New Hybrid Battery made by Dr. Prius, apparently.

I have that battery and yes it is very nice to be able to work on the battery and not need an extra person to take it out.

More mpg for sure I am still getting 50+ mpg in colder temps.

I have overcharged it and discharged it and it still charges up fast and keeps its charge for a long time.


http://www.RedBullet.net

https://ProjectLithium.com/?ref=mG0GE

http://www.Pulstar.com

http://www.PlugOutPower.com
Use code 7373

http://www.hybridpit.com
Use code azusa

 

50+ mpg in colder temps

Can you clarify this? What range of temperatures do you consider cold? Aren't you in Southern Cali?

 

I wonder if a c version will be released?

 

Are you aware that there are a couple of long threads about this:

NexPower NexCell LiFePo Battery Upgrade | PriusChat

Rainbow Prius Hybrid Powered by Lithium! | PriusChat

 

I have had it almost a year now.

To answer TMR's question about the mileage, I live in the high desert where it can snow and morning temps are almost freezing.

Granted I have a fresh rebuilt engine, it is noticible what extra mpg the lithium HV battery is adding.

http://www.RedBullet.net

https://ProjectLithium.com/?ref=mG0GE

http://www.Pulstar.com

http://www.PlugOutPower.com
Use code 7373

http://www.hybridpit.com
Use code azusa

 

It looks interesting...especially since there is a Prius C option.

However, I'm wary of the performance in *really* cold temperatures ( like here in Minnesota ). We are talking down to -20s F sometimes during the winter. The original battery does just fine in these conditions.

 

I doubt it's "fine". You just don't notice anything. Li-ion is superior to NiMH for cold performance but neither is that good. They have even made some special lithium batteries to work in the Artic. The big issue is charging. You shouldn't charge any of the traditional Li-ion or NiMH below 0 F. I'd expect the Prius computers take battery temp into account, and even if the battery was below 0 F on startup it would warmup pretty quick so maybe it really isn't that noticeable since the engine runs much longer than normal after startup on cold days.

 

No problem, just wanted you to know

 

Hmm...Everything I have read in the past points to NiMH being better in extreme cold. It is a pretty well know fact that NiMH are more stable in extreme cold than Li-Ion. Lots of discussions around PriusChat too if you search around a bit.

Also note that many vehicles with Li-ion batteries ( mostly BEVs and PHEVs ) have active warming to keep them from getting too cold.

This (admittedly old) article is pretty interesting

/http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1120320_lithium-ion-vs-nickel-metal-hydride-toyota-still-likes-both-for-its-hybrids

"On the other hand, Toyota’s all-wheel-drive hybrids, like the 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e introduced last week at LA, will for the foreseeable future use NiMH—because it can withstand extreme cold far better, and perform better in the cold temps where you’d expect an AWD vehicle to be used."

 

I would say that quote is marketing BS (or maybe they have a unique perspective on what defines "better" or maybe they developed some "special" NiMH like has now been done for Li-ion).

 

I've had my Dr. Prius lithium pack in for almost a year as well without issue. My MPG has gone up and I've been really enjoying driving around with the additional capacity from the lithium pack. It really helps that it seems to charge faster than the stock battery and certainly lasts longer.

 

The climate I live in is extreme in both directions.
Can snow here below 32F and also gets very hot over 100F.

A good test is the 15 freeway north in traffic on a hot day.

 

Please cite your sources that Li-ion batteries are superior in cold weather. I agree with farmecologist that the most common opinion expressed on PriusChat is that nimh is superior in cold. That alone doesn't mean that you are wrong but you can't expect others to just take your word when you are outnumbered.

FWIW, Toyota put Li batteries in some Rav4 hybrids last year in the U.S. but not in Canada. This year all Rav4 hybrids in North America have nimh.

 

Maybe I should have written Li-ion is certainly not inferior in cold weather performance to NiMH as was intimated. As I wrote, neither is that good in it's traditional composition (see below). Li-ion is superior because of it's lighter weight, smaller size and charging capacity (not including sub-zero where both are bad).

I was hoping to find some research that actually compared the two directly but was not successful. I did come across some cool items though, no pun intended.

Thesis to study Li-ion performance below -20 C (to operate an electric snowmobile down to -40 C)
Thesis showing poor Prius winter fuel economy is mostly due to HVAC usage (study only goes to 20 F though)
Paper on new Li-ion that works at -70 C (not likely practical for cars, but also not likely to see NiMH advance anywhere near that)