Simplification Rule #5: Maximize Personal Benefit by Changing Habits
The high voltage (HV), hybrid electrical system provides substantial benefit over conventional, low voltage (12V) gas engine electrical systems. You need a reason to change habits, because they are very hard to break. Understanding new technology provides the reasons for change.
Hybrid electrical systems offer enormous battery capacity (i.e., amp-hours) that conventional gas engine sytems cannot. Recharging a 500Wh eBike battery is possible from a 1.8Wh HV battery. A HV battery is typically around 300VDC, which is useless for eBike charger without a DC-to-DC converter and a DC-to-AC inverter. 300VDC power needs to be converted to 12VDC. A 12V inverter then transforms power into 110VAC. Knowing where the power orginates from is critical to changing habits.
300VDC technology is currently an inefficient energy storage mechanism. Some electrical work is performed very efficiently. Heating car seats is a more efficient way to keep you warm than trying to heat the interior air. The same applies to cooling. Ventilated seats are a more reasonable way to stay cool than running the air conditioner. You are forced with compromise, if you want to reserve maximum power for your eBike battery.
Understanding where electrical power originates from and how it can most effectively bring personal benefit will cause a change of habit in rational people. This information should inform your buying decisions. Beneficial features such as 110VAC outlets or ventilated and heated seats are expensive items, conventionally considered luxury features. These features provide maximum benefit with changes in habit.
Changes in habit are especially important due to the ever-present threat posed by covid19. Bathrooms are breeding grounds for covid19 transmission for technical reasons beyond this scope. Restaurants are places of high transmission. These places can be avoided by seeking temporary refuge in a minivan. Understanding technology provides the reason for change in habit, which may be highly inconvenient. A HV battery allows you to plug in a 1500W microwave or induction cooktop.
HV electrical system voltage varies between 300VDC and 600VDC. A booster transforms 300VDC to 600VDC power. HV electrical systems require more powerful cooling systems than conventional gas engine systems. A compressor provides powerful cooling for HV systems. A compressor can also cool or freeze food. The Sienna provides a small refrigerator by taking advantage of existing hardware. The refrigerator is so small that maximum benefit comes from freezing ice packs. A better habit change is to limit the amount of food consumed to fit the size of the refrigerator.
In my case, I will not install a heater. I will upgrade to heated rear seats. I will not install a stationary sleeping bed. I will upgrade to reclining Ottoman chairs. I might need to modify the chairs with hydraulics to allow lay-flat angles.
I will minimize the amount of items inside the minivan because they are a serious cause of injury when braking suddenly. All items inside the car must be secured. I will limit cargo the space behind the third row seats. Less is more in this case. The seats prevent some items from being hurled forward.
Use small batteries to provide light, rather than installing lights, to reserve the most battery power. Recharge small batteries while the engine is running. Hybrids have an electrical motor that is dedicated to generating power. Use a portable Bluetooth speaker to play music from your cellphone when the ignition is off. Recharge the Bluetooth speaker while the engine is running. An idling engine can generate power, but is wasteful.
Some circuits may only receive power while the engine is running. Verify before buying or have devices moved to a special circuit. The 110VAC outlets draw power at any time. When the HV battery is low, the engine is started automatically by the DC-to-DC converter. Thinking of the electrical system as a computer system is probably a better concept.
Using a thermostat controlled DC water heater that is directly connected to a 100W solar panel is better than drawing power from the HV battery. Storing a water tank inside the minivan is a bad idea. The power system lies below the floor. Air vents are often used to cool electrical components like DC-to-DC converter.
You might want to consider using HEPA air filter for covid19.
Battery performance is very dependent upon temperature and age. A five year old battery might be disappointing in cold weather.
Finally, understanding that car manufacturers increase battery capacity for regenerative braking will inform your buying decisions. AWD is acheieved in hybrids by adding an electrical motor to the rear axle. The extra regenerative power requires a larger battery. You might not need AWD is a warm climate, but AWD provides greater eBike battery recharge capacity.
Above all else, the charger is the most important part of a reCHARGing system.
High voltage, rather than batteries, is the big advantage of a hybrid over conventional gas engines, for my purposes.
electrek.co
