NexPower V3 hybrid battery unveil - Sodium-ion battery

Yes, the standard sodium pack, not the GT version. That's surprising to hear coming from you because a while back you told me in a DM that the standard sodium was a downgrade from LifePo4 V2.6 in terms of MPG. Can you explain further? I thought the GT version was to address the slight loss in MPG?

 

Strange part was upon further testing in G3 for the same 20 mile stretch of test freeway, the standard felt the best power wise and seemed to get the best MPG the last 2 we did before the rest were GT versions.

 

I have two theories on why some people get better MPG with the standard V3 (cylindrical cell) while others see better MPG with the V3 GT (pouch cells):

1. Driving Behavior

• For a more conservative driving style, surge power isn’t frequently needed. In this case, the standard V3’s cylindrical cells, which have a larger capacity, can provide a longer EV runtime.
• For a more aggressive driving style (like mine), frequent surge power is required. The V3 GT, with its ultra lower IR, helps maintain voltage within the optimal range, leading to better burst performance.

2. ECU Firmware

• I’ve noticed that the latest Prius ECU firmware (see below recall notice) manages the battery more efficiently. For example, it performs trickle discharging when the state of charge (SOC) exceeds 80%, preventing excessive stress on the battery and therefore even a standard V3 with higher IR can get good MPG out of it.
• In contrast, older ECU firmware tends to handle the battery more harshly, which could explain why NHTSA is demanding a recall from Toyota. It also explain why lithium-ion batteries don’t last as long in older Prius models.

Hope this helps.
Jack

 

For sure the J0V update did throttle the system and protects against power surges.

I could tell the difference soon after I had it done.

Wish I could remove the updates...

 

Jack once replied to my post saying comparing mpg results from 2 different battery chemistry “is just stupid.” That means there’s a lot of you here haha.

 

Never got it done on mine. Carfax keep sending me recall emails to git r done. I just merge on highways using longer ramps so redbullet is not needed to get up to speed ASAP

 

@Grit

The thing is when I got the car it was stock and then I got the J0V update and felt the difference still all stock.

Since then obviously I have an aftermarket Sodium HV battery and yes a Red Bullet.

Along with other upgrades I have much better power but off the line there is still the side effects of the update which I can tell the inverter is being throttled.

 

@Grit

Also....because you have failed to get the update, if the inverter takes a dump on you right now...that extended warranty will not apply to you.

Extended IPM warranty is only if you got the updates.

 

Just replace the inverter, ain’t worried about loss of warranty is still the plan so I didn’t fail to get the update.

 

Maybe you need all his "other upgrades", then you could use any ramp to get on the highway!!

I got the SW update done on mine because I read here that the European version of this update mentions Water Pump Duty Cycle and Head Gasket life.
Why not have it done with vague promises like that? I have Zero feelings about its effectiveness...

Sounds like you are having "Feelings,,,, woe, woe, woe, just feelings.." about your car's performance.
Some people use numbers when making bold claims. Like is MG2 only getting a massive 12kW instead of 14?

How's that Water Injection System working out that you peddle in your signature?
Do you have to drain the glass jar and purge the lines and valves or whatever else is part of this amazing system during winter months?
I assume Water injection is just for nice weather. Do you have numbers on that? Or just 'feelings'.

This 'red bullet' is just a pretty looking replacement for the Variable Valve Timing's stock oil control valve.
The Valve is either open or closed.
How can it possibly make any performance difference?
But if you have your plastic engine cover off, OOH La La, that gold anodized thing is Bling City!!

 

BAM!!!

 

Ah, you just admitted that all your cool engine upgrades underperforms a stock turd gen prius’ performance. I’ll still save more money replacing the inverter if it blows rather than updating the ecu and throw some feel good feeling parts and still have more power as like @Bill Norton pointed out

 

Huge improvement for 40 degree weather we had the last month.
Battery charged the same, discharged the same.
The most surprising part was my mpg stayed the same. Usually I lose 2-3, but
not this time.

 

This is exactly my experience for my Gen 2 (2006) Civic Hybrid at 110K miles and it's last dealer service. The IMA update is well known for both Civic and Insight. see also:
California Civic Hybrid Owners vs Honda Class Action circa 2011
and Honda answer to the verdict in that case "the IMA update".

