Featured Dr. Prius Packs Less Than A Year Away?

or even just a spare tire...

 

Hi Everyone, if you've enjoy this thread and are planning to buy one of these packs the next shipment arrives in April and if you use my affiliate link to purchase: https://projectlithium.com/?ref=9qLPw I'd greatly appreciate it. If I can help sell a couple dozen of these I'd have enough to get one myself. And I'm told the newest version has even more capacity than previous versions.

 

I'd be happy to work with you and Project Lithium to make this possible. They're eager to do something like this in the long run and if we can work together we can accelerate this process. Of course I'm not sure how far from the west coast of the "American West" you are and that might be a major limitation on the process of working together. I'll send you a private message to get the conversation started.

 

High temps like that are where these packs were first designed, so that part should be fine... The testing process is pretty involved though so we'll see what the limits are. I sent you a private message and look forward to you reply.

 

I just checked with them for you and he said in 3 weeks they'll have 2018 packs for Camry but he suggested you're still under warranty so might not wanna lose that.

 

Update: Last call for these packs for 2022! Price going way up in 2023!

Project Lithium just got its last shipping container of packs. Jack estimates they'll sell out at $2170 price point in less than a few weeks. After that no more packs till 2023 because Port in China and factories are closed due to Covid and Jack's also looking at impossible 300% price increases in most of the raw materials due to supply chain issues, so basically shutting down sales till 2023. So if you want to get one these packs while they're still affordable and readily available now's your last chance.

Please use my affiliate link so I can get a little bit of money for my sales effort: https://projectlithium.com/?ref=9qLPw

These pack make Prius run in EV mode way more often! And improve performance in many ways. Have had one in my car for 18 months and is a game changer, especially climbing mountains!

 

To clarify, pack currently in car is final batch of prototypes built for final round of winter testing in Fall of 2020. So it's not production version, which I'm told has slightly more capacity than pack I've been testing for past 18 months. And yes I wish I could afford a new one.

 

The 3D printed shells were created by the factory as a proto-type before standard injection plastic production models were created. Some of the measurements were off by less than 1/64th of an inch and missing temp sensor mounts for Gen2 and material was very fragile. So I suspect they'd be unwilling to share the file, but I'll ask.

 

It's not a full on BMS, but there are electronics in module(s) to maintain voltage balance. Also version 2.0 of these electronics will be in next shipment of packs that arrives in November and am told that it's going to be revolutionary. Soon as I get more details, I'll follow up on your post.

As for below freezing charging issues. I winter tested these packs in this thread for two winters in a row and no issues below freezing. But we still lack enough data from the coldest places in the world to be certain. For example one person on PriusChat who is in Gunnison, Colorado says it gets down to -40' F and that's so extreme Project Lithium is not eager to take on that challenge, but it will eventually.

In general the known problem with Lithium packs having charging issues in a freeze is similar to all batteries and still trying to confirm, but am told Prius battery ECU has an extreme low temp shut off to protect NiMH from charging at low temps. Also of all the different types of lithium, the LiFePo4 type of lithium has the least problems with charging in super cold temps and in my research I have found that it's the preferred battery chemistry for scientists who have monitoring equipment on glaciers. So this charging in cold weather issue is likely adequately addressed, but only time will tell.