after 10+ years and 350,000+kms?

Answer is here...http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/02/200000-mile-toyota-prius-still-performs.html

[Pericles]

(And a battery doesn't cost hundred of thousands of rupees, currently less than Rs 50,000 and dropping)'

BS. I dunno if it costs "hundred of thousands", but 50k and dropping? Source?

Edit, and don't you dare try to point at some US wreckers yard. We have transport and tax issues to consider before putting a Sri Lankan price.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Pericles

[Supra_Natural]

The assumption you're saying is that the battery needs to be replaced after a few years. Real world data suggests the opposite. (And a battery doesn't cost hundred of thousands of rupees, currently less than Rs 50,000 and dropping)' How does the battery and hybrid system in a Prius hold up after 10+ years and 350,000+kms? Answer is here...http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/02/200000-mile-toyota-prius-still-performs.html

How does "Real World" data suggest the opposite when hybrids in Sri Lanka have only been around for just over a year may I ask? The only data that is available is data from countries where conditions don't even BEGIN to mirror those that are commonplace in Sri Lanka. So the statement "Real world data suggests the opposite" is just plain stupid (But then that's pretty much what we've come to expect from you nikan)

How does the battery and hybrid system in a Prius hold up after 10+ years and 350,000+kms? Answer is here...http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/02/200000-mile-toyota-prius-still-performs.html

How does a Hybrid Battery and system hold up after 10 years and 150,000+ KM in SRI LANKAN conditions?

Answer: Data is not yet available

Edited October 25, 2011 by Supra_Natural

[Californikan]

BS. I dunno if it costs "hundred of thousands", but 50k and dropping? Source?

Edit, and don't you dare try to point at some US wreckers yard. We have transport and tax issues to consider before putting a Sri Lankan price.

http://www.ebay.com/...-All-CategoriesA couple of points...1) If the battery does eventually need to replaced, it will most likely be when the car is very old and has hundreds of thousands of kms on it. It's not worth buying a new or refurbished battery for such an old car. An relatively inexpensive used battery that still has life in it will do.2) As more and more hybrids are sold, more and more used batteries continue coming onto the market, one would expect the supply to go up and prices to go down.

[Californikan]

How does "Real World" data suggest the opposite when hybrids in Sri Lanka have only been around for just over a year may I ask? The only data that is available is data from countries where conditions don't even BEGIN to mirror those that are commonplace in Sri Lanka. So the statement "Real world data suggests the opposite" is just plain stupid (But then that's pretty much what we've come to expect from you nikan)

How does a Hybrid Battery and system hold up after 10 years and 150,000+ KM in SRI LANKAN conditions?

Answer: Data is not yet available

1) Your tired old argument has been used over and over and over by people who lacked vision and boldness, every time something new or different has been introduced in a major way to Sri Lanka.

2) According to your logic then, we should not use research done in other countries because they were not done in local Sri Lankan conditions and therefore haven't been proven.

So forget about introducing new medicines, medical procedures, surgical techniques, construction methods, construction materials, all new kinds of new machinery, and countless other advancements, new inventions and new products to Sri Lanka because they haven't been proven in Sri Lanka.

FYI: The decision by SL decision makers to bring new various new advancements, technologies and products to Sri Lanka has been almost entirely been based on the data and research done in other countries.

3) The Prius and the Insight are engineered by Honda and Toyota to be 'world cars'. That is, they are over-engineered for all types of conditions - from the freezing cold of Scandinavia to the tropical tough conditions of South Asia and Africa. Furthermore, the Prius is Toyota's halo car and Toyota has spent a lot of money and engineering to insure that it's halo world car is as bulletproof as it can be. Your argument might hold weight with some JDM cars, but not with these over-engineered world cars.

If people listened to you, we'd still be riding in bullock carts.

[Sylvi]

From the Web.

Control system could improve the agility of hybrid vehicles

24 October 2011 | By Sam Shead

MIRA has developed an Electric Dynamic Control (EDC) system designed to enhance the driving

dynamics of hybrid vehicles.

The system is reported to deliver improvements without compromising requirements for low emissions,

safety and driver feedback.

