Thread: Hybrid cars what to look for.

Cheap to buy - or cheap to ship? The things aren't expensive here on the odd time you can get one in good order from a dismantling outfit (unless you are looking at a select few models where there are aftermarket or they are repackable in NZ) but shipping costs to get them into NZ are virtually cost prohibitive with the DG limits. Even storing them out of the vehicle in a commercial situation can be a headache here.

Getting these batteries delivered around the globe may get more difficult with the frequency that they are catching fire. I see a Tesla Grid tied mega storage battery pack in Queensland went into thermal runaway last night. Fire crews are just letting it burn....

Originally Posted by No.3

Cheap to buy - or cheap to ship? The things aren't expensive here on the odd time you can get one in good order from a dismantling outfit (unless you are looking at a select few models where there are aftermarket or they are repackable in NZ) but shipping costs to get them into NZ are virtually cost prohibitive with the DG limits. Even storing them out of the vehicle in a commercial situation can be a headache here.

When I was buying a couple years ago I called a few places and asked how much it’d be to replace them with brand new toyota hybrid batteries. They all quoted about 3-3.5k and most tried to get me booked in. Didn’t seem to be any shortage of new batteries.

Originally Posted by camenzie

When I was buying a couple years ago I called a few places and asked how much it’d be to replace them with brand new toyota hybrid batteries. They all quoted about 3-3.5k and most tried to get me booked in. Didn’t seem to be any shortage of new batteries.

The Toyota Hybrid batteries are a different kettle of flash than EV/PHEV batteries.

For all intents and purposes the Toyota hybrid system is good to go and well proven over many decades. EVs/PHEVs on the other hand are not. While electric motors are hardly a new technology the battery replacement situation is a big problem, even though it really shouldn't be.

You cannot buy a replacement battery for a Nissan leaf in NZ, which considering how many old Japanese import ones are kicking around you'd think there would be.

Re nissan leaf batteries I read in Holland that when they get too old for cars they are beginning to put them in a battery box and with software interface and using them as backup batteries for houses as they are reliable and not prone to fires so at least being used for a longer time .

Well picked up my 2011 Lexus CT200H from the dealer and first tank of fuel (45L tank) I'm on target for about 750-800ish kms so far most of this being open road driving running 91 fuel. that's nothing to sneeze at as far as I'm concerned.

Originally Posted by dannyb

Well picked up my 2011 Lexus CT200H from the dealer and first tank of fuel (45L tank) I'm on target for about 750-800ish kms so far most of this being open road driving running 91 fuel. that's nothing to sneeze at as far as I'm concerned.

Had the toyota rep call in. Apparently there's a filter and blower motor somewhere in toyotas (could be other makes as well) that cools the battery. Might be worth checking it as he said their starting to get a few cases of cooked batteries....

Originally Posted by blip

Had the toyota rep call in. Apparently there's a filter and blower motor somewhere in toyotas (could be other makes as well) that cools the battery. Might be worth checking it as he said their starting to get a few cases of cooked batteries....

In lots of the Toyotas it’s in the back seat foot well. Doesn’t seem like the smartest place for it but give it a check once in a while and it’ll be fine. I have a reminder on my phone to check it once a month. Batteries running over temp will reduce their life.

Lots of YouTube cleaning vids around for this also.. my kids carseat is directly above it so gets all sort "Stuff" down there.

Very simple to give it a clean

Kids carseats - FFS. What a collector of crap! I banned the little sods from eating in the car - still end up with food down them and the insides of about 16Kg of toys that were never designed to come apart.

Originally Posted by spnz

Lots of YouTube cleaning vids around for this also.. my kids carseat is directly above it so gets all sort "Stuff" down there.

Very simple to give it a clean

Checked mine today, clean as a whistle

Originally Posted by dannyb

Checked mine today, clean as a whistle

That's always struck me as an odd expression. Really means its full of spit, snot, biscuit crumbs etc etc

Originally Posted by camenzie

For hybrids, don’t know about PHEVs, I don’t think that’s accurate and hasn’t been my experience. In a hybrid, the electric engine supplements the ICE during open road driving.

Yep - either way you look at it the ICE component is turning and burning the entire time you're open road driving. The claimed fuel savings are mainly in urban areas where you can be moving on battery electric only, that's a mathematical thing as a certain size engine x rpm = that much fuel burned to get the right air/fuel mixture... Can't really get around it. If you aren't mostly doing open road driving (i.e. the taxi scenario in town and crawling along a rank or in and out of airport precincts all the time) then your savings on fuel will be much higher than when the engine is running most of the time.

My direct experience was less than 1L/100Km open road driving between the PHEV and the pure ICE versions of the car, the ICE version cost $20K less and used tyres etc at a slower rate. Servicing costs were comparable. Just on purchase price at current fuel prices, the saving over the PHEV version = about 7 years of petrol (not including tyres etc and based at 15K km's a year).