Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Fri 1 Aug 2014 12:21
Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles - GeoffKelly

In 2012 I attended a presentation at Imperial College about Electric vehicles including the Tesla. The presenters told us that the batteries were likely to degrade after c.3years and buying or selling a second hand electric vehicle was therefore a bit problematic because the battery replacement costs were very significant.

They also told us that there is currently no technology for stripping down these used vehicle batteries to recover the valuable components or metals inside for re-use and that the only thing they could do with these used batteries was to offer them to hospitals or other organisations as stand-by power supplies for emergency use.

Is there any U K plan is for dealing with the increasing numbers of used electric vehicle batteries and how is this to be funded?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 1 Aug 2014 12:45
Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles - RobJP

"Increasing numbers" ... all those tens of thousands of EVs that bare being sold, you mean ? After all, the hybrids aren't really suffering with degraded batteries, as evidenced by the Prius, which has been on the market for a fair few years now.

EV sales are miniscule. When the sales have increased to a reasonable level, and depleted batteries start appearing in large numbers, then I have no doubt that an engineering solution will be forthcoming. It'll be an expensive process at first, but as it becomes more refined and widespread, it'll become more efficient and cheaper.

There is no 'technology' available for stripping these batteries because there is no demand for the technology.

Neccessity is the mother of invention, after all

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 1 Aug 2014 14:31
Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles - madf

The presenter is an ignoranamus..

The Telsa battery ?

"<i>The 85 kW·h battery pack contains 7,104 lithium-ion battery cells in 16 modules [50] wired in series (14 in the flat section and two stacked on the front). [51] Each module contains six groups [52] of 74 cells [53] wired in parallel; the six groups are then wired in series within the module. [53] [54] [55] [56] As of June 2012the battery pack uses Panasonic cells with nickel-cobalt-aluminum cathodes. [4] Placing the battery pack underneath the cabin floor lowers the vehicle's center of gravity. [57]

The battery is guaranteed for eight years or 125,000 mi (201,000 km) for the base model with the 60 kW·h battery pack. The 85 kW·h battery pack is guaranteed for eight years and unlimited miles. [58</i>

tinyurl.com/m5g2xys

Any battery made up of individual batteries is easy to repair: check the dodgy cells and replace.

That is how Prius batteries are repaired.

Note : 8 year guarantee: versus your presenter "3 year life".

He/she was a waste of space.

Edited by madf on 01/08/2014 at 14:31

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 1 Aug 2014 18:33
Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles - FP

My trusted indie is up to speed with dismantling Prius batteries and replacing faulty cells. If he's doing it, I can't see the problem.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 1 Aug 2014 19:17
Toyota Prius & Hybrids - Replacing batteries on electric / hybrid vehicles - mss1tw
They also told us that there is currently no technology for stripping down these used vehicle batteries to recover the valuable components or metals inside for re-use

As we do exactly that for current tech car batteries this sounds like total...'discharge'. ;)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link