Note that, I believe, Toyota recycles the materials from old batteries when they take old cores in exchange for new. New Toyota batteries are technically most likely recycled also. Also, a Toyota battery is not tremendously more expensive. They can be as little as $200 more and with half-hour or hour installation (less than $200?) by a knowledgeable installer, that shouldn't be more than $400 more total.
Toyota batteries have new sealed modules with new electrolytes. Recycling metals and plastics is different than reusing old chemical parts.
But Toyota does refine the nickel to reduce the need for new mined nickel. Toyota Launches Hybrid Battery Recycling Program | Earth911.com
They also said they use a higher grade of Nickel in the Gen 4 NiMH battery modules. Since the modules are the compatible with the previous generations, they may be using these better modules in older replacement packs. I know a few years ago, Toyota US in California experimented selling refurbished packs from a vendor and abandoned that program.
The $1350 core price seems high for just the non-module parts of old batteries. Why do they pay so much?
To make it difficult for the third party rebuilders? Why does Cisco give so much trade-in on old switches? To reduce third party sales
I think there is kind of a trick there though. I don’t believe they can fully recycle the nickle into new batteries. I think they use the nickle in iron production.
It is not just the non-module part, it includes the modules. They primarily want the modules back as they committed to a closed cycle recycling program from the outset as part of the Prius program.
Yes, but @Prodigyplace felt they don't re-use the nickel. That means the modules are still effectively worthless. So if they don't re-use the nickel in production of new batteries, but they do recycle, what do they do with all this nickel?
Prodigy was saying they don't rebuild batteries by reusing the recovered modules. Modules are tested and if they have useful life they are repurposed for various charitable endeavours. Those that can't be used that way, all the plastics, metals and minerals/elements are recovered and feed back into manufacturing of new modules.
The recovered metals could also be sold to be used by others in their products. Just because Toyota is reclaiming the materials does not mean they need to use all the recovered materials themselves.
I think we can all agree that we don't really know what Toyota does with the cores, but the point regarding environmental impact still remains. By re-using modules in other industries and recycling the rest, it's reducing the need for new nickel (and other materials) to be mined for batteries or other uses, depending on what happens to the old modules.
But why would they? The materials have much more value to them for reuse, than selling on the scrap metal market. As well, it would be a negative input situation in that they would not have enough materials from recycling alone. They would require new materials to supplement the recycled ones. Pretty much the game plan Toyota’s strategy employs.
You can completely reassemble to use as a core. You keep everything, nothing is returned to me. Exactly. You are free to sell all your old modules and easily get $20/pc from them. If you ever want a core, you can just as easily buy known junk modules for about $5 on eBay. It does drop the price of our kit significantly when you factor that in. But some people will just put the old modules on a shelf which is fine too.
Where are you able to find / purchase a new Toyota Battery for $1773? Local dealer quote is $2,592 (includes core credit of $1,350 if old battery is returned), + installation & tax. I called Toyota of America to inquire about purchasing a battery directly from them, as suggested by some, but was told that it's not an option / that purchasing from a dealer is the only option.
There are some unicorn dealers across the country that offer it at that price, some even lower. However they're the exception and it comes with caveats. None of them that I know of ship. Period. You want it, you drive there to pick it up. Pay core charge and tax. Do the swap in the parking lot???? Get your core back. The bigger one is that most shops will refuse to sell the part to you, Random Joe-Street-Mechanic. Just flat out refuse. Others will sell it to you for the higher MSRP price (plus core plus tax). To get the discounted rate you have to be a mechanic, like a real one, that does this for a living and able to get Toyota Parts Counter wholesale rates. You can call, the sales monkey will confirm the price in their system, drive 500 miles to pick it up, and be told no at the door. It happens pretty often.
We both know they legally can not refuse to sell the battery to Random Joe-Street-Mechanic...they may say it at first...but they can not refuse by law. The trick to getting the lower scale pricing is having a good repore with the the Parts Department and Dealership in general.
It happens all the time unfortunately. They can easily claim it to be a "safety hazard". That's the story I have heard from lots of people dotted across the country independently. I am sure if the police were called you could get your battery sold to you, at MSRP. I think you'd lose any good rapport you may have had when you threaten legal action to buy the product.
Gasoline is a "safety hazard". If you have to threaten...you don't have a good "relationship" with your Dealership to begin with anyway...so you would likely already be paying "MSRP". The Parts Guys can be your best friend.
