We are reconditioning HB's and need a Prius Gen 3 vehicle in the Dallas-Ft Worth area to install and test a battery free of charge. We will install it in our location, troubleshoot, etc. We require daily feedback the first week and weekly after it. Feedback consist of miles driven and MPG plus any warning light coming on if any. Depending of performance we might have to troubleshoot it at times.
Once vehicle is fully tested ( a few weeks) the battery stays in the vehicle, as for OEM battery we need to keep it specially is there are failure codes, this to understand what is wrong with it although this is not a show stopper.
They'd be foolish if they didn't write the contract in such a way that you don't "own" the battery until you fulfill the reporting obligations. So it would be an easy lawsuit for breach of contract and recovery of the battery. Of course, the very threat of that would spark compliance. But it's definitely a leap of faith by the owner of the vehicle. The contract should also specify that the owner can force replacement of the original OEM battery at any time, at no labor expense. What if you get this battery and the longevity is nine months? Also, it would be good to be able to retain possession of the OEM battery in case the replacement turns out to be crap and the company is long gone or uncooperative. Bottom line: if your battery is completely toast and you are going to replacement anyway, probably a good deal. Otherwise, pretty big risk, imho.
