Hacking The Prius
by Jim Fell

I first converted a car to purely electric operation in 1999 and after several improvements — particularly to the battery pack — the car was moderately successful. I was generally able to travel about 50 miles on a charge and considerably more if care was taken. The car completed the London to Brighton Electric Vehicle (EV) Run in 2005 and 2006.

Unfortunately, the achilles heel of the EV is still the battery pack. With low cost, traditionally lead-acid batteries the range is severely limited and a long, cross-country run must be planned like a military campaign. There must be charging points every 50 miles or so, and you need to stop for a couple of hours at each to restore some charge.