Manual trans hybrid idea

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Battery tech hasn't changed much physically in the last ten years. Smaller form, more protection, higher charge rates, but watt hours storage is still a physical mass characteristic

While the fundamentals haven't changed, the energy density and price have.

I have observed when OEMs specify a battery, they tend to either optimize for high current and durability at the expense of capacity (hybrids), or high capacity and density at the expense of C rate and cycle life.

As compared with 10-15 years ago, like-for-like batteries today often have 2-4x rated current output, twice the energy density, and are a quarter the price.

The two common options for Insight PHEV conversions are Samsung 49.5Ah modules, and Honda 5Ah modules. The Honda modules actually have higher current capacity and astronomical cycle life, but the Samsung modules are 5x as energy dense.

I personally sourced an older Panasonic pack (2013ish?) out of a Prius Plug-in, and compared with the 2018 Samsung modules, they're half as energy dense, but the price was right.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

A few days ago, talking with a worker of the local water and wastewater utility in my hometown while he was taking a break from work, and I was taking the dog for a walk, he said something about solid-state batteries which could be a good upgrade for current generations of EVs on a foreseeable future. I told him the only solid-state accumulators I knew, which are commercially available by now, are capacitors, which unfortunately don't retain charge well enough for longer times as a battery does. Well, unless some companies which already use EVs as service vehicles renew their EV fleets fast enough to retain some residual resale value and avoiding the battery losing its ability to retain charge, I could expect some EVs being worked around with lead-acid Optima batteries, despite their weight and volume...

[Ecky]

In many parts of the world, the used battery market is being flooded by healthy, inexpensive lithium. The battery cost for an Insight with 50 miles of EV range is around $1000us right now, and prices are still falling.

Chinese manufacturers already have semi solid state batteries being mass produced, which are less* likely to catch fire if abused, and have better energy density. There are low volumes of truly solid state cells floating around, but they're hard to come by. Realistically they're still 2-3 years off from being common.