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Newbie Info.Battery composition

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by carbonater55, Apr 26, 2008.

  1. carbonater55

    carbonater55 New Member

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    Hello everybody.:

    I have not yet purchased a Prius. But I am researching all aspects of the Prius.
    I have recearched many sites and can not find what the battery composition is. I know LI-ION but what voltage?How many cells? Are they each 1.5 volts? 3.7? Soft case? Hard case ?
    I fly R.C. electric planes with LI-PO soft sided Batts. Fast charge,Long life at 3.6 volts per cell.

    I also am having a conflict over Selling my 97 gr.cherokee (In excellant condition ) which averages 17 MPG ( which sucks )For a Prius which at 45 to 50 mpg will only save me 1700$ a year... I go from a paid for car to spending 23-k and new car insurance to save 1700$ per year. Doesen't tally out to good does it??
    I will admit that driving the Prius is a blast and if my jeep was stolen it would be a no brainer.
     
    #1 carbonater55, Apr 26, 2008
  2. Jiipa

    Jiipa MGySgt USMC (Ret)

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    If the money bothers you that much, keep thee jeep.
     
    #2 Jiipa, Apr 26, 2008
  3. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Prius battery is NiMH chemistry.

    There are 168 cells with each cell with 1.2 V. Cells are grouped into modules with 6 cells per module. If you do the math, there are 28 modules.

    If you are curious about the capacity, it is rated at 6.5 AH. Since the pack has 201.6 V, it has 1.31 kWh.

    Prius battery module spec: Plastic Case Prismatic Module | Panasonic EV Energy Co., Ltd.

    Some info about the battery pack from THS II page: TOYOTA: Company > Technology
     
    #3 usbseawolf2000, Apr 26, 2008
  4. carbonater55

    carbonater55 New Member

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    Spending money does not bother me at all. Throwing it away does!!!

    NI-mh tech. is at least three generations ago.
    The new batt. comp. is so much better . LI-PO, LI-PO Manganese base chem.=3.7 volts per cell at approx. 3 times the discharge rate and they will recharge in 1/4 of the time at a much lower temp and with a much longer life overall and a shelf life of over a year with a very small voltage loss.
    All of this and the pack would be 1/3 the size and weight of NI-MH batt. packs.
    The gen111 prob. will roll with this tech. or the 123 pack type
    Obviously, Toyota has refined the NI-MH batt. tech to a high level. But they have only touched the poss. threshold that has developed in the last three years.
     
    #4 carbonater55, Apr 27, 2008
  5. Bill Merchant

    Bill Merchant absit invidia

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    It's clear you should keep your gas guzzling Jeep until the next generation Prius comes along. Don't worry about the tons of extra CO2 you'll spew, or the thousands of dollars you'll burn as the price of gasoline increases. Might as well drive that Jeep into the ground since the resale value keeps dropping. Wait for the future technology.

    And, carbonater55, welcome to PriusChat! :welcome: What a perfect handle!
     
    #5 Bill Merchant, Apr 27, 2008
  6. N3FOL

    N3FOL Member

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    Sounds like you had done your homework in terms of how much you are going to spend on gas when driving your Jeep in the long run. Having no car payments is nice, but I am sure that you will be faced with some routine maintenance on your old vehicle in the near future. Perhaps someday, you may do mother nature a favor by 'going green'.

    Welcome to the forum.
     
    #6 N3FOL, Apr 27, 2008
  7. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Don't replace the jeep unless you are going to replace the jeep.
    When it is time to get a new car because the jeep has done it's dash then look at a Prius until then happy motoring, after that ecstatic motoring.

    As far as the battery chemistry goes it would be doubtful Toyota will stick their neck out and use the very latest in battery technology unless there has been enough time to ensure that technology is safe and has a long life. We aren't talking about a $200 RC battery, this is a big pack which will cost thousands to replace or if a fire occurs the total loss of a real car with real people in it. So if you ever move to a Prius the battery technology will be the pinnacle of 2 or 3 year old technology not cutting edge.
    We Prius owners owe a debt of gratitude to the RC community as that is where the cutting edge of battery technology is really put to the test in the hands of consumers.
     
    #7 patsparks, Apr 27, 2008
  8. grinthock

    grinthock New Member

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    First, welcome to PriusChat - I own 2 Jeeps (see the sig) and simply want a reliable good on gas daily driver that has all the trimmings on the interior.. So the Prius was a natural and great choice. One of my Jeeps is a keepsake, and one is a serious off roader, neither are good on gas nor am I interested in killing them both.

    In regards to Battery Technology... While the tech currently in use may be "2 Generations back" as you say, it's also "2 Generations proven" and "2 Generations Cheaper" consider the size of the traction battery in a Prius, and then go out and start purchasing batteries - OF THAT SIZE. A Li-PO battery the size of our traction battery would cost $10,000, as opposed to $2100, and would simply not be practical.

    The key to the up and coming PHEV vehicles (That is Plug In Hybrid's) is going to be Battery Technology, no question, it simply becomes counter productive to carry around 2500lbs of battery even if it gets us furthur down the road without petrol. So what we need is a light, small, high capacity battery technology that is inexpensive - and that simply doesn't exist today. But when it does... I'm sure Toyota will seize the day.
     
    #8 grinthock, Apr 27, 2008
  9. carbonater55

    carbonater55 New Member

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    Hey Guys, I'm not dissing the Prius in any way!!
    You cant argue with the success and minute batt failure Toyota has.

    My point is that the next gen. will be very exciting with the new batt. technoligy.

    By the way, I'm a 60 year old retired truck driver who drives less than 5-k a year. But I do ride my bicycle 1500 to 2000 mi. per year to lesson my carbon footprint and, keep in shape!
     
    #9 carbonater55, Apr 27, 2008
  10. Seamus

    Seamus Grumpy old man

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    Ah, then you know the problem LI-POs have catching FIRE!

    In fact Model Aviation has made a big point of safety using these batteries. Remember that ceramic jar they sell in the back pages for safely charging them?

    So long as this issue isn't fully resolved we are much better off with NiMh. After all who wants the new car up in flames. Who would dare park it in the attached garage.
     
    #10 Seamus, Apr 27, 2008
  11. grinthock

    grinthock New Member

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    Li-On isn't much better too.. Li-ON has some hazards, not to mention the lithium content. While the Nickel content in our NiMH batteries isn't the most environmentally friendly option i'd argue it's better than then Cadmium.

    NiMH has the longest use/shelf life right now of any battery when treated properly (hense the SOC control system in the prius)

    Until Li-based batteries become safer, I doubt you will see a car driving around with the equivalent of a fertilizer/disel bomb under the rear passenger seat, although that would make a ejection seat.
     
    #11 grinthock, Apr 27, 2008
  12. carbonater55

    carbonater55 New Member

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    See, Thats what I was saying about Batt. Development.The new Li-po's have a different chemistry that has no fire danger!
    There is also a comp. called 123 racing which has developed a still different chemistry and the cells are in a metal case. they look like a 3" long c cell batt. These charge at a very fast rate and have a high C rate of discharge and remain cool. They are currently found in 36 volt power tools such as the Dewalt. Also in the Chevy Volt. + one guy has an experimental sports car that is very fast and is total electric 123 batt. powered.

    The next few years will be very exciting in batt. development especially with the cost of gas driving the research...

    In the next 5 years:
    I can see a car that will charge itself with regenerative braking only or at most a 1 or 2 cyl gas engine or roof mounted solar cells for long road trips.
     
    #12 carbonater55, Apr 28, 2008
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