It is said to increase the agility, stability and manoeuvrability of hybrid vehicles, while also allowing

them to perform ‘controlled drifts’. The developers claim that the system is energy efficient and

unobtrusive, which means the benefits do not put any additional strain on the battery or deliver any

negative feedback effects to the driver.

Lorenzo Pinto, a simulation specialist at MIRA, told ‘A concept was initially developed

using simulation tools and once we had a clear idea of what features we could achieve, we

transferred the control logic onto the prototype and started the validation and refinement phase.’

The prototype vehicle was MIRA’s Hybrid 4-Wheel Drive Vehicle (H4V), a series/parallel hybrid retrofit

to a 1.4-litre Skoda Fabia. Pinto explained how the system has been proven on this vehicle despite

the fact it was not designed specifically with EDC in mind, both in terms of the powertrain and the

chassis.

‘In the end we didn’t have any significant failures during the development, which stands as another

proof of how compatible the system is with current technology,’ he said.

In an EPSRC-funded project, researchers at Brunel University are looking at what they say are novel

opportunities provided by EDC to enlarge the safety envelope of the vehicle.

The Brunel team is specifically looking at how control algorithms can play a role in active limit

handling. It is aiming to use the control authority (introduced by current active safety systems and

modern power/drivetrain configurations) to actively assist the driver.

The overall aim is to help the driver exploit the limits of the vehicle’s handling during emergency

manoeuvring.

Efstathios Velenis, principal investigator at Brunel, said: ‘We are hoping to find out if there is any

benefit in terms of safety when we allow the vehicle to reach the limit in a safe manner.

‘If the driver applies a very sudden steering command, we may want the system to allow the vehicle

to oversteer to enter an unstable condition. However, the additional control we have on the four

wheels may apply some corrective inputs in order to maintain stabilit

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[Pericles]

http://www.ebay.com/...-All-CategoriesA couple of points...1) If the battery does eventually need to replaced, it will most likely be when the car is very old and has hundreds of thousands of kms on it. It's not worth buying a new or refurbished battery for such an old car. An relatively inexpensive used battery that still has life in it will do.2) As more and more hybrids are sold, more and more used batteries continue coming onto the market, one would expect the supply to go up and prices to go down.

Well done Cali. No wonder people call you a google expert. Did you even take the time to look through those results? Here's what you can find.most of the more legit looking ones are over $1500. At current exchange rates over 166k. And that is without shipping and taxes. I find it a lot closer to "hundred of thousands" than "50k and dropping"

The cheaper items are cells and BS item.the sole item at $499 is advertised as an "Alkaline" battery. I dunno if this is the one that inspired you to go Rs.50 and dropping, since you don't even know about the hubcaps, but FYI, the Prius doesn't use Alkaline technology.

And I certainly didn't ask for your opinions on replacement. I just asked where you found a battery for 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees.

I'll just add these last two posts to your "wrong information" posts tally. And add that it was a total waste of time

Edited October 26, 2011 by Pericles

[Californikan]

<p>

Well done Cali. No wonder people call you a google expert. Did you even take the time to look through those results? Here's what you can find.most of the more legit looking ones are over $1500. At current exchange rates over 166k. And that is without shipping and taxes. I find it a lot closer to "hundred of thousands" than "50k and dropping"

The cheaper items are cells and BS item.the sole item at $499 is advertised as an "Alkaline" battery. I dunno if this is the one that inspired you to go Rs.50 and dropping, since you don't even know about the hubcaps, but FYI, the Prius doesn't use Alkaline technology.

And I certainly didn't ask for your opinions on replacement. I just asked where you found a battery for 50,000 Sri Lankan rupees.

I'll just add these last two posts to your "wrong information" posts tally. And add that it was a total waste of time

Here is one of several ebay sellers that specializes in Prius batteries and related parts. Like most things on ebay, items and prices come and go, and the best strategy is to keep checking and wait till the item you want comes along at a good price. The $500 and lower batteries are out there; they take some digging to find and one may have to wait for one.

http://stores.ebay.c...d=p4634.c0.m409

My apologies for wasting your time with the previous post.