Sen. Lamar Alexander doesn't just talk about alternative car technologies. He spent $10,000 to have a Toyota Prius fitted with a special new battery that essentially turned his senatorial black hybrid into an electric car. I had a chance to talk about his new ride and the potential for electric cars to save tanker's worth of oil, and here's what he said.
Am I mistaken or did he misspeak when he said that the factory battery is replaced? I realize the LiIon battery is the primary source of juice for the 30-40 miles, but I'm pretty sure the factory battery is left in. Wasn't there someone who had the conversion done and talked about the MFD flashing back and forth between battery SOC's? Inquiring minds have know...
There is at least one company that actually replaces the factory battery. However, this is the A123, hymotion conversion. It isn't fully an electric car, but it is a step closer And yes, the original battery is not replaced. Would have been a good thing for the reporter to actually get the facts from A123.
