Gordon Huff <wa6fmx@worldnet.att.net> wrote in
news:wpfBj.296188$MJ6.145021@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
> Larry wrote:
>
>> If you think that's impressive, drop by any brand's dealership part
>> department, step up to the counter and say, "I have a Hybrid
>> XFG-5000X. My mechanic says I need a new battery pack as the old one
>> won't charge. How much are they?"
>>
>
> This perpetuates an error. The GM EV uses 26 (IIRC) special sealed
> batteries. Typically, one battery dies ... and you replace that
> battery for about $70. My friend at GM EV says the batteries are good
> for about 200,000 miles when operated as designed ....
> Regards
>
26 x 3.8V = 98.8V. Are you sure it's only got 26 cells? 1hp = 746
watts. 10hp = 7460 watts divided by 98.8V = 75.5A just to get 10hp!
That's an awful lot of current through ANY Li-Ion cell, not to mention
one costing $70. The reason Prius or the rest have high voltage DC
systems is to reduce the current, which reduces the heating and STILL
Prius battery packs have lots of overheating problems if that motor
isn't running in short order. 100hp would take 755A at 98.8V! Wow!
Must have a freon battery cooling system! Lithium EXPLODES if heated,
enter "laptop fires" into YouTube and watch it!
Knowing what I know about GM dealer prices ($17 for the plastic heater
knob on a '96 Caprice Classic. Now, would you like to pay another $5.80
for the SPRING to keep that knob from falling off?)....I really doubt a
huge Lithium Ion battery pack at any GM dealer is going to be $1820 +
tax. Your friend must be talking wholesale.
A Ni-Mh battery pack for a Toyota (GM associate) is:
Battery, prius 04-06 $2,537.36
toyotapartscenter.net
One of the TWO places on the whole internet that lists them! Ni-Mh
batteries are LOTS cheaper than Li-Ion. GM must be selling batteries
for it at a terrible loss! Toyota took a huge LOSS on EV truck sales
just to get them on the street.
Where do we get specialty batteries for a 2005 Toyota Prius when these
are gone? THAT is the big question. Every year they change the damned
car so much there won't be parts.....MAKING THE CAR WORTHLESS to resell.
To sell the cars, Toyota gives you 8 years or 100K, whichever is first
of course, of warranty. That won't matter to the second buyer of a 90K
Prius.
For me, this is the killer for all EV/Hybrids...VERY specific, dealer-
only, very expensive parts that will not be available for long in the
throw-away world.
Then, of course, there's the prospect of being at the DEALER's mercy as
he's the ONLY shop that's gonna be fixing them....at $125/hour, of
course, to pay for all the specialty training/equipment/etc.
Oh, BTW, if it catches fire, don't call our fire department! High
voltage Hybrid cars will NOT be extinguished because of the personnel
danger to firefighters in our city. Let 'em burn.
----------------------------------------------------------
I looked seriously at hybrids and decided it would just cost too much in
lost planned obsolescene and maintenance to own one. I took another
approach:
http://www.frybrid.com/
$1600 for the kit for my '89 Chevy 6.2L diesel V-8 stepvan (retired Air
Force flight line truck with 42K on it when I got it.) About $1000 to
install it from the little garage that services it for me. It starts on
diesel fuel ($3.65/gallon today) and switches to free used vegetable oil
from 3 chinese restaurants who were thrilled we wanted their waste oil
and the containers the new oil came in...two waste problems taken care
of free. 3 of us nuts formed the "French Fried Oil and Stormdoor
Company", tongue in cheek, about 2 years ago. I own 3 diesels, but the
Frybrid is only installed in the stepvan. The other cars, a '73
Mercedes 220D and '83 Mercedes 300TD 5-cyl turbocharged diesel station
wagon, are running on a mixture of 1 quart of mineral spirits mixed with
12 gallons of filtered oil (winter mix) or 20 gallons of oil (summer
mix). BBC's great auto show had a Volvo running on this mix in England
and I live in SC so figured it was even warmer here. Starts at 25F,
about our coldest day, just fine. I carry a torch but have never had to
heat the oil to get it to crank. Car fuel is about 23c/gallon, which
beats the hell out of hybrid by thousands of percent. The '73 was
rebuilt at 460K, but only really needed a ring job. The '83 is still
running on its original engine just fine at 290K, it's just got broken
in good! The '73 was $2200 from the original owner who kept it in his
garage for 22 years before selling it to me. I had the body restored
($1400) in '94 and have been driving and showing it since. The wagon
belonged to a bank president's wife who got her a new 300E "because the
wagon was too big to drive downtown". It was $2800 cash. The truck I
bought from a used car dealer for $3500. He was gonna use it for a sign
for his car lot before I talked him out of it. It's still in first-
class condition at 88K, now.
Veggie oil isn't for the masses. But, it's great for those of us with a
little resourcefulness....and a warehouse, where, tonight, about 1600
gallons of used oil is quietly settling the solids out of it for 60 days
before we slowly draw the clean oil from 3" off the bottom of the 5
gallons jugs through our two big truck fuel filter/water separators and
gear pump into 55 gallon supply drums for use. The 3 of us drive:
'89 6.2L diesel stepvan
'73 220 D sedan
'83 300TD wagon
'85 300SD long wheelbase sedan
'90-something 6.5L Chevy diesel pickup truck
'90-something diesel VW rabbit hatchback?
'82 240 D sedan
my 2007 Chinese diesel 1-cyl 6500 watt generator here in hurricane
country. Larry does NOT sit in the DARK!
Oil continues to pile up, in spite of our best efforts to use it. Our
motto is
"Drive It Like You Stole It!
It uses more oil that way!"
I picked up 130 gallons more last Friday, my pickup day in the stepvan.
Stop by and I'll recharge your EV off the genset for FREE, just for fun.
First GM lithium-ion powered cars would be available in 2010
Linear Mode
