• On the list of cars widely regarded as the most reliable vehicles ever built, up there with the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Honda Civic, and the Mercedes W123 diesels, is the unassuming Toyota Prius. • Although it adds a bit of complexity with its hybrid drivetrain, its design eliminates a number of common wear items and also tunes it for extreme efficiency, lengthening its life and causing minimal mechanical stress. • The Prius has a number of other tricks up its sleeve as well,which is why parts of its hybrid systems are often used in EV conversions like [Jeremy]’s electric CJ-5 Jeep. • Inside the Prius inverter is abuck/boost converterused for stepping up the battery voltage to power the inverter and supply power to the electric motor. • [Jeremy]’s battery is much higher voltage than the stock Prius battery pack, though, which means he can bypass the converter and supply energy from his battery directly to the inverter. • Since the buck/boost converter isn’t being used, he can put it to work doing other things.
Article Summaries:
- A DIY electric conversion of a classic CJ‑5 Jeep has been showcased, using key components from a Toyota Prius. The project replaces the Jeep’s original drivetrain with a high‑voltage battery pack that feeds directly into the Prius inverter, bypassing the stock buck/boost converter. The unused converter is repurposed as a charger, allowing AC from a standard EV charger to power the Jeep’s battery via a rectifier. Jeremy, the builder, runs the system on an open‑source controller and has documented the process in several videos. The conversion highlights the Prius’s reliability and the versatility of hybrid hardware for off‑road, low‑maintenance electric vehicles.
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