HV battery price--misinformation

Thanks for the correction, that looks more in line with what I've heard. Hope I never need one. I understand, from hearsay only, that the only ones replaced have been due to accident damage, and no one has actually worn one out?

 

The last price I saw posted, about a year ago---on another board---was $4,000. But it didn't say if that included installation. If the prices are comparable (that is, both with no installation), I wonder if that reflects a drop in price.

 

I found a dealer selling them online for $2388. (Special order).

Nate

 

You can buy from Conicelli Toyota Online for $2412.9 shipped ($2,328.40+$84.5) to your door.

 

At those prices, I'm still glad mine is warranted for so many years, and that with so long a warranty there will likely be 1) a big price drop or 2) new technology should I ever need to buy one myself.

 

I was quoted $2400 CDN last fall which should work out to probably about $1800 USD.
This was from my local Toyota dealer. And Toyota has a $200 bounty on the core.
The Classic is more but it's been at least 3 years since I priced it and can't exactly remember the price I was quoted.
Have you priced a transaxle for 2004 Chev Cavalier, quess? $3800? probably around there.

 

Not sure but 04 Camry 4-speed Transaxle is $2,158.03+shipping and MSRP is $2,997.27.

 

Judging from those prices, battery replacement has officially become a non-issue. I'll take having to swap out a battery, which is something I can do myself with little more than a few hand tools, and maybe an hour of my time, over having to have a tranny replaced, which I can gurantee you, the labour of it's removal and replacement will easily add another $800 to the final tab.

 

heck if mine died, i'd rather pay an extra few grand and get a bigger pack. i am waiting for the time when we can trade in the battery pack we have plus $5,000 and get a Prius that will go 20 miles on a charge

 

Admittedly, not knowing sq@#$% about the electronics and not that I would necessarily consider it, but...

At these prices would it be possible to attach a 2nd traction battery pack in parallel to increase the battery storagelrange available. And obviously, would it be a cost effective as compared to other mods described elsewhere.

 

At the risk of being shot down I am going to say that electrically I see no real problem if the batteries are the same. But if I wanted to do something like that I would want to start out with two new battery sets. I have also heard that the battery manufacturers take some pains to insure that the battery cells in each pack are matched. So I think the battery packs would need to to be matched to each other fairly closely (Voltage, capacity, impedience, etc.)

Then you would have to consider that it would take twice as long to charge them. I wouldn't want to guess what effect that would have on mileage.

Possible, yes; cost effective, no.

 

Ill join in with you in the firing squad!! :huh:

I still think thats the way to go... as long as the voltage is matched "batteries can change a bit with age", then the capacity is not so much of an issue... the battery with more capacity will simply do more work and in turn take more charge. The existing battery will still get its needs satisfyed too. The critical issue is the Voltage!

If you parallel with a battery that a less "resting voltage than the other, then during charge mode, the one with the less volts gets get most of the charge. Yet while using or "draining" that same battery with less voltage does less work because the other high voltage battery is quicker to deliver its energy. The result is that in time, the weakest battery is where the whole system will finally rest.

The best battery does more work, yet gets less charge and it finally gets worn down until it matches the weakest. In other words "again" the chain is only as strong as the weakest link. So make sure you match pretty closely in age and use before you attempt a parallel connection! Expect both your batteries to end up only as good as the worst!

But I really think it would add tons to the gas mileage!... right now.. even if we had a plugin option.. it would be virtually worthless since the present capacity of the battery will only power the car a few miles (2 - 5), then all is back to normal hybrid system running off the ice etc.

Presently the battery is not designed to be big enough to run off of for distances.. it merely soaks up the wasted energy from braking and coasting expecting you will need it in the next few minutes when you take off again. Same with going up a mountain.. the ICE is needed for power so it charges too.. expecting you to use that extra battery power you just created running down the backside of the mountain as the ICE turns completly off ... Ok.. I'm preaching now.. everyone knows all this..

But extra batteries would "increase the buffer".... we would run that much farther off the batterys so that when the ICE did have to kick on, it would charge that much more energy into the batterie"s" before kicking back off. Tests have proven by others that extra batteries does tons for MPG!... true you prob won't get double the benifits that you do from the one in the first place..... 1 + 1 doesn't equal 2... more like 1.75?
1 + 1 + 1 does not equal 3 (if you had 3 batteries in parallel), it would prob equal more like 2.5 times the benifit. Just guessing!

I"m still waiting for someone to try!!!.... all I could find is a 2003 battery in my area for 1250.00... it would be worth getting the real deal when buying a new pruis and simply running some 2 foot lead wires from the extra battery to the existing.... something that could be easily disconnected when taking it in to the shop so you don't freak out the mechanics and risk voiding your warranty.

There are enough smart people out here to either confirm or deny this would work?... but I have as of yet heard "no one" that will deny its profitablity!..... that only makes me think that it works just fine!.. and there is no one that wants to risk advising anyone and get them in trouble with the service department!

If we can just confirm that it wont' hurt or damage the computer in any way... I can confirm it won't hurt the existing battery "as long as they are matched in age and voltage"
I know the computer analyzes the individual compartments of the existing battery.. so something may get confused in that respect.
It may only work if you can also tinker with the computer settings... something few are qualified to do.

 

hey heres a site full of questionable information so take it or leave it... but the price stated for batteries is in line with what i have heard

http://www.ineed2know.org/hybrid_cars.htm?...0electric%20car