Walmart now carries the Prius Prime battery—EverStart MAXX 140R

The US Walmart website not only does that, but it includes the Canadian trims, too.

2021 Prius Prime Limited battery on the Walmart website

I think they renamed their redesigned EverStart Maxx H4 Everstart MAXX 140R, which I pictured here.

 

These are some of the notes from the 2023 owner's manual. I highlighted the parts that may be ignored in red.

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■When replacing the 12-volt battery
●Use a 12-volt battery that conforms to European regulations.
●Use a battery that the case size is same as the previous one (LN1), 20-hour-rate capacity (20HR) is equivalent (45 Ah) or greater, and performance rating (CCA) is equivalent (285A) or greater.
• If the sizes differ, the 12-volt battery cannot be properly secured.
• If the 20-hour-rate capacity is low, even if the time period where the vehicle is not used is a short time, the 12-volt battery may discharge and hybrid system may not be able to start.
●Use a ventilation type calcium battery.
●Use a 12-volt battery with a handle.
If a 12-volt battery without a handle is used, removal is more difficult.
●When removing the 12-volt battery:
P.512
●After replacing, firmly attach the following items to the exhaust hole of the 12-volt battery.
• Use the exhaust hose that was attached to the 12-volt battery before replacing and confirm that it is firmly connected to the hole section of the vehicle.
• Use the exhaust hole plug included with the 12-volt battery replaced or the one installed on the battery prior to the replaced [sic*].
(Depending on the 12-volt battery to be replace [sic*], the exhaust hole may be plugged.)
*This is really awful English by the Toyota manual writer. He/she is trying to say that there are two vent holes, one of which (the one on the positive side) must be plugged and the exhaust hose must be inserted into the other one (the one on the negative side). He/she is saying that sometimes the new batteries come with a vent hole plugged, sometimes a plug is included in a bag as an accessory, or sometimes it is not included at all, and you should recycle the plug from the old battery if necessary to plug the vent hole on the positive side.
For details, consult your Toyota dealer.

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The 20-hour-rate capacity for the OEM battery is 45 Ah. For both ACDelco LN1 AGM and ACDelco LN1 flooded, it is 50 Ah. I do not know the 20-hour-rate capacity for EverStart Maxx 140R or H4.

 

EverStart is made by Clarios (formerly Johnson Controls); so, you have more assurance on quality. They both spec 45 Ah like the OEM Yuasa. (The Canadian Tire one actually specs 46 Ah, but that would be insignificant given the uncertainty in the measurement.)

 

It is the same group size and will definitely correctly fit in the Prius/Prius Prime.

However, it is obviously a different battery if you compare the pictures. I don't know which one is better. Mine seems a little more streamlined and perhaps is an updated design, but we don't know. Yours also costs $10 more. In any case, it should be a good replacement for the OEM battery.

Were you able to take a pic of the top label with the specs and date sticker?

 

The Walmart EverStart Maxx Prius/Prius Prime 140R battery also conveniently has a vent-hole plug (the little red plug in the pictures), which is a must for the Gen 5 Prius/Prius Prime, as one of the vent holes needs to be plugged and the other one needs to be connected to the drain hose for the trunk-installed battery. Some batteries may come without proper vent holes or plugs.

In fact, the red vent-hole plug must be swapped to the vent hole on the right side so that the vent hose can be connected to the vent hole on the left side.

 

Yes, the Gen 5 Prius/Prime battery is also BCI 140R/DIN H4/EN LN1.

The Gen 5 battery has a vent hose, as the battery is in the trunk.

The battery sensor for Gen 4/Gen 5 is located in the battery terminal, not in the battery itself.

The strange thing is that the Walmart online battery catalog does not list the 140R battery. So, no one may know that this battery fits in the Prius. It is also strange that EverStart typically puts all three group sizes (BCI/DIN/EN) on the label, but this is not the case with this battery. As a result, this battery could end up staying on the shelf.

 

It is a newer model than the H4 they had. However, they should have written 140R/H4/EN1 on it like the old model. Few people know that 140R is the same as EN1 in the owner's manual. The online catalog does not list a battery for 2023 and only lists the H4 model for 2022 and earlier.

 

BCI 140R, DIN H4, and EN LN1 are equivalent sizes.

That said, the EverStart Maxx 140R seems to be an updated model and the EverStart Maxx H4 seems to be an older model; so, I would go with the EverStart Maxx 140R. Moreover, check the manufacturing-date sticker on the battery and ensure that it is fresh.

For generations that require vent holes for exhaust tubes—typically the trunk-installed ones—the EverStart Maxx 140R certainly has them.

 

On Walmart's website, EverStart Maxx H4 is showing 55 RC, which is 30 Ah. That is ridiculously low. If it is a typo and they meant 55 Ah, that corresponds to 100 RC, which is really good. EverStart Maxx 140R is 95 RC, which is 52 Ah. OEM Yuasa is 45 Ah, which is 82 RC. ACDelco LN1 AGM is 80 RC, which is 44 Ah; therefore, it does not meet Toyota's minimum requirement of 45 Ah. RC/Ah is critical for Prius Prime.