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I found the missing 4" (vertical) in the trunk. It is below the battery.

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by RonMc5, Oct 11, 2017.

  1. But if it's for airflow then you'd need an even bigger sink.
     
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  2. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    It's not. The airflow is all inside.
     
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  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Given past Prii experience, I'd put a couple mouse traps under there
     
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Or more beer and cold-packs.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  5. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    I would assume that the weight is carried at the attachment points and the styrofoam is just to reduce flexing

    Looking at the OP's photo it looks like they already designed a shelf for beer
     
  6. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Why not have the tire under the car with a winch like on trucks? Ground clearance issues, you already have the jack out.

    The engineers were told to design the Prius, and then the Prime based on it. The first ones might of had the battery down in that space, but were smaller capacity, Toyota America wanted more EV range.
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah that's been my thought too. Not as convenient, but might work. It would likely take some revision of the sheet metal and the gas tank.
     
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  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    This is case where the Tesla 2710 cells might be a better solution. I could easily see them densely packed with liquid temperature control in the wheel well. It might be heavier but the increased luggage space would be welcome with a flat floor. In fact, there may be enough of a 'step' to put a flat, 2710 cell pack on top.

    Bob Wilson
     
  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    But Toyota didn't want the cost of liquid cooling, or the Prime would already have it.
     
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  10. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    It has two:
    • engine
    • transaxle - now using the transmission oil instead of the earlier model coolant system
    My BMW i3-REx has a liquid cooled and heated battery. This makes a lot of sense as it avoids the problems we saw with the Gen-1 Prius. Weak terminal seals and marginal air cooling led to a lot of early problems that only subsequent, better designed battery modules could mitigate. But I have no doubt that liquid cooling and heating could of mitigated those problems and likely avoided the battery failures.

    Bob Wilson
     
  11. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Both of which run hotter than you want the battery, and are also both within the engine bay, close to the radiators. The battery will need its own circuit that is plumbed from the front to the rear of the car. I think that liquid thermal control is superior, but it does add to the cost of the car. Possible enough that some Prime sales would have remained Prius ones instead. If you don't want the Prime MSRP going up, then any fix to the packaging is going to have to stick to air cooling.
     
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  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yes I believe Toyota's goal was to reduce the MSRP to get more sales so if air cooled was sufficient over liquid cooling, then why not go with it. The reaction to the MSRP of the Prime when it was released was essentially "mouth-wide opened". I don't think anyone was expecting the base price to be $27,100 (even here in PriusChat, we were thinking high 20s at best and same as PiP at worst.)
     
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  13. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

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    Even though powered air cooling takes place inside the battery, I would think that there would be some additional benefit from making it easier for the external battery case to shed heat to the surrounding air. Maybe not much in comparison to the internal cooling but still helpful. Although that would only work if the empty area below the battery allows convection, with openings above where warm air can escape from, and openings below where cooler air can be drawn in. Or of course an actual fan blowing through the area, but that would still require some type of entry/exit for the air. If the empty area does not have any real ventilation then it would be mostly useless as the warmed up air would have nowhere to go. Also you would expect to see something resembling fins on the bottom of the battery, maybe shallow ones but at least something to increase surface area. However the bottom of the battery seems to be flat and smooth. So you may be right that this has nothing to do with battery cooling, and is just a square peg - round hole situation that for whatever reason they decided not to deal with, at least not in the current version.

    Besides cost I would think liquid cooling would add weight, perhaps not much but maybe enough to have to cut somewhere else as they seemed to be fighting to keep the weight down.
     
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  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The downside of shared architecture.

    The Prius was a specialized unit so the Prius v and PiP had compromises to fit within the parameters of the original chassis. Now with TNGA, this chassis will be shared with other compact cars (definitely Corolla, Auris, CH-R; possibly Avensis, tC, Verso, Prius v), there will be further compromises as costs is reduced by shared components as well as shared specifications (reducing the number of seatbelts/driver seat/airbag combinations)
     
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  15. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    Your definition of "inexpensive" is rather vague and country oriented. The Prime is $40,000+ in Canada. Oh, wait, we can't buy one (yet) so I guess it's priceless. ;)
     
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  16. Db17

    Db17 Member

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    And of course they would had passed that cost along.

    In the end everything is a compromise with money being one of the biggest factors. But somehow I don’t imagine the design team just woke up one day and said “oops we left 4” do space”. After all they could have doubled the price and called it a Tesla.
     
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  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Who's? mine?

    Prime is $32,990 for the base and $38,585 for the Technology before taxes and incentives (where applicable).


    Yeah it's inexpensive in certain states due to tax credits and EV rebates/incentives. You could buy a base Prime for as low as $22k USD.

    Quebec gives $4,000 for the Prime. Ontario a little over $7,000 and BC $2,500.
     
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  18. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    Or just donuts.

    [​IMG]

    Seriously though, the Prime is grossly lacking in secret hiding places. This might be a good location, if someone figures out an easy access method.
     
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  19. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    to feed the mice? :eek:
     
  20. EV Life

    EV Life Junior Member

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    I might be saying something completely wrong and please correct me if I do but...

    Could it be that the battery is raised to help avoid it from being punctured from the underside? If it's lower to the ground like it is for a Tesla, they'd have to build the battery carriage differently?