This is an interesting press information article about the Prius' hybrid battery. How and why it was chosen, a little techy stuff, and some info about Li+ ion and supercaps. I found the last paragraph about how capacitors are currently used in the emergency braking system in the Prius particularly interesting.
Evan the capacitor unit was one of the things damaged on the wife's 2k4 in the accident and at the time it was $1700USD. If you want to see it just take out the black lower storage box in the lower hatch and have a look at the black box just to the left of the aux. battery. There are 27 capacitors in there that provide the brake pump with power in the case of the 12Volt battery going open circuit and not being able to power the pump which charges the accumulator with pressure to provide the friction brake to stop the car.
This car just keeps on surprising me. I continue to find myself humbled as an American looking at Japanese mainstream technology that our American auto makers can't even approach. Thanks Evan.
There are people out there that take offense when I refer to this car as the most technologically advanced on the road. I think those people don't understand the complexity and refinements at so many levels in the Prius. Glad folks finally found this article of interest as I thought it was good reading.
have you seen the replacement bats from china ? - instead of 28 packs, you have only 14, they take nimh D cells? to make a block of 12 of them to give the same voltage and amps of the parametric grid oem's -- so instead of 28 slises u have 14 to simplify things and much better looking connectors -
