Need to replace hybrid battery

If you include the sale of the used modules, the economics work out even better.

But hard to change someone's perspective when their mind is made up.

Even with good data and results .

 

True but we need to counter any bad advice based on invalid perspectives.

 

Right now, I have them in stock. We got 2 shipments at once when customs cleared them both at the same time. Not going to complain about that!

 

That is also money you need to have available to tie up. With the kit you are free to sell any usable old modules and lower you effective cost money further. The kit has half the number of modules and better air circulation for cooling.

 

No reason to spread FUD. We've been over this.

A $1600 OEM pack basically doesn't exist. It's a unicorn. You can find mentions online. There are last I heard 3 dealerships in the entire US that honoured this price for people who weren't wholesalers/insiders. There are some sources that will sell for $1850-$1900 but that's also just a few places. This is the "normal" wholesale type price that hybrid mechanics can usually get from honest dealers. Most people do not get this price. And with the pandemic prices spiked back up almost double. They've come back down in most places. But just like us, Toyota was having problems with manufacturing supply chains and then importation into the US. As of now, the importation is still broken in the US. But it is getting better.

I've been on this site for a long time, since I've had a Prius and my work in batteries precedes that. Just like YABO has been on the market for 20 years but they consistently make crap. Don't confuse longevity of a business with quality.

If the battery fails, then you replace it or repair it. This is no different than any other battery. Swapping out a single module is possible and every single person who has used our pack agrees that the design is superior. Especially the mechanics. Swapping a module is literally just unbolt the module and bolt in a new one. There is no compression plate problems to worry about, it all fits without tens of pounds of pressure. We do sell individual modules. Haven't needed to at all except for people who buy them for weird installations like PV or trains or UPS, etc.

 

At this point the $2K pack isn't experimental anymore... And just a few years back Toyota was still charging near $1K more for a replacement pack, but lowered their price to be more competitive.

And with all the old Prius on the road there's going to be plenty of competition for a lower price point. The maker of Dr. Prius app is wrapping up the final year of the testing of two different Lithium packs for Prius. One pack is going to close to a $1K price and a performance pack that's going to pump 100+ amps consistently will match the current price point of OEM and 2Ktoaster pack.

 

Ironically today, a Lithium pack will be able to be much cheaper than a NiMH pack. If you can get the pack + electronics in for that price point, that is great.Lithium has its own set of issues, but it would allow for better performance in mountainous terrain. I haven't followed his progress, but I am excited about it!

 

Unfortunately the 'best coast' doesn't have anything even close to HH, but if Jessica ever wanted to expand in this direction there are a few of us who could rep and install the reconditioned or the new oem product up and down the pacific rim.

Of the known retailers out there, HH is the only known quality shop that will ship, and they cover the cost of shipping the old core back to Texas as well. You will lose out on the free install and the easy warranty exchange by not being local, though doubtful if a new OEM or reconditioned HH hv battery warranty exchange would ever be needed before expiration.

Depends on how much time and money you have, there is the vehicle down time and DIY labor involved, unless paying someone else to do it. Personally, if funds were an issue, would swap the first two modules as they're the easiest to get at, and at a minimum balance the pack with a grid charger. If you wanted it to last longer then best to recondition with hobby chargers after module replacement or just use a grid charger multiple times.

 

Most use the Hybrid Automotive 'Prolong' products, there are other options on the market as well.

The swap is fairly simple, at least when you've finished the heavy lifting, and be sure to wear decent gloves to protect your hands from the sheet metal edges, as you can slice digits and palms easily.

How many miles/years are on this $400 hv battery?

Could buy a cheap 'mean well' or electrophoresis hv power supply, and give it a top charge to potentially extend the usable life. Be sure to keep the battery pack cool while charging, and don't over charge.

 

If buying, then take off the cover and confirm that the modules have sequential serials. Would top charge that old battery as well.

 

You can also tell by looking at all the screws and bolts and clips if the pack has ever been accessed or removed... It's a good day when I start taking a Prius apart to get at the battery I can tell no one has ever taken it apart before me. Makes my concerns of what could go wrong next far fewer.

 

Indeed. I have seen way too many hack jobs back there. Makes you wonder how it hasn't caught on fire sometimes.

 

The worst is when I buy packs from auto wreckers who are still learning to remove them... They too often resort to bolt cutters instead of the correct tool.

 

I have a saying for that... The main difference between a DIY person and a professional is not so much their skill and experience, but how many times they have to go to shopping to buy more tools and parts. This challenge slows things down in huge ways.

A professional will almost never have to go shopping, they'll just have routine orders to ensure everything is fully stocked in their shop and they'll upgrade to better tools rather than buying tools for the first time. Whereas a DIY person will be constantly trying to first figure out what they need, then they have to figure out the best place to get it. That's a huge frustrating time suck.

When I got started almost 2 1/2 years ago it took forever for even the most insignificant part. But now after working on a dozen packs I have an entire rack of parts and almost never am without what I need... And as for tools, it seems like I don't really even need many tools, but it sure didn't seem that way at first.