I just got back from my first decent drive since I've got the system mostly installed.
I purchased the 4kWh system.'
I fully charged it and drove around for about 1/2 hour.
During this time the vehicle stayed mostly in ev mode (obviously I was under 30 mph).
the ICE started probably 4 or 5 times some for uphill and once or twice for engine heat.
My MPG maxed out most of the time only dipping to 56-58 when the engine ran.
I started with the system warmed up from my commute home otherwise my mpg would have included warmup.
Overall I am impressed with the value of the system. I am still waiting for my BMS which Fedex seems to have misplaced. In terms of support I have gotten quick and decisive responses to any questions and problems. The kit is designed to drop into a Prius so I think there is a little learning curve but so far so good.

 

Sounds great! It will be interesting to hear your overall mpg improvement as you use it under a variety of conditions. Keep us updated!

 

I'll do that. Those were ideal conditons I was driving under. Normally like anyone else I don't expect
that dramatic a result in winter due to the warm up cycle.
The only criticism I have now is with their supply chain and inventory management but that's a business decision they made.

 

We had a mild day in the 50F temp range, perfect for test driving my new install
since I received the BMS thursday.
Did a mix of highway and conservative in town driving and managed
a 51 mpg run.
The system seems to work very well.
On the highway there seems to be little if any advantage as
expected. The Ford software seems to send current from the
generator to the motor to suppliment the gas engine at highway speeds
without use of the battery.
Around town the kit almost always kept up with the power requirements
of my vehicle. This on level or slight downhill. Otherwise very rarely the gas engine
would kick in to start charging the factory battery.
I did not see any current flow on my NAV screen although as stated it stayed in EV for prolonged
periods otherwise impossible without the supplimental current flow.
The BMS monitor kept an eye on system status although I didn't see any reading
for V out. Anyone know what this should read? I assume it is the
350 VDC the converter puts out.
Other wise only saw the + sign showing cells being out of tolerance 3-4 times while driving.
And throughout the drive, which was probably 15-20 miles the cells stayed above 3.0
The per cent charge and distance left seem fairly useless when driving. They jump around alot
at times from 100% to 20% than back to 80.
Temps. started @ 10 in the morning and one bank of cells got up to 40. the others were
30 and 35.

 

That sounds great! Hopefullly you think it was worth it. What percentage improvement in city mpg do you think you are getting with the kit? Any recommendations or regrets on installation?

 

In past city driving in nice weather I could get 36 tops. So at 51 that I got would be >50%.
That also included some highway where I was reading 34.
Assuming the ideal run, warm weather, car would go into EV mode quickly and stay
under 30, little traffic, level, I could see getting another 50% or more.
The knowledge base fro the Escapes is kind of limited as of now but Jack Chen,( the
owner?). has always been responsive when contacted by email.
Installation was very easy. Problem with me was unit was shipped calibrated for a prius.
I had to do some adjustments for the converter voltage. I am a technician for a living
so it was no big deal once they sent me the procedure. That said, he suggested I send it back for
calibration if I didn't feel comfortable doing it.
Also I think the value of these kits is limited in the colder climates as the use of EV mode drops
in the winter, but that's a function of Hybrids, not the kit.

 

How did you mount the battery pack? Any pics? Any idea how well the two different types of batteries (eg NiMH vs Li-ion) coexist on the same electrical bus arrangement?

Many thanks.

 

the entire kit is enclosed in a stainless steel enclosure. The box presently sits in the cargo area.
The manufacturer sent plans for a mounting flage which will bolt the kit down back there.
Basically the kit battery serves to supply current to the factory battery and motor until it
goes below the lower voltage limit of the lowest cell. It doesn't directly interface with the factory battery management. As the temperatures have been below freezing my Hybrid hasn't been going into EV mode much

 

Join the club. Also the cat cools off quicker, so you have shorter EV sessions and it's difficult to maintain much faster than ~36/37 mph b/c of the road conditions/rolling friction. I find I'm drawing about 45 amps just maintaining EV, even after driving 30 minutes at 55 mph.

My battery has been at least 50 deg the last 3 nights due to traveling out of town for the holidays. I have yet to have a battery temp higher than 33 the next day. I need a pair of HV battery long-johns.

 

Acutually somebody suggested an electric blanket, If you could gt it underneath the battery housing I could see it helping