Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary
Ya, the supply chain is the apparent culprit of the lack of OEM batteries. In Denver there's a dealer that cuts the Gen2 battery price down to about $1,750 (plus core of course) online the last time I looked.
I've also heard the Gen3's last less too. I thought it was because Toyota made the Gen3 work the battery harder than the Gen2.
|
Concerning availability, it's all about timing. About ever 4-6 weeks, there's a small flood. I had 4 come available all at once after having none for 6 weeks.
In the old days, they'd send several hundred over on a freighter, but it appears they're shipping much smaller batches to address supply rather than hold them for a big shipment.
It was common that a brand new battery had modules made 6-9 months prior. Now it's rare that they're more than 1-2 months old.
Gen3: That is my opinion as well. I have personally observed higher charge rates at higher states of charge and higher discharge rates at lower states of charge than I've ever seen in any Gen2. Plus those STUPID EV, ECO and POWER buttons added for consumer appeal... FFS. Each should be labeled "shorter battery life".
The only thing "good" about gen3, is they rarely drop a cell. Clear the codes, and you might get a week or more of un-coded driving. I've had folks do this for months before they finally replace the battery. $20 code reader and clear them as they come. If the car still drives okay, the only thing being harmed is the battery, and it's already a turd.
It's also due to a jacked-up cooling system. When they made the battery more compact and installed the cooling fan on the battery, the expansion duct is too short to allow for uniform airflow. It essentially shoves a column of air down the center of the battery and produces horribly uneven flow up through the modules.