Let me explain what I noticed within a week of our Gen 2 HCH (Honda Civic Hybrid) as the second driver of the car.
For the first 110K miles no matter what I tried, I could not get IMA assist above half on the gauge. A week after the cars last dealer service, I finally noticed the assist gauge was hitting all the way at the top of the gauge and it didn't take flooring the Go pedal to get it there either.. It only took a month of that (full assist) in it's than 7th year of use, before the IMA battery coded.

As an aside, the dealer service invoice has no mention of any update, much less the infamous IMA update.
I kick myself for not marking the pack too before that service, my thoughts on that are that the Civic Repair manual regularly states (test with a know good part), and my experiences at the parts counter just reinforced my concerns. Many many more negative personal experiences over the cars lifetime at that dealer (shop manager turnover et al) along with a few good ones. I was a bit to over excited at learning how to use the new tech in the hybrid. But at 110K mile I was done with that dealers sales, service and had to start using the repair manual I'd gotten from helms when the car was new, Jul 2006.

In the winter the IMA behavior is even weirder as its bleeds SOC when it car is STONE cold. I spent many a frigid mornings playing around with that to figure out a way to keep that assist/regen gauge quiet while the car was in it's warmup cycle, to little avail, at least noticeable with the equipment I had available at that time, scangauge 2.

 

That’s you agreeing with me and “failing” to do the update. I’m batting 1,000 so far.

 

@Grit

All I said was that I know how the car drove stock and how it drove stock after the J0V update.

Any additions I did would only have enhanced the better performance it had prior to the J0V update.

As for you not updating, well I guess you rather pay for the repair than have it covered.

 

That idea still circulates for some reason. If any Toyota dealer tries to tell you that, just refer them to the current (last I checked) Customer Confidence Program as written up in documents 23TE02 and 23TE03, which can be retrieved from NHTSA like so:

23TE02 23TE03

Between them, they both cover any Prius built from late January 2009 (model year 2010) through late November 2015 (model year 2015), and any Prius v built from late August 2011 (model year 2012) through late November 2017 (model year 2017).

There is no mileage limitation and the coverage extends to 20 years from the date of first use.

If the trouble codes include P0A94, P0A1A, P324E, or P3004, the coverage falls under 23TE03; if they include P0A7A or P0A78, or the cause was a "thermal event", or the cause is unclear and can't be shown not to have been a "thermal event", the coverage falls under 23TE02. The unlimited mileage and 20-year window are the same for both coverages, and the repairs are the same, so the two different coverages only help keep statistics on which kind of thing went wrong.

Both coverages were also clarified, as of June 2023, to confirm that they do apply to cars that have had salvage, total loss, true mileage unknown, or other similar titles. (That's better than some of the normal warranty coverages, which don't apply then.)

Neither CSP includes any requirement that past recalls were applied for you to be covered. As a practical matter, you might find you get the car back with the recalls now applied so they won't have to do the job again.

The main risk you're taking by not having J0V applied is that if the failure occurs, the car might not go into limp mode as it's supposed to, but instead go straight to hybrid-system-off. That can be bad if you're in traffic.

That's the thing the J0V update fixed. There were changes to MG ECU firmware in earlier recalls (E0E / F0R). Part of the J0V update procedure is to double-check for the earlier MG ECU update and apply it if it hasn't been already. So if you happen to fall in that situation, that's when the J0V update might change your MG ECU behavior.

 

I know of a few people who swear the update made them lose mpg on stock vehicles. My brain is also telling me the whole 17" and 15" wheel vehicles had something unique between them that when mixed with the update.... something.. mind is drawing a blank but. just my .02

text me...

 

On a slightly different note, has anyone had any hands on experience with the new potassium ion cells? The ability to handle 4.5v per cell could be a game changer for replacement chemistry high voltage packs similar to the sodium ion and LFP batteries.
With the nickel infused hard carbon and nanotube anode material, they are claimed to have a better energy density per kg than the best lithium based cells, cheaper to produce and accept a higher charge rate than LFP and way higher than Na+, which is the weak link in the sodium ion batteries ..... they can provide the high discharge current, but they can not absorb the high regen current ......

T1 Terry

 

I’ll wait for solid state battery by Toyota, it will have all the bells and whistles. By then, my turd gen will probably gave 400,000 miles and it would be a money pit to keep it running, but hey, it will have a solid state battery ha.