Quote:
Originally Posted by offroad1994
That is actually a very smart idea. I did think of that, as a best case option to just buy salvaged battery packs, and do the modifications and improvements. Still second guessing on the weight issue of the extra batteries. You could have 350 pounds extra with everything you need.
Maybe the price combined would be below $3000 with chargers, and safe battery holders, etc.
Still need a charging circuit system; and maybe something to control HEAT and AC in the prius while on battery; and the battery pack in a battery box and cabling.
Just really surprizing that these are not being designed and installed as an option by Toyota. Effectively an instant EV Prius. Must be some other issue, like what I mentioned before about dropping power below the 40% charge and not being able to recover fast enough - before killing the batteries perminantly.
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Toyota is rumored to be working on a plug in Prius for 2010 (released next year) that will use a larger battery pack and/or lithium/ion batteries instead of the NiMH batteries. The power management in the Prius is said to never allow the batteries to get under 50% of charge, a reason they are lasting so long. I know a lot of the EV cars will routinely run their lead acid batteries down to 20%, so perhaps the 50% level is for the NiMH cells.
I wonder why we don't see more people using salvaged battery packs out of hybrids for EVs?