Prius Battery Replacement Kit (GenII/GenIII) with NEW custom cells

After seeing the Tesla battery technical details, a good question for everyone else, not just Toyota.

Wether 18650 or 21700 cells, the improved packaging would easily solve the Prius Prime traction battery problem. The key to low battery price would be standard cells configured in different manufacturer battery modules or packs. Modules because that support field upgrades and repair.

Bob Wilson

 

I do not think there is a D cell kit for Generation 1 Prius.

From what I understand there are wiring harness changes needed to use the D cell modules. @2k1Toaster can elaborate.

 

Price would be higher for Gen 1 too, since more modules are needed.

 

FYI
Okay I took the plunge and purchase the Gen2 style.
Questions
Is Ceba the brand on this style battery?
Any track record on these beside what has already been stated?

Popular thread
I have watched CEBA on youtube looks very similar
OEM cost via dealership around $2200

 

Ceba is a cheap Chinese brand using the same clips with inferior batteries. The link to NewPriusBatteries is in my signature. They co-developed the clips with Ceba but use better batteries. @2k1Toaster can add details.

 

I know this is branching off a bit, but maybe these cells can potentially reach out beyond all things prius.

Recently at SEMA:

I'm not sure if you guys are aware of this yet, but it's good news all the same. They say that their dual rear hub assist design can run off Prius batteries for "$2000" they never seriously in depth discussed the power source for the motors. They're quoting almost 10 grand for the whole shebang (that adds 2x50hp + hybridization) and the red blooded petrol heads are taking it seriously. Just throwing it out there.

I'd long hope to live the day too see someone to put this on a Prius for shiggles, or just as a plug-in upgrade.

 

Sorry to say a $2,000 1 mile range Prius battery is not going to somehow magically make this motor achieve the promised 40 miles all ev.
As you mentioned, it is topic and would be best in its own thread.

 

I promised this years ago. But never followed through (as it was a joke)... (Not sure it is the exact same thing

 

Is that true that cylindrical battery are lower in capacity mAh vs the flat primatic type?

 

I doubt it. @2k1Toaster or @ericbecky should know. Eric tested a pack for over 3000 miles.

 

Not sure if I remember it correctly, but I thought the cylindrical cells were basically D-cell batteries in size. If so, they *can* be much higher capacity. The original is 6.5Ah and so is the one 2k1toaster sells (again, iirc). But I buy old electrical bicycle batteries that consist of D-cell NiMH's of 10 or even 11Ah.
Close to double that of Toaster's batteries, but as with 18650 Lithium cells, there may be huge differences in capacity vs. maximum (dis)charge current... In general 18650 Lithium cells that can produce huge discharge currents (30-100A) will have very limited capacity (1500mAh) and very high capacity ones (3500mAh is about the biggest available) can only be discharged with 5A or so.

But once more: this is all as I remeber it, but if I factcheck everything, someone else will have posted all relevant answers...

 

[offtopic]

My girls have Lithium batteries in their e-bikes, but I tinker with a >15 year old one that had NiCd's (24V, 5Ah) that I swapped out for 10Ah NiMH's from a 'newer' bikebattery pack (I think they are still sold with NiMH packs to this day). Mine has a fuse and and a thermo-sensor, that's it for electronics. The newer one I salvaged the NiMH's from, have intricate monitoring system in both the battery as well as the bike (leading to the bike having to be reprogrammed by the dealer when you change the rear tire (and disconnect the motor)). And the battery will simply refuse to deliver current if it detects a fault or is 'dead' if it has water ingress. They get discarded then, even though in many cases the cells are just fine. And that's where I step in, the cells are a bitch to remove (big chance of stabbing yourself with a screwdriver of a chisel while opening it up), but can often be had for free. I will make another 24V pack into a 10S2P buffer for my 12V coolbox, running of off the car when moving and off of a solar panel when stationary.

[/offtopic]

 

Hello,

I am thinking about picking up a cheap Gen2 to so with my wife's 2015. I imagine anything I buy will need a battery. You say this kit has half the cells. Does it have less weight than the stock battery? (Less weight is always a good thing.) How much weight savings would there be?

 

Thanks

 

I just purchased my first Prius 2008 touring. It only has 78000 miles bought directly from Toyota. My question is although the mileage is low and therefor i assume the cycles on the battery would be low but is there an age factor at play as well?

 

Yes, I think so. Age is not kind to most things. I just bought NOS (New Old Stock) NiMH batteries of 4-5 years old and they did get up to their rated capacitance by cycling them 3 times, but I didn't test them with a variety of loads, so not sure how much 'as new' they are.

I recently got a message saying you could get a Hybrid check-up for 40euro*. If the battery is found to be healthy and it does die lateron, they will replace whatever is needed free of any extra charge.

I read it as: I can bring my Prius with (probably) deteriorated but still functioning battery by and they will replace it for 40euro, but the wife made clear I read it wrong

I don't recall how long the warranty will be once they give the hybrid system a clean bill of health, nor do I know if this is just a Dutch thing.

Here's the Dutch link, as Google translate says it cannot translate the page...

* Edit: It says it is 70euro without or a maximum of 40 euro in combination with a service, so I am assuming the 'certificate' you get with it is valid for a year, or a year's worth of miles.

Edit 2: it seems it is only for Hybrids of up to 10 years. I think mine will be 10 in 3 months.