> From: keith_w <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2006/11/24 Fri AM 10:19:33 GMT > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: OT - Prius Fuel Economy > > mike wilson wrote: > >> From: Mark Roberts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: 2006/11/24 Fri AM > >> 01:32:14 GMT To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List <[email protected]> Subject: > >> Re: OT - Prius Fuel Economy > >> > >> William Robb wrote: > >> > >>> From: "Godfrey DiGiorgi" > >>>> On Nov 23, 2006, at 10:31 AM, mike wilson wrote: > >>>> > >>>>> You had better be prepared to keep it. Resale value when it > >>>>> needs $4-5k of batteries (at today's prices) will not be > >>>>> good. > > >>>> Drive batteries are fully warranteed for 8 years/100,000 miles > >>>> in the United States. By the time you need new batteries, a) > >>>> they'll likely be a lot cheaper, b) the replacements will be > >>>> even better, and/or c) you'll want a new car anyway. > >>> More likely, the life expectancy of the car will be when the > >>> batteries go flakey out of warranty. > >> I think Godfrey's right about the batteries being improved. They're > >> already rumoured to be using LiIon in next year's model. > >> Replacement of the current (NiMH) battery is around $1500-2000. > > > > Toyota's take on battery charging is interesting. The vehicle aims > > to keep the cells in the region of 60 to 75% charge, as this manner > > of use extends battery life. So the display is only monitoring this > > level of charge. "Empty" is really 60% and "full" is 75% of real > > capacity. > > Where did that bit of info come from, Mike? > Not being "Prius-conversant" I must also ask, is the state of the > battery charge "user-controllable" or is it automatic?
http://auto.consumerguide.com/Articles/index.cfm/act/featuredarticles/article/FA_hybrid_batteries.html I read it yesterday and quoted from memory, which was, of course, wrong. It's between 45 and 75%, 60% being the optimum state of charge. If you google (advanced) with "prius" as "exact phrase" and "battery replacement" as "all these words" you will get the list I got. Can't imagine the battery state will have any user input. That would be like going back to "mixture" and "advance and retard" levers on infernal combustion engines. Too much distraction. I get worried enough when Godfrey talks about watching the display to see what's going on. 8-) > > A standard lead-acid car battery's charge status is fundamentally a > factor of the design by the factory. > Over the life of the battery, it's all automatically controlled, and the > display in the driver's compartment is merely for monitoring the general > health of the electrical system. Only if something goes wrong will the > driver be made aware that intervention is required. > Is it the same with the Prius? Anything else would seem to be a backward step. ----------------------------------------- Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
