hybrid - How do they work?

[dmccarty]

I wonder why the engineers made it impossible to open the hood if the car looses power? They must not want someone to just try to jump the car by attaching to something electrical in the engine compartment. Kinda slick they way the car had to be jumped. I wish my Ford had that connection. All of those warnings about batteries blowing up being jump started scare me. Can't imagine the boom from a hybrid battery!

I really dont like messing with cat batteries. I had to charge our car battery the other day as well as the DR Mower battery. Figured I would just charge them instead of jumping them. Even charging them makes me nervous.

Later,
Dan

 

[Dmace]

I wonder why the engineers made it impossible to open the hood if the car looses power?

It's the trunk that doesn't open with a dead battery not the hood, but the battery is in the trunk and not under the hood.

 

[GaryM]

I have an '04 with 185000 miles and only $600 spent on repairs.

The Prius has two batteries. The Traction battery is made up of cell sets and would seldom need to be replaced as a unit. Sets of cells can be replaced at a reasonable cost, but I'm a member of two Prius discussion boards and replacing cells seems to be uncommon as it's rarely mentioned.

The second battery is a 12 V unit and furnishes power to jump start the electronics and also supplies power to the accessories requiring 12 volts.

The electric motor is also a generator and is teamed with the power train in such a way that the gas engine and motor generator can split the work between them. Depending on requirements the gas engine may be powering the forward motion and supplying power to charge the traction battery at the same time. The 12 volt battery is recharged from the traction battery.

 

[Travelover]

Interesting article on Escape taxi cabs - some with 300,000 miles.

Taxis Show Hybrid Battery Durability | Hybrid Cars

YMMV

 

[dmccarty]

Gary's and Travelover link and experience is interesting. The article was sounding good to me until I read that the warranties on the batteries are 100K miles and 10 years.

One would think that a Taxi service would be extreme service on the batteries. But maybe not?

I don't know which web sites I surfed into but there were lots of owners talking about having to get new batteries. Do the problems represent 1% or 99% of the cars? Only the car maker knows. But most people don't go to car web sites to talk how good their car/truck is working but to solve problems.

Later,
Dan

 

[PILOON]

It's the trunk that doesn't open with a dead battery not the hood, but the battery is in the trunk and not under the hood.

My '02 Jimmy is the same.
Could not even open the door, had to crawl thru tailgate, over the seats to access the hood release b4 I could even hook up booster cables!

"New and improved", better mouse traps?

 

[RonMar]

I hear tell that those crazy nuts at MIT took a Prius, and replaced the gas engine with a small diesel and pushed the MPG up over 70...

Seems a little silly when you consider that the newer Jetta TDI's get nearly that on a straight diesel/mechanical drivetrain.

 

[GaryM]

Just wanted to add that I ordered my 2010 Prius from the dealer this afternoon. My '04 has enough miles on it. I plan to retire in just under two years and figure the new one will be good for 7-8 years at least.

They have a red one in stock, but the '04 is red and I want a different color.

 

[Dmace]

Just wanted to add that I ordered my 2010 Prius from the dealer this afternoon.

Typical Prius owner, they think their saving the world and want everyone to know that they drive one. Look at me, I'm driving a HYBRID!

The toxic non-recyclable waste left by all these over-priced hybrid batteries will never be offset by the slight margin of better fuel mileage. Your not saving anything but in fact adding to the problem with a new one...

 

[Ken_CT]

Typical Prius owner, they think their saving the world and want everyone to know that they drive one. Look at me, I'm driving a HYBRID!

South Park did an episode on that, seems the hybrid owners were ruining the planet with smug.