NexPower V3 hybrid battery unveil - Sodium-ion battery

1. My home grown vegis would disagree with you.
2. Did you know some days, in some states, ALL the electricity comes from solar, wind, hydro? How is that explained away?

But please, tell us more Luddite thoughts!

I'm sure you guys cussed all that "Pollution Crap" under the hood back in the day... ,,, and probably deleted much of it.

 

The documentary “planet of the humans” would make you happy. For every solar panel plant that was built in the US, a coal plant was built near by to provide power when there’s no sunlight. I recommend this for you to watch.

 

Do you have documentation on this bold statement?
Are you sure it wasn't a Nat Gas powered peaker plant? Do you know about battery storage for excess solar?

You can be a Luddite. But when you make bold Luddite statements you should have facts backing them up.

 

I can confirm that Jack stepped up. I even offer to pay for shipping. Jack has taken most of the hits and is still here developing new replacements.

 

Someone once told me: The best warranty in the world is.....
the one you never need to use....

Next best is one where the seller strives to make the customer whole. Good to see one like this, since this is the one you don't see very often, because there's always some fine print.

 

You’re calling me a Luddite? Ha! Michael Moore “planet of the humans” is the information he provided in the documentary. I don’t make bold statement, just listening to them and inform others.

 

Well, consider the source, moore.....ewww

 

This was your bold statement. Period.
Seems easy enough to fact check. How many 'solar panel plants' (manufacturing?) are there in the US? Not many, I assume....

Here's my bold statement: You can't make gasoline on your roof.

I'm not sure what you're saying here.....

But GadBless and GadHelp the young people forced to go to this 'University'.
It's basically the Faux Gnews of 'Colleges'.
I wonder what 'degrees' the graduates have and where they end up....

They can't be science related degrees. Cause they don't like science, right?

 

It was my statement as the fact was taken from Michael Moore’s research and finding. I am the messenger and I come in peace.

 

Haha!!!...

 

It’s been a year,



My name is Doug K. I live outside of Houston Texas. My car is a 2015 Toyota Prius with the solar roof. As of today my car has 237,600 miles on the clock. Last year in late January, Jack at NexPower, upgraded my LiPo V1 to a V2.5 pack. At that time he asked, if I would be a Beta tester, for a new system. I said yes, for my own curiosity and for the good of the Prius community. My initial expectation was low, due to the fact that it got really hot here and even the stock NiMH won’t last, prior to the NexPower battery pack, I have been through 2 NiMH packs from Toyota. The first battery was original, and the mpg had deteriorated to 39-40mpg. I had Toyota install a factory new battery the mpg only improved to around 42-43mpg. The dealership said my car was old and I wouldn’t be seeing the original mpg. They charged me $3,300 and kept my original pack. I then found Nexpower and took the hit and purchased the V1 pack. The mpg immediately rose to 46-49mpg. I was able to resell the second Toyota pack for $1,400. A terrible loss. My lack of research cost me, so moving forward.



The Sodium prototype arrived several days later, it is the Build #003. The instructions and installation were ridiculously easy, two modules drop in and couple of nuts and bolts and done. Immediately the Sodium system worked as advertised and has been to say the least flawless. The pack charges quicker in my opinion. The driving performance seems quicker with better acceleration, (that’s my opinion). I monitor the battery performance with the OBD to my iPhone and the pack runs cooler in all weather conditions. Did I mention it gets hot here in Texas?!!! I regularly get 7 bars on the charge indicator. That rarely happened with the original NiMh the V1 LiPo or pack. So far, in one year, I have driven 20,641.6 miles. I have used 2,052.29 gallons, with 44 fill up’s and averaged 46.64mpg. of mixed driving.



I feel comfortable in concluding that after a year of using the Sodium pack it just works. I’ll let Jack at NexPower, explain the technical details. I am just a tester. I am not an engineer or a chemist, just a Prius owner. Jack’s support along the way has been wonderful. We are in semi-regular communication with screenshots of Dr. Prius App. Nothing has gone wrong and the system is functioning properly. My feeling is that the simplicity of the product, being a basic plug and play resolves the installation questions of the other systems available. The fact that the chemistry involves a far less hazardous material is a plus for the environment.



As a side benefit, Jack also offered and I accepted a 12volts Sodium starter battery. It simply works as it is designed specifically to fit a Prius. Again, as stated above Sodium is cleaner system, than the lead acid from Toyota.



Thank you for taking the time to read this and best of luck in 2025. Doug K.

 

Understood.
Maybe next time, when you are quoting someone else you should state that.

 

this was sooo good, I had to write about it and post it! BRAVO!


https://black.jmyntrn.com/2025/01/07/sodium-prius-high-voltage-battery-one-year-review/

 

Thanks for the report!
Just to recap your battery pack adventure...
- The original got weak, at some point. - How weak? What mileage?
- And you replaced it with a $3300 OEM pack. - How did it perform? Why did you replace it so quickly?
- Then "Last year in late January, Jack at NexPower, upgraded my LiPo V1 to a V2.5 pack." - Did you pay for this V1 to V2.5? How did it perform and what was your cost for those two Li-Ion packs?
- I guess you then quickly replaced it to test the Sodium. Was there a cost to you?

Is this the correct sequence?
How much out of pocket are you for 4 different pack replacements?
Counting the OEM that's 5 packs in this car. In less than 10 years.
I'd like a report on what major maintenance items you have been through in 237k miles!!

I bought a Prius to save money and not burn so much of that smelly stuff.
I have a '10, level 5 with the ATP package. Love it!
At 155k miles the original pack is doing well. It gets hotter here than in Houston, and it gets very cold in the midwest. We get a few days of any environment you can imagine.

At some point my pack will start showing age, but until I need a replacement, I'm not touching it.

 

I have to agree four hv batteries in 237k is ridiculous. Maybe if you said you were on the second since 175k miles it would seem more logical.

Heat in South Texas is higher and lasts longer than Houston which benefits from Gulf breezes and far more rain. Oem are fine here. I might suspect a clogged battery fan or running without much ac in the summer might have been the issue.

20k miles is not much of a test of Sodium especially when never getting extended freezing weather. The Lithium batteries were always defended to death with complaining customers dismissed as liars or incompetent - until there was something else to sell instead.

 

In his defense, it sounds like a lot of the replacements after selling off a $3300 OEM pack were for 'Research'.
V1, then V2.5 Li-Ion and then on to the Sodium, in short order.

Waiting to hear how much was the 'Out of Pocket' on this 'Research Project'.
Thanks for doing this work! It's nice to have options. We need beta testers!

I'm keeping an open mind on this 'new to me' production Sodium battery.
Is it being used in any consumer goods, like battery banks, power tools or such?
Is it happy in cold and hot temp extremes? It will have to be.
The Gen3's TMS is a tiny fan that blows cabin air through the pack.

At the moment, my Gen3's pack is around 6° F. It's been sitting, parked outside for over a week of nasty cold weather in KC. Honest, there's a Prius under that snow pile.
Any yet, the Ni-MH cells will handle the current of starting the engine and the charging that follows.
Then gadknows how long it would take for the pack to get up close to cabin temp. How would the Sodium pack handle these temps?

Also, what is the 'Self-Discharge' rate on this chemistry compared to the two other options?