On Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:54:50 -0500, wrote:



The prius battery is twice as much as 14 golf cart batteries and still
does not provide nearly the same AH rating (range).
I suspect the only way you know a Prius battery is going bad is the
fuel consumption rises (they need more frequent charging so the engine
runs more). None of this is really relevant to a pure plug in.

In looking around I don't see much big bucks going to fix Prius
battery problems. Don't know much about them, but my curiosity about
their batteries got me looking on the net.
I see "rebuilt" batteries going for $500.
I don't really want to know any more.
The only pure electrics I see coming on line are the Leaf and Tesla.
The Volt had a big advantage over them, since it can be run as
electric only, but the engine gives it unlimited range.
Pretty sure the target audience is the same - those with short
commutes and low daily mileage.
I don't see why a person who often puts +100 daily miles on a car
would buy any of them, but some will, and push them past what they're
intended for.
We'll see what attracts a bigger market and how they pan out.

In that
case the owner is doing the battery management and they are more
likely to run it until it drops, which is tough on batteries.

Think I read the Volt won't go below +60% of charge before the
management kicks in the IC.

Electric cars are really a pretty mature technology but it is all
being done in back yards and home garages.
I spent a lot of time looking at the experiences of people who have
had electric cars since the Carter administration.
The only new thing I see is a newer type of battery and computerized
battery management. The LiON is better because of weight per amp hour
and better life but that comes at a significant cost difference. It
may actually be more expensive 10 years out and it certainly is in the
first 6 years.

Economy of scale has to kick in.
Until H Ford started the assembly line hardly anybody could afford a
car. Maybe that got charcoal and BBQ going good too.
From a little seed, a big tree...

--Vic