Gen.2 Price of HYBRID batterie$ are thru the roof=What are the future options?

The options are still the same, just the OEM replace got less attractive.

 

@ski.dive feel free to take a look at sodium-ion battery for hybrid, I've paid the price so you don't have to.

Sodium-ion battery for Prius

 

replace the car with 2018 gen 4 or later

 

*shrug* parts for old cars tend to get more expensive over time, and the usual cure is to move on to a less-old car.

It's a drag that this one part went up so much though.

 

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agreed, especially for those reliant on dealer service. and even a private mech can be expensive these days.

 

Any chance any of your future packs will be water cooled? This type of waterblock looks like it would do the job: Aluminum Heat Transfer Cylindrical Battery Cell Water Cooling Channel for Electric Car - Buy Aluminum Heat Transfer, Cylindrical Battery Cell, Water Cooling Channel Product on Trumony Aluminum Limited

 

While temperature control to optimize performance is essential in Lithium packs, Sodium-Ion don't require that challenge/expense and Toyota's existing air cooled system is more than sufficient.

 

This is Nexpower correct? If so, avoid this company at all costs. Check out the various threads in this forum about fires and hazards related to their previous products.

Additionally, that's a referral link for anyone unaware. That means that when you click the link to the site from the quoted poster, the owner (Nexpower's owner that is) knows where/who the link came from in regards to who guided them to purchase their products.

I won't say for sure the poster gets a payout/monetary incentive to link it (highly highly probable), but I'd be very very very wary buying batteries from a company with various articles about the cars nearly burning down or being completely broken after only 2-3 years because someone linked a referral code where they profit on your purchase.

As for your original question: The future options are really just using the proper batteries intended for the Gen2 Prius (OEM Prius battery blades). You can make a custom battery pack, but it's just not really an ideal situation to use any batteries (or very very similar style batteries, IE NI-MH) without making a completely new BMS system to handle elemental/physical/electrical constraints between the old hybrid system and the new battery types.

Some companies HAVE TRIED, but really it's just a risk and I'd say from mine and other folk's experience, the OEM batteries are actually pretty good if you just take the time and properly balance/maintain/source the replacement blades.

 

Jack's been the victim of a smear campaign that dishonestly conflated his low density battery chemistry with high density battery chemistry like lithium-Ion that will burn a car to the ground. And granted there's been some that have failed and smoked because the Lithium packets weren't good enough and so he switched to much more robust low-density sodium-ion, but there's never been a fire that damaged or burned up a car, just fried and smoked the pack a little, which is the same level of safety risk as OEM packs. I've had one of his prototype packs in my Prius for 55 months now with no issue.

 

Just.........stop dude. Stop. It is NOT a smear campaign when I just took a battery pack out of my OWN CAR and saw the voltages insanely off in some packs. It's just a bad design. He should have recalled them all. This is a HUGE FIRE HAZARD AND SAFETY ISSUE.

IN SOME COUNTRIES (CANADA FOR EXAMPLE), YOU NEED AN ENGINEERING DEGREE TO DO THIS STUFF, AND FOR VALID REASONS.

This whole "smear campaign" stuff is just insanely stupid and it's even more stupid when you're telling people there's a smear campaign against the owner of a company you referral-link products from constantly (including IN YOUR OWN SIGNATURE). Do you state how much you make (or have made) on referrals from Nexpower Inc publicly? I mean it's not required, but I feel it's massively disingenuous when you give advice that financially benefits you, yet any criticism towards that financial benefits origin or advice is "slander and lies".

Sigh

EDIT: I'm laughing so hard, because I took ten seconds to google "nexpower sodium issues" and got this gem:

Stop. Just...................holy shit stop with the "LIES. LIES AND SLANDER." There is NO EXCUSE to send that quality of a BATTERY PACK THAT LARGE to a customer with that quality control/overall quality. If you think that is acceptable, then I'm sorry your standards are abysmally low.

 

Your the one who needs to stop being so gullible about the true intentions of what Mudder is doing with his conflation.... Ask anyone who works at a shop that specialize in hybrids like @V Sport Wagon and they will tell you that the amount of smoke and melted plastic in a now discontinued LifePo4 pack is no different than the amount of smoke and melted plastic that's in a failed OEM pack.

