Figured I'd make my first post about something interesting, haha. So has anyone experimented with lightening their Prius to increase fuel economy using after market parts? I was considering replacing some body panels and the mirrors with carbon fiber on my 2011 Three for starters, and then expanding to find other components I can lighten without losing features/comfort/ect. Has anyone done anything similar?
It will be way cheaper to educate the driver on how to drive for mileage. "Performance" upgrades like grill blocking and a block heater and aerodynamic upgrades like smaller mirrors and wheel spats may be more economical as well.
True, however couple that with reducing the weight by 20% or more and it'd be interesting to see the results.
Step one may be to go over your Prius with a magnet and discover how much iron you can replace. Replacing aluminum and plastic will not save as much weight.
Check out Ecomodder if you're interested in mods for fuel economy. There is this thread by a guy modding a Gen3. 3rd gen Prius aeromod thread - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com Generally, replacing parts that don't need replaced takes a very long time to pay off, if ever. The most cost effective mods are reducing weight by removing parts like the spare tire and seats and homemade aero parts.
In tuning his car for track performance @RightOnTime stripped all of the non-essential interior components, such as the rear seat, all of the cargo area panels, and the spare tire.
Cost of aftermarket parts vs increased fuel would take to long to reep the benifits. Best to inflate your tires and practice pulse & glide if you want that extreme fuel mileage.
I don't see where you could remove 600 pounds by actual parts replacements. Stripping the interior bare would come the closest. A 20% weight reduction will provide less than a 10% MPG increase. Careful hypermiling driving style can do much more than that.
"components I can lighten without losing features/comfort/etc" is the compromise. Can you build a fiberglass boat tail without losing the functionality of the hatch? You can pull all the panels & remove the stuff from the deck but you'll hear all the additional noises. Fabricate spats to cover the wheel wells and add moon caps to the wheels. Find an old Insight & rebuild the battery pack. Inflating the tires & blocking the grill probably provide as much benefit as anything else. Mod the car because you want to. Don't mod the car because you expect increased fuel economy.
That's my thread! Getting significant weight out of this car without losing comfort or functionality is a challenge, as with any car, and I don't think you'll see much bang-for-the-buck, especially if you have to pay for new, lighter panels or parts; those will cost significantly more than you'll ever save in fuel. My approach so far has been removal only, of whatever I can spot that isn't necessary *to me* (this will vary person to person). List so far is in the Ecomodder thread, which I'll keep updating as I pull more stuff out. If you do any highway or freeway driving, aeromods can save significantly more gas and be cheap. $5 for some pipe insulation, and you have yourself an adjustable grill block, for instance. $25 for pizza pans, hardware, and some Plasti-Dip, and you've got solid wheel covers (that are worth around +1.5mpg at 50mph, by the way). Of course, your car will start looking different, but it's all a matter of what your goals are and what you can live with.
Sorry @CosmikTK, It doesn't work.... Use that money from the fancy carbon fiber parts and put it in your gas tank. Trust me, I've spent enough on CF parts equal to 3 or 4 years worth of gas.....
Out of curiosity, did you happen to weigh your CF hood? Is it actually lighter than the stock aluminum?
No sir..... But the CF hood felt a little lighter and the rear CF spoiler too. I only changed them out for the look.
I did that, so far I've removed 100lbs out of my little Prius since May. I still have 35 to 40 to go. Still you would be amazed at how much stuff people feel they have to haul around in the car with them. Start by going through the car front to back and see how much unnecessary stuff you have in the car. Example, do you really have to carry a gallon of windshield washer fluid in the car at all times? I can see if you're taking a trip, but for every day driving leave it in the garage. That spare gallon of fluid is 7 lbs. I'm betting the average Prius owner is hauling around 20-25lbs of stuff they don't need in their cars. What is in the glove box? Console? Back seat and floor? Hatch area ? Under the floor of the hatch? And so what are you doing on your day off today? Fifteen minutes cleaning out the Prius might help your gas mileage. Don't forget it's winter have you checked your tire pressures lately?
Hmm interesting posts but losing significant items from the car like spare tire etc. Is not a option for me as I drive around 2500-3000 miles per week. But some things said I will take into mind SM-N920V ?
