My 2004 Prius was recently totaled in an accident that was caused by someone making a blind lane change, but my father has a 2005 Prius that he isn't using for, reasons, with dead hybrid and auxiliary batteries. The auxiliary is easy enough to replace, but what's the best replacement for the hybrid battery? I've never been in a position to do a full replacement. I've read about refurbished NiMH batteries, new builds, lithium ion, and sodium ion, and I have no idea where to go from here. Which type, company, etc.? Any advice would be appreciated.
If you want to keep using battery chemistry that was considered the most advanced/modern in late 80's early 90's then stick with OEM. But if you want a future proof solution that will be the most advanced/modern battery chemistry of the late 20's and early 30's you want a Sodium-Ion pack which will improve your Prius overall performance in many, mnay ways. Just head to www.saltyhybrid.com and scroll down and find an installer near you who can order a pack and install it for you.
If you want to keep using the same battery chemistry that Toyota designed the car for, use NiNH. If you want to use a battery chemistry that the car was not designed for, use sodium-ion. Be advised that the company (Nexpower Energy) that supplies the sodium-ion battery is the same company that sold Nexcell LiFePo4 batteries which had many warranty claims and almost bankrupted the company. Nexpower did not fully honor their warranty for the LiFePo4 batteries. They only offered a partial warranty towards the purchase of a replacement sodium-ion battery. Nexpower is changing their business model from selling directly to consumers to selling wholesale to battery installation companies like Hybridgeek. So, the sodium-ion battery that you see listed on the Hybridgeek website for $2,795 installed, utilizes the Nexpower sodium-ion modules. Be advised that PriusCamper also aggressively promoted the Nexpower Nexcell LiFePo4 batteries and collected a referral fee. He no longer gets any referral fees for promoting the sodium-ion battery. You can do a search on PriusChat and learn yourself about the proplems with the LiFePo4 battery or you can visit the FAQ page on the Nexpower website.
