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Cheap substitute batteries (D or 3xAA)
Three AA cells will fit comfortably in the space of a single D cell. Connected in parallel, three 3000 mA-hr 1.2v Ni-MH cells are electrically equivalent to one 9000 mA-hr 1.2v D cell, but three brand new tabless AA cells can be purchased (in 150+ quantity) for less than $2 on eBay. {link deleted}
360 of those AA batteries cost about $250, and they have the storage capacity of a full Honda Insight battery pack, and fit comfortably in the same space.
It seems that it should be possible to solder up 360 of those batteries and use them to replace the 120 D cells in a Honda Insight battery pack, for a fraction of the cost. Even if adding solder tabs to each battery doubled the cost, it would still be only about $500 for the AA cells.
From these pictures...
{links deleted}
...it looks like a pretty big job. But not impossible.
Has anyone attempted it?
Alternately, brand new tabless 10,000 mA-hr Ni-MH D cells can be purchased in quantity for about $3.25 each on eBay. {link deleted}
Even if solder tabs added $1 each to that price, 120 of them would still only cost $510.
Has anyone attempted to use such batteries to replace the batteries in a Honda Insight battery pack?
Is there anything special about the Ni-MH batteries in one of those battery packs which would prevent this from working?
Note: this system wouldn't let me post links, so if you want to see the deleted links go here:
www[dot]burtonsys[dot]com/ecomodder13610.html
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