Thread: Hybrid vs petrol - surprising outcome

I looked seriously at a Prius (I know, I know) back in 2021/2022 - it was a couple of $K and 300,00km or so but needed a new hybrid battery, cooling fan setup etc etc. Worked out that it would cost me about $3500 in parts, less what I could get for the old battery - replacing the bits doing the work myself and at the end of it with a bit of a tidy would be a 10-12K vehicle. Might have been able to replace a few cells in the hybrid pack and get away with a functional battery a hell of a lot cheaper than a replacement, but you can't really quantify that until you get into it.

Nowadays, I don't think it's worth it for the driving we do - it won't save what we were expecting it would as noted up top. The only way I'd consider one now though would be in that way, getting it CHEAP and refitting it so the expense is included in the purchase price less labour costs.

Originally Posted by Trout

Green machine Aston Martin i think,a real car.

I flogged it a bit this morning, started at 30ltrs/100 but got the average down to a leisurely 16/100

The workshop around the corner from work undertakes a lot of repairs on Uber drivers Prius's, he has given up on replacing single batteries because of the knob ache dealing with the owner drivers and afterpay.
He tells them to replace the lot, most can't afford to do it. He reckons one of them will kill themselves someday trying to do it.

Originally Posted by 300winmag

I flogged it a bit this morning, started at 30ltrs/100 but got the average down to a leisurely 16/100

The workshop around the corner from work undertakes a lot of repairs on Uber drivers Prius's, he has given up on replacing single batteries because of the knob ache dealing with the owner drivers and afterpay.
He tells them to replace the lot, most can't afford to do it. He reckons one of them will kill themselves someday trying to do it.

You mean single cells out of a battery? It's a hard one, theres a heap of labour skinning the things just to get into the battery pack and then you've gotta get the thing out and onto a bench to find out what the go is. Provided you follow the elecy bitey dancy rules, it's not that bad workflow wise it's labour... The issue is when you aren't informed of the rules or treat the thing like a 12v automotive battery - volts thrill, amps kill as they say.

I'm a sparky by trade, but haven't been on the tools for a long time. However have been around electricity stuff quite a bit (building of flamanville, kusile, medupi, Pembroke, etc).
Battery Electric cars in nz do not make any finiancial sense, unless they are owned by a company that can off set the loses against profit ( Depreciation, and end sale loss)

And if you want one to care for the environment, you don't understand full life cycle cost (carbon, energy, pollution, micro plastics/metals, etc...

Originally Posted by No.3

You mean single cells out of a battery? It's a hard one, theres a heap of labour skinning the things just to get into the battery pack and then you've gotta get the thing out and onto a bench to find out what the go is. Provided you follow the elecy bitey dancy rules, it's not that bad workflow wise it's labour... The issue is when you aren't informed of the rules or treat the thing like a 12v automotive battery - volts thrill, amps kill as they say.

He started off replacing single cells only to find that the Uber driver returned two weeks later wanting a refund because the problem reappeared. Other cells were beginning to shit themselves. This happened quite often so he stopped doing it and only does full replacements.

Originally Posted by 300winmag

He started off replacing single cells only to find that the Uber driver returned two weeks later wanting a refund because the problem reappeared. Other cells were beginning to shit themselves. This happened quite often so he stopped doing it and only does full replacements.

Makes sense, replace one part and it transfers the weakness to the next weakest link. I looked at one battery in bits the other day, the guy doing it tested each cell and basically half failed most with the visual check (bulges or terminals corroded etc etc) so the entire pack was written off - some of the cells might be reused to keep something else going for a short time but when you get to that amount it's not worth the potential hassle factor.

About to depart for holiday.will spend next two weeks driving a hybrid Toyota aqua....will try to remember to take note of KMs and liters of fuel used lol,also not to park it in dodgy neighbourhood lol

Originally Posted by No.3

Makes sense, replace one part and it transfers the weakness to the next weakest link. I looked at one battery in bits the other day, the guy doing it tested each cell and basically half failed most with the visual check (bulges or terminals corroded etc etc) so the entire pack was written off - some of the cells might be reused to keep something else going for a short time but when you get to that amount it's not worth the potential hassle factor.

Same with re celling power tool batteries. Factory cells are measured and batched, ie A with A, B with B and so on. Re calling you just put random cells together. Like putting epsom salts in your lead/acid battery, works but it’s temporary

You can imagine an Uber driver returning a couple of weeks later demanding he fix the fault properly when they were told to cough up $15 k plus for a new set of batteries. There’s some highly educated Uber drivers but not clued up with what wheels they have bought.

Well here it is. About as vanilla flavoured a car as it is possible to buy.

Thank fuck its not a green Aston Martin. That would’ve taken some explaining.

Originally Posted by Maca49

Same with re celling power tool batteries. Factory cells are measured and batched, ie A with A, B with B and so on. Re calling you just put random cells together. Like putting epsom salts in your lead/acid battery, works but it’s temporary

Me just put random cells together? Ha - I batch by colour...

It's a interesting one - the tests on them can go on for days and no cells test the same at the end of it. That's a true black art - the guys that do it for a living will look at a pair of results virtually identical and separate the cells into different batteries. When you ask why they just tap their noses!

My gear measures charge voltage and amperage against time, total capacity, and discharge current against a known load among other things. It's really very basic in the scheme of that game, but generally you can arrange things so the highest resistance cell is highest in the queue so to speak so the others are working off that to balance the load.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Well here it is. About as vanilla flavoured a car as it is possible to buy.

Thank fuck its not a green Aston Martin. That would’ve taken some explaining.



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Sounds like you have schooled your kids up, I’m sure they will look after it.