Quote:
Originally Posted by Hersbird
What if we combined a bunch of model rocket engines along with a trunk of AA batteries? The rocket engines are like $3 each and we'd need say 500. Is $1500 per stoplight too much? Is there really a price to be put on awesome?
Seriously though the earlier hybrid packs when torn apart looked like a crapload of regular C or D batteries in a big case. The newer ones look more like a bunch of cell phone batteries in a big case. The companies can buy in bigger quantities then you can so there is no less expensive way to get the power and hours they get. The best deal seems to be buying packs out of wrecked cars.
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I've heard of cases where people tried using cheap Chinese rechargeable C cells in Insights and Prii, only to destroy them the first time they used the brakes. Regen braking can be over 100 amps even in these older hybrids, which was the main reason you didn't see lithium in early hybrids - the charge rate will destroy even modern lithium cells if your pack isn't big enough to spread it out over enough cells. The NiMH cells in early Insights and Prii might have looked normal enough on the outside, but internally they were very different, to be able to deal with that much current.