Main Battery - Lithium - thinking about the future....

They're kinda spread out across many threads... Here's the first post I did: Dr. Prius Packs Less Than A Year Away? | PriusChat

The best part of the pack is when you're climbing mountains... When a regular Prius battery gets near the top of a big mountain pass it goes down to two bars and has very little power. But the Lithium pack never goes below three bars and still has lots of power. Also near double the amount of miles in EV mode, as well as much faster / more efficient recharge rates. But new prius battery guys says more efficient charge rates is a lie but won't explain why or provide references.

 

My mistake. I thought you had meant you had direct comparison testing information using a brand new OEM battery. The other stuff, I'm totally familiar with and understand.

 

Hey buddy. Glad youre here tho. We're all struggling so youre in good company. Hopefully its gotten a lil better for u.
So on to your question, i too took notice of the lithium upgrade. Price and power seem too good to be true. Im highly skeptical. I would not buy yet. But i really want it to be as advertised.
So the same guy selling the battery pack also has an app. Dr. Prius. Its supposed to be able to estimate the battery life you have left in your prius. It requires you to buy a specific obd scanner and works with the app to give you a diagnosis.
Im just in the process of buying the obd scanner. The app seems ok.
My gut is telling me its all a scam.
Dr. Prius also has a host of vids on youTube.
Good luck

 

@GuyKrissy

Dr. Prius is a very good app made for hybrids.

The lithium HV battery is what it is.
I know Jack personally and have been to his house.

When you want to replace your HV pack there really isnt a smarter choice.

I have been using it for 2 years.

 

no one has reported either product or the company as a scam

 

That is not accurate. They have their recommendations but there are multiple adapters that work with the app.

 

There are many OBD2 adapters on the market and the vendor (DrPrius) cannot test them all for compatibility.

JeffD

 

True but I still disagree with the statement "requires a specific OBD".

For the record, I have the OBDLink LX which he lumps in with his bad experience with the OBDLink MX. I chose it because it is recommended by Hybrid Assistant. The LX (which is Android only) works flawlessly with Dr.Prius as well as the Hybrid Assistant app.

 

Pump the brakes there.
The app dr prius, will recommend which obd to buy and also inform of "junk" obd, that will not work with the app.

 

Im also leary about the lithium upgrade from nickel, because i cant seem to find any hard numbers or videos, demonstrating the new found power and mpg.
Again, im here to talk prius. Im not getting paid one way or another for my opinions.
I would love to see my prius have a longer EV ability and higher mpg.

 

Good luck to both.

 

The CORRECT way to do it is to reprogram the computer to let it know it is a
different type of battery.
Even the aa, aaa, c, d, and 9 volt battery chargers tell you they are for a certain type
of battery and to NOT use for the other type.
There are chargers that will charge both.
Perhaps the newer cars are programed to reconize the different types of batteries.
But not the cars that didn't know about the newer batteries....
Just because a few people haven't had a problem, yet, or that they are reporting, doesn't
mean it's safe.

Try at your own risk. And others if it catches on fire!

 

Fire is def a worry! Lol. Yikes.
Im just talking hypothetical, but i think the new lithium batteries would take longer to charge. My prius2 doesnt have a plug in. So i would rely on the engine to charge the cells. Stronger batteries would equal longer charge times from the engine, which would kill the mpg. No?
Idk. Some say that the lithium charges faster than nickel.
My point....i need a lot more info jejekejejej

 

The lithium pack charges up fast.

If you sat at a light for 30 minutes and drained it down to two bars, and then took off, by the time you got to your third stop light, you would have the HV pack charged again.

 

Well, there are a lot of theories out there. But no REAL solid evidence of which is better.
But it would probably be smart to replace the battery with the same type as the original.
You certainly can't go wrong.
If you start calculating the supposive more mpg some say you would get with the newer type
versus the almost double the cost it, the original version is the better cost wise.
How many miles do yo uahve to drive to make up the cost difference?

 

What happens if your on a residential neighborhood road with 2 bars and speed is limited to 25mph and the stop lights are 30 yards apart? Will your battery be full at the next stop light?

 

That would only get you to 3 bars or 4 at best, depending if you obey the speed limit and if there are any inclines or declines.

I did do a test for you, at two bars traveling at the speed of 50mph for the most of it and there are plenty of dips and waves in this test, for 19,536 feet.

The HV battery went from 2 bars to 6
The outside temp is 95F

A/C set to 78F almost full blast in ECO
Was parked for 30+ minutes until ICE did its charge cycle one time to 3 bars then down to 2 to start test.

 

Sounds about spot on

 

Let me channel my inner bill norton...I need an actual video of this.