Adding Batteries & Hacking to Increase MPG

[rslatin]

I'm hearing stories of adding more batteries (trunk box placement) and a hacking fix to engage the electric motor more frequently, resulting in higher MPG. Anyone know anything about this, and if so, what, please?

Thanks,

Ricco
2002 Insight CVT

[JeffKinTN]

Originally Posted by rslatin

I'm hearing stories of adding more batteries (trunk box placement) and a hacking fix to engage the electric motor more frequently, resulting in higher MPG. Anyone know anything about this, and if so, what, please?

Thanks,

Ricco
2002 Insight CVT

MIMA

http://www.99MPG.COM

[goat961]

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=3996

that's the only reasonably well documented one that i know of (and mike's done a good job of documenting.

also, check out mima- which allows manual control over the electric assist.... it gives significant mpg impovements without an additional battery pack. in addition with an additional pack it should be fairly nuts

[b1shmu63]

Hacking sounds cool, but in reality it is bypassing and emulating. The IMA computer is not involved and no Honda code is being rewritten. The additional storage is completely separate from the IMA batteries and only connected in the same manner as the IMA motor/generator. By using lead acid cells, the need for complex control circuitry is eliminated.

Since the Insight requires about 10 HP to cruise, and the IMA motor puts out more than 10 HP, in theory the gas mileage could be doubled if the IMA ran at 50 percent. That's it in a highly simplified form. The actual implementation is not trivial. Looks like Mike has a good handle on it.

[trunkout]

that install looks like quite an undertaking....