Has anyone installed the charging system where they can plug in there Tahoe Hybrid at night to bring the battery up to full capacity?

 

What charging system?

 

Several Aftermarket manufactures in the US have come up with a way to extend the EV life of the Toyota Prius by adding some electrionics and a battery charging system where you plug in the vehical at night. This gives you not only a fully charged battery, it also extends the EV mode to 50 miles, increasing fuel economy. There is a kit out for the Ford hybrid Explorer, however I have not seen one for the Tahoe Hybrid. This would now give the Tahoe Hybrid a plug in mode and when you go on short trips 50 miles or less you would be in EV mode to 50 mph for 50 miles, not bad.
Kind Regards Ken

 

interseting, pls keep us posted if you find anything to go with tahoes

 

Doesn't that Prius kit add a trunkload of laptop Li-ion batteries, a la Tesla? No way the Prius or a Tahoe goes more than a few miles in EV on their stock NiMH batteries. And if you overcharge their normal battery pack you'll wreck them and, or course, invalidate your warranty.

 

Just my opinion but I'd have to agree with KC. Unless you add capacity (aka more batteries) all you'd end up getting is a fully charged EV battery in the morning. Doubtful this would get you more miles in constant EV mode, it'd probably only help you for the first few blocks from your home (unless you live at the top of or near a really long hill )

I've read about a lot of "hack" kits that are around for the Prius but there's bazillions of those things running around out there so that's a viable market. I forget the exact number but it's pretty safe to say there's not much of a market for specific kits for our Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade Hybrids Here's a couple of things I'd love to see developed and marketed:

1. Nav screen hack to show more details about what's going on with the hybrid side of the vehicle (i.e. DIC info, hybrid batt volts, amps, remaining charge, "health" etc.).
2. Full and cat back exhaust system specific to our Hybrids.
3. Tech tool to tune hybrid specs including the trans switchover.
4. Ability to record hybrid activity versus time (when charging, instantaneous Ah, vehicle speed, batt voltage and amps, etc.)
5. mpg readout for "this trip" only (wife's Lexus has this and it's handy info).

 

I agree with your suggestions CMPS. I know that in the Prius kits they due add battery capacity. I know from my aviation experience that battery capcity and charging are critical to battery life. I also would like to see more of whats going on with the Hybrid system on the Nav screen. I do know this though from a 650 mile hilly trip that if you can keep the ECO meter dead center in the green, even while braking (regenerative brake system) that you can acheive 30.1MPH.
Kind Regards Ken