Main hybrid battery type

[kithmo]

I'm probably getting about 10 miles per £, so the plug in would cost a third. I would be worried about the petrol going stale in the tank due to my low mileage, I only fill up once every 4-5 weeks as it is, I think I read somewhere it goes off after 3-4 weeks in warm summer temperatures. 

[Mick F]

11 minutes ago, kithmo said:

I would be worried about the petrol going stale in the tank due to my low mileage, I only fill up once every 4-5 weeks as it is, I think I read somewhere it goes off after 3-4 weeks in warm summer temperatures. 

I wouldn't worry in the slightest.

We left a car under a canvass sheet for years.  Charged the Battery, and it ran no problem.

I leave petrol in the lawnmower all winter and in the spring it starts within two or three pulls.  Never had an issue and I've been using petrol lawnmowers for twenty odd years.

Ditto the chainsaw, the hedgetrimmer and the leaf blower.  Just been using the leaf blower for the first time since last autumn. Started second pull.

I my opinion and experience, petrol doesn't "go off" at all.

Mick.

[johalareewi]

On 11/23/2019 at 10:39 AM, Geoff P said:

That's interesting - obviously the plug-in is a lot more economical than the normal hybrid - thanks for the information but do you have to have a special charger point or simply plug into a 13 amp socket (eg in a garage on on an exterior wall)?  Any idea how much it costs to charge via plug-in on your electricity bill?

Geoff.

 

The plugin gen1 comes with a lead that plugs into a normal 3 pin socket so you can charge from the domestic supply (the gen2 plugin does too).

A full charge on a gen1 pip takes up to 3 units of electricity so it costs a maximum of 3 times whatever you pay for a unit of electricity.

Or you can just run it as a hybrid prius and never plug it in.

[johalareewi]

 

On 11/24/2019 at 7:19 AM, Mick F said:

If you remained in EV mode, how far can you go for that £1?

Mick.

Electricity prices vary (as do petrol prices) so doing miles per pound isn't that useful.  Especially when you can also use free EV charge points

With my gen1 plugin prius i can do approx 4 miles on 1 unit of electricity in EV mode.  I guess the gen2 plugin is similar.

[QuantumFireball]

2 hours ago, Mick F said:

I leave petrol in the lawnmower all winter and in the spring it starts within two or three pulls.  Never had an issue and I've been using petrol lawnmowers for twenty odd years.

Ditto the chainsaw, the hedgetrimmer and the leaf blower.  Just been using the leaf blower for the first time since last autumn. Started second pull.

I my opinion and experience, petrol doesn't "go off" at all.

A modern car engine will probably be a lot less tolerant than something like a single cylinder lawnmower with a very basic carburettor.

Toyota say to refuel by at least 20 litres every six months. I wouldn't worry about a few weeks at all - I've gone over 2 months between fill-ups a few times.

The Gen 1 Plug-in uses about 3 kWh for a full charge, and the Gen 2 is around 7 kWh. Not sure on electricity prices in the UK but I get pretty cheap night rates (dual meter), about €0.07 per kWh.

[kithmo]

6 hours ago, Mick F said:

I wouldn't worry in the slightest.

We left a car under a canvass sheet for years.  Charged the battery, and it ran no problem.

I leave petrol in the lawnmower all winter and in the spring it starts within two or three pulls.  Never had an issue and I've been using petrol lawnmowers for twenty odd years.

Ditto the chainsaw, the hedgetrimmer and the leaf blower.  Just been using the leaf blower for the first time since last autumn. Started second pull.

I my opinion and experience, petrol doesn't "go off" at all.

Mick.

Thanks for that Mick, Google produces some scary results sometimes, mostly from the US, I guess their petrol is not as refined as ours. They seem to blame the ethanol content, claiming stuff grows in it. 😯 

I must admit I've never had a problem with the lawn mower, it's always started first tug after leaving it 4-5 months over winter.

[johalareewi]

22 hours ago, QuantumFireball said:

Not sure on electricity prices in the UK but I get pretty cheap night rates (dual meter), about €0.07 per kWh.

There is (or was until recently) an economy 7 tariff which is 0.00p per unit for overnight electricity.

[Guest]

Final (?) questions of course are what is the price of each type of replacement Battery and how long lasting are each type - my 2012 Prius (non - plug-in) seems to have a Battery as good as new and my previous V2 Prius also about 7 to 8 years old also had a superb Battery?

Geoff

PS. Lots of good and interesting answers to mull over - thanks.

[johalareewi]

The only Battery that needs replacing in a prius is the 12V one (although my old gen3 still had the original one after 7 years).  The HV Battery should last as long as the car (or longer) unless damaged in an accident.

[QuantumFireball]

Owners in the US tend to see the HV batteries start to fail around 12 years or so - but these are with the 2nd generation Prius, so we don't know if the 3rd gen are more durable. Our more temperate climate probably helps with longevity.

[johalareewi]

2 hours ago, QuantumFireball said:

Our more temperate climate probably helps with longevity.

That's a possibility. There was a spate of gen3 batteries overheating in hotter countries where the Battery cooler air intake filter got blocked with fluff buildup.

[Guest]

Must admit I am surprised the cooler air intake isn't in the wheel arch or under the car somewhere - keep the Battery a lot cooler, or would it over-cool it on freezing days.

Thanks all for the many replies - been interesting reading.

Geoff.

 

[PeteB]

I think the idea is that having it in the car means the A/C is likely to be on if it's very hot, so the HV Battery cooling system sucks in cooler air than it would from the outside.

[kithmo]

On 12/7/2019 at 9:49 PM, PeteB said:

I think the idea is that having it in the car means the A/C is likely to be on if it's very hot, so the HV battery cooling system sucks in cooler air than it would from the outside.

And the same in winter, with the heating on the Battery gets up to it's optimum operating temperature quicker, taking warm air from the cabin.

[Gerg]

As an example of how the heat and humidity does no favours to the traction Battery, this Auris owner has had a Battery failure in 6 years. But then, they are living on Reunion Island, a mountainous French colony that is north of Australia, so the weather is a bit overbearing.

But it's in French, and it's a bit of a long thread, so maybe don't read it just now....

https://hybridlife.org/threads/batterie-toyota-auris-tarif-et-reparation.4653/