1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Why are remanufactured batteries so bad?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by hearsay, Aug 28, 2018.

  1. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2016
    1,932
    766
    0
    Location:
    Lagos
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Is it safe using such batteries as part of a UPS system? Aren't there risks of fires? Do you ha e any battery management system tailored for the UPS?
     
  2. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    4,365
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Considering that the Prius has a 2-mile battery and costs $3000 at the dealership, I'd say that a Nissan Leaf 80-mile battery for $8,500 is a pretty good deal.

    That said, it is still more than most people want to pay for a repair to an older vehicle. Prius was never a luxury car to begin with.

    The reality is that a new battery will cost ~$2,000 at the retail level. Give or take $500 or so. That is life.

    Toyota reduced the bayteey price by $400 at the beginning of this year and I wouldn't count on it dropping much more in the near future.

    The cars are often 10+ years old and/or have over 150,000 miles when battery replacement is needed. So it's not like these are low-mile cream puffs. They have already lived a pretty good life.

    I don't for see that new packs will cost $1,000 at the consumer level any time soon.

    Of course with a new replacement battery I have seen Prius go well over 300,000 miles and have nearly 15 years on the road.
     
    fmerkel likes this.
  3. PriusV17

    PriusV17 Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 13, 2017
    319
    162
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Four
    Batteries are like sponges. Each have their own chemical makeup that allows them to hold and release water (energy) differently.

    But how much you "squeeze" out of your sponge greatly determine it's life. So that is why Toyota doesn't want you to "squeeze" too much out of your sponge by limiting how much you can squeeze in the first place (by limiting your SOC usage). Squeezing too much out of your sponge, stresses the chemical makeup of the sponge that holds the water. Once damaged begins, not only from use, but just aging, their ability to hold water (energy) is less and less to the point that they have to be discarded (in our case recycled). Trying to "squeeze" any more water out of them becomes less and less efficient.

    By limiting the SOC range, it also allows the sponge to absorb water faster, but not efficiently.

    The idea of balancing the sponge is to squeeze the sponge slowly as much water out and then slowly drip as much water back into it without causing damage. But the sponge is not going to be as new, only "revived" for a while.

    So going used and refurbishes is not like going new. Eventually it will have to go.


    sponge.jpg

    Solid state sponges are in the works and that is a whole different ball game yet to be tested in real life.
     
  4. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2016
    1,932
    766
    0
    Location:
    Lagos
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Wao! Like your analogy. Makes explanation easier, using daily stuffs, such as a soap.

    I bet you'd be a good teacher/lecturer, in some institutions in the developing world, where almost all lectures are done without giving every day life experiences in explaining things.

    Nice one.

    I'm bookmarking em
     
    PriusV17 likes this.
  5. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,796
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Wow.
    Sponge Bob HSD Pants.
     
  6. cShaps

    cShaps New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2020
    16
    9
    0
    Location:
    Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    #26 cShaps, Mar 31, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 31, 2020