Battery ethics question (cobalt)

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by MarcelTheVirginian, May 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM.

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  1. MarcelTheVirginian

    MarcelTheVirginian New Member

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    I have a 2010 Prius II,
    and the hybrid battery has died and needs to be replaced.
    Per Wikipedia, the Gen 3 Prius uses NIMH batteries, though I read elsewhere that for the 2015 year, Gen 3 Priuses (Plug-ins only I infer), started using LION batteries.
    I like to think of myself as a conscientious consumer (at least within reason, I'm not going to pretend to be perfect or superior)
    So here's the rub - I know that hybrid batteries can use cobalt. For context, most of the world's cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is often mined under poor conditions (child labor among other things)
    I often read that LION batteries use cobalt, but do Gen 3 Prius NIMH batteries use cobalt?
    And would I even be getting a NIMH battery as a replacement?
    (For reasons of dependability, I'm probably going to be getting a new OEM battery. I hear iffy things about 3rd party refurbished batteries.)
    I know that the 2010 Prius came with a NIMH battery, but would the newly manufactured replacement battery also be NIMH? Or would they have upgraded the standard of the replacement part to LION?
    I tried looking up the part number that the dealership gave me, couldn't find any details as to the battery's composition. The lady in the parts dept. didn't know either.
    I bought the car used, so I didn't really think about these sort of questions at the time.

    I know that's a lot of questions in there :)
    But it basically boils down to, will I be getting either a NIMH or LION battery, and do either of those battery types as used in the Gen 3 Prius use cobalt, and if so, where does Toyota source their cobalt, and what's their human rights track record?
    Thanks for any assistance provided,
    Marcel
     
    #1 MarcelTheVirginian, May 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    toyota started putting lion in their plug ins in 2012, and some of the gen 4's starting in 2016.
    idk if there is any cobalt in the nigh batteries, but if you start analyzing every potential purchase, you'd probably never buy anything.
    and I'm not saying it's wrong to question where things are made, how they're made, including raw materials, but I will say that it is hard to get accurate information, and also that you should do what brings you peace of mind, because you're not going to change anything, unfortunately.

    the-current-state-of-child-labour-in-cobalt-mines-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo
    can we believe everything we read?
     
    #2 bisco, May 9, 2026 at 2:04 PM
    Last edited by a moderator: May 10, 2026 at 11:52 PM
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    #3 bisco, May 9, 2026 at 2:12 PM
    Last edited by a moderator: May 10, 2026 at 11:52 PM
  4. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    You will get a NiMH battery if you buy it from a Toyota dealership for your Gen 3 Prius.
     
    #4 Brian1954, May 9, 2026 at 2:48 PM
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  5. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Replace it with the Sodium Ion battery pack. They you don't have to worry about
    all the other stuff.

     
    #5 ASRDogman, May 9, 2026 at 3:30 PM
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    #6 Mendel Leisk, May 10, 2026 at 7:40 AM
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  7. MarcelTheVirginian

    MarcelTheVirginian New Member

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    Thanks Brian!

    Actually part # G9510-47063 (and I've double checked the number, that's how it's printed on the paper I got from the Toyota service Dept.)
    And I have tried looking up the part on parts websites
    For whatever reason, for G9510-47063, I can't find it on the website you provided (and for numerous others it wasn't there either) Only found it one website, and it gave no useful info

    Good suggestion - How's your experience been? I've read wildly different things about aftermarket batteries

    Fair point, but I was least wanna do some legwork and research before I throw in the towel.
    I have tried using AI to try to point me in the right direction. DuckDuckGo's AI says no cobalt and the sources it quoted were very non specific. So AI hasn't been much help so far.
     
    #7 MarcelTheVirginian, May 10, 2026 at 9:08 PM
    Last edited by a moderator: May 10, 2026 at 11:52 PM
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  8. MarcelTheVirginian

    MarcelTheVirginian New Member

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    Welp, it seems that the Gen 3 Prius Nimh battery does contain cobalt, per this article
    "Toyota concluded it had to switch its development efforts to a "tri-metal" electrode that combines cobalt, nickel, and manganese."
    I'm still a new user, so I can't post links yet, but Google "green car reports why-the-2010-toyota-prius-doesnt-have-a-lithium-ion-battery" and you'll find it.
     
    #9 MarcelTheVirginian, May 10, 2026 at 11:40 PM
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    Amayama will sometimes have superseded but compatible parts. That was my experience doing a conversion to spin-on oil filter on my ‘10, the version I got has a somewhat different shape than the latest, but works fine.

    Sometimes there’s revisions, with new part nos, but older versions are still compatible. If on Toyota USA parts website you enter your vehicle, then the older part no, it’ll say compatible but superseded, which leads to the question: how significant was the revision.

    OTOH, a superseded hybrid battery might well have been sitting around much longer.

    Appreciate I am losing sight of your ethical concern about cobalt though.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, May 11, 2026 at 8:02 AM
    Last edited: May 11, 2026 at 8:07 AM
  10. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    I've been extremely happy with mine!
    The charge and discharge is steady.
    It stays in EV so much longer. Acceleration is much stronger.
    The hot humid weather doesn't effect it, the few frozen days and cold
    days didn't effect it at all. And it's much safer than lithium.

    There are those out there that are whining and crying and some still trying
    to improve on old tech, but you'll always have those jealous people who have
    to put down others to try to make themselves look better. It's best to use the
    "ignore" function for those types.

    I've been using mine in real world situations since September 2024, about 32,000 miles.
    Not those that are doing it "on paper" or "on bench". Real world testing is where you find
    all the bugs so you can fix them

    And I'm not the only one. A lot of people had been driving with the Sodium prototype and are
    now on the production pack.

    Very easy to install, about half the weight, half the connectors.

    You shouldn't try al at all. SOMEONE has programed it on what to do and say.



    Good suggestion - How's your experience been? I've read wildly different things about aftermarket batteries


    Fair point, but I was least wanna do some legwork and research before I throw in the towel.
    I have tried using AI to try to point me in the right direction. DuckDuckGo's AI says no cobalt and the sources it quoted were very non specific. So AI hasn't been much help so far.[/QUOTE]
     
    #10 ASRDogman, May 11, 2026 at 8:15 AM
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