 

Stop mentioning Mudder, I have no conversations with that person outside this forum and have only read his posts about the issue, to which (as a customer facing the same issues) wholeheartedly agree.

I'm not gullible, I'm frankly pissed Nexpower sold the batteries with such bad BMS systems that after studying electrical designs/engineering for 2 years now, I can even see "wow what was nexpower even trying to do here". Having the company offer LITERALLY ZERO SUPPORT outside me spending OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS to have it removed, replaced. and reinstalled after 15,000 miles/less than 2 years is why I'm being vocal and saying "hey, something's not right, I don't think people should be buying this company's tech when they are using customers as live testers and putting them/their families/lives at risk".

Or I could just suggest people avoid that entire fiasco by showcasing the company has had prior incidences with their products. I then would probably suggest a stock prius HV (OEM or Refurbished by a certified technician/export), and be safe. Which is what I did.

I also clarified to potential purchasers that you have affiliate/referral links, so you have an incentive in some way (reputation or financial) when they are sold, which is only fair to disclose and I think most people would want to know this. I would.

Finally I linked some resources/etc that showcase my complaints and concerns. I'm not here to debate you, or get the thread locked (like I've seen in the past, no thanks lol). I've stated my opinions, and people are more than welcome to google "Nexpower issues" or "Hybridsolarwhatevernamethismonth.com.biz.net youtube" and see the reviews for themselves.

Oh, also..............I will say I bought the battery and I have no financial incentive to my opinions. You however.............any reason for the referral link?

EDIT: Holy F#$# I just realized the John guy in that video is Mudder. That is absolutely Hilarious. I laughed IRL because I had never read the description on youtube/skimmed most of the video originally..........

So the guy ACTUALLY BREAKING STUFF DOWN AND EXPLAINING IT IN DETAILED FASHION WHILE STATING HE MIGHT BE A COMPETITOR UP FRONT is the dude you all obsess about regarding this issue/company as a liar or person who is slandering the company to ruin the business?

It's just surreal, lol. I'll throw pictures of my puffed up #12 blade soon as well for more comedy.

 

@Rinaun , I don't always agree with @PriusCamper but I think he is right on this topic, it is super easy nowadays to shoot a video and trash talk someone's work, sometime for the click/view, sometime for a laugh, everyone has their own agenda, perhaps this video can give you more context:

Battery puncture test between NCM lithium, LiFePO4 and Sodium-ion:

Muddler is joining Prius community as Jack's competitor and his own lithium project is using NCM lithium battery, I don't think I can trust that kind of high energy thermal runaway, can you? there is a different between "smoke the car" and "burn the car".

 

Ummmm...... can you like a photo of the glue melted in an OEM pack .... or just the glue would be a start ..... you haven't answered about the kickbacks dude, come clean .....

T1 Terry

 

Whoa… chill out guys I’m totally fine with Muddler dedicating his whole YouTube channel to trashing my old products — even my old patent now, lol. Let’s just wait and see how his NCM lithium project turns out (from what I’ve heard, it’s already going downhill). Wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in the news for the wrong reasons.

 

@jacktheripper, For what it’s worth, keep innovating and don’t give up. I’m sure you’ve lost a ton of money and probably some faith in people too, but from everything I’ve seen, sodium-ion looks like it’s heading in the right direction. Keep fighting the good fight.

 

I'm gonna be real, you of all people shouldn't be saying that. I mean, that's just painfully tone-deaf of your own situation. You're a KRON 4 article away from bankruptcy. I just pulled one of your packs out of my own car and it was definitely "fucked up" to say the least.

Secondly, it takes ten seconds to check that dudes youtube to completely debunk your take. It's pretty obvious his channel is mainly for his own projects/stuff. I understand he's a competitor, but you've literally done nothing to refute most of his claims of your battery being categorically unsafe and poorly designed (the V2 and 2.5s that is).

All you've said is it's not "as dangerous" as people are making it out to be, when I find a battery nearly catching fire (one of my blades is almost cracked in half from expanding). Sure..................