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How much would you pay (or would you even?) for a hybrid battery health check?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by hearsay, Aug 30, 2018.

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What would you consider a fair price to pay for a mobile hybrid battery check that comes to you?

  1. $75

    1 vote(s)
    12.5%

  2. $50

    2 vote(s)
    25.0%

  3. $25

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  4. $0...no way I'd pay for that!

    5 vote(s)
    62.5%
  1. hearsay

    hearsay Junior Member

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    I live in a fairly remote part of Southwestern New Mexico graced with loads of retirees (and young whippersnappers like myself) driving Gen II and III Prii. The dealership will run a diagnostic HV check for $125 (+tax?), which gives you zero actual data, instead just a pass or fail indication.

    I'm proposing to start up a side hustle where I travel to the Prius owner's home or work and run a hybrid battery health check for them. I'll show up with a Bluetooth dongle and tablet, and run the car for testing for about 10 minutes. I can show graphs to the customer afterward and discuss how healthy or unhealthy the battery appears to be. This would be based off of the Delta V of each battery module as well as a separate report from Torque analyzing the internal resistance of each module as well. The report could either be printed on site or emailed to the customer. I'm a neutral party and the customer may not feel like I"m pushing them to buy a $2000 like the dealership may. All in all I'd like be in and out within 30-45 minutes.

    Admins, feel free to pull this posting if it does not seem appropriate. I've learned a lot from this forum, and figured I'd test the waters here with so many Prius owners.
     
    #1 hearsay, Aug 30, 2018
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i wouldn't be interested, but i think a lot of naive people would bite.

    there was a guy here who developed a hybrid battery test that got the seal of approval from a few expert members.
    i don't know how long it took to do it, or what equipment you needed, or if you had to disassemble the battery.
    other than that, i'm not sure any other test will tell you anything about the battery health tomorrow, only today.
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 31, 2018
    m.wynn likes this.
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    I'd be ok for $50.
     
    #3 Mendel Leisk, Aug 31, 2018
    hearsay likes this.
  4. golfmk681

    golfmk681 Active Member

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    That’s not really worth your time to drive just for $50. Unless they show up at your house or nearby. Not worth it.
     
    #4 golfmk681, Sep 1, 2018
  5. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

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    I like your idea. That would be a big cash cow in Lagos, Nigeria.
    Lots of people really do want graphics of how healthy their packs are.
     
    #5 Dxta, Sep 1, 2018
  6. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

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    @hearsay Are you just looking to provide diagnostics or repair as well? Are you a licensed trained Mechanic? These are fair questions.
     
    #6 frodoz737, Sep 1, 2018
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  7. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

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    In my area this kind of service is just over $100.
     
    #7 ericbecky, Sep 1, 2018
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  8. hearsay

    hearsay Junior Member

    Joined:
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    @frodoz737, totally fair questions. Nope, I am not a licensed mechanic nor do I plan to really do the repairs. I'm simply intending to do diagnostics using a combination of Hybrid Assistant and Torque Pro to give a snapshot into the health of the battery.

    I've certainly entertained the idea of doing module replacement and/or rebalancing as evidenced by other threads i've started in the technical forum. No matter how simple pulling the battery and doing this work may seem, it will always seem a bit sketchy if not done by a "proper" mechanic. So for now, I'd like to settle on offering a battery diagnostic so Prius drivers are not driving blind about the health of their HV battery.

    I was paranoid for a couple of years doing cross country road trips on our 10 yr old Gen2. After looking at many aspects of the batteries health, I'm not nearly as nervous as I used to be and will continue to monitor it quarterly.
     
    #8 hearsay, Sep 1, 2018
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  9. golfmk681

    golfmk681 Active Member

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    I though about doing something like this to bmw scene. I got a carly app that you can use to register batteries (yes you have to record a bmw battery size each time) but it’s hard to justify time and money.

    I say go for it see if people bite. Like advertise on Craigslist and see what people are willing to pay. There’s nothing to lose really. I would just have people sign a consent/waiver for diagnose that absolves you of any liability.
     
    #9 golfmk681, Sep 1, 2018
  10. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Nice little spot in the world. We spent the night there on a ride through the area: AZ 191, gila forest, etc. A former boss retired there and I could see why.

    How much is your time worth? You have to figure in drive time and all the costs of your vehicle around that too. You would want to explain in your ad how your method is superior to what a dealership does and thus its a better value.
     
    #10 fotomoto, Sep 1, 2018
  11. hearsay

    hearsay Junior Member

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    @fotomoto , yup I live on the edge of the Gila in Silver City. Loads of artists and retirees with Prii in this neck of the woods. I've definitely been considering my drive time to get around, and assume that I'd have an upcharge based on mileage if it were say outside of a 15 mile radius of town. The real market is 4 hours away round trip in Las Cruces, and $100 would be a charge more worthy of my time. Lots to consider, but seems like a service worth offering.
     
    #11 hearsay, Sep 1, 2018
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