Interesting Discussion on the Prius NHW10 battery

Hi George

I am a bit confused as what you say appears somewhat ambiguous to me.......

If they have not yet ordered them, presumably the batteries are still
located in Japan, so how can there be 300 new batteries already in NZ? Could
you clarify this please.

Also, do you have the actual full Toyota part number for this latest
replacement battery so that others can enquire at their local Toyota dealers
or HQs in other countries.

Didn't Toyota buy out Panasonic EV some years ago (who make the batteries).
Or did I dream that?

Despite what the TNZ guy is telling you George, I reckon that just maybe
they are going to fast track produce a new batch of NHW10 batteries, based
upon customer registrations/demand? I would not have thought they could hold
these units in stock generally due to self discharge issues etc. They need
to be freshly manufactured, then shipped really quickly to customers.
Imagine the logistical nightmare of trying to do charging maintenance and
checking on a 1000 batch of 'in stock' HV batteries.

I wonder how many NHW10s are still actually in service in Japan nowadays?
Hardly any would be my guess, but I would love to know. Years ago, we used
to have one or two very helpful Japanese members on this group, but sadly
they now seem to have gone away.

Regards

Peter

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I spoke to Toyota head office, they say the are coming! I had to register
my  3 with them, they say anyone who registers will get one, but they have not
ordered yet. Apparently there were only 1000 made, and just over 300 are
here in NZ. Toyota did not realize how many there were, and have been
shocked at the response.

George Tyler

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You may be right, maybe they going to make another batch. I think Toyota
should have done this from the beginning, it would hae helped sell the new
ones as there is a perception that with a hybrid there is a danger that it
may not be an economical proposition keep is after the pack has had it's
life.

George Tyler (24/8/2012)
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No way. PanasonicEV made them originally. This was a partnership 
between Panasonic and Toyota. The problem is that both Toyota and 
Panasonic pulled out of the company and left it to flounder as 
PrimeEarth EV. They haven't made cells in this configuration since 
about 2003. Sanyo picked up the Honda business (which used these sticks 
until 2005) and then PrimeEarth got a contract to make cells for the 
2006+ Hondas. These are NOT the same cells, or the same configuration. 
Panasonic bought Sanyo a few years ago and sold off the entire NiMH line.

Recently, Honda got two new suppliers of sticks: One is refurbished 
packs (you don't want them). The other is another company whose cells 
are different enough to require a software update for the car.

This unnamed source is probably where Toyota will get them.

Ron Hansen (25/8/2012)

________________________________________________

Up until a couple of years ago the were advertised on Panasonic's web site,
they still have other sizes but not this one. For a while they had them
there still but marked as obsolete. In 2007 the sales engineer from
Panasonic batteries visited us, and they were still available then, but they
would not supply me as I told them I wanted them for a Prius and Toyota
blocked it.

George Tyler (28/5/2012)

______________________________________________

My guess is that they are confuse between NHW10 and NHW11

They think they are supplying NHW11 for the NHW10 vehicles.

Seems more reasonable at the price $3500 probably cost.

If they have to supply NHW10 batteries they will be losing on each battery

that is if they can get them.

Patrick Phan (25/8/2012)

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They do seem to understand the difference, they say they offering it "for

the same price as the NHW11 for a limited period". The last I heard was that
they have not ordered them yet, we will see what happens when they order
them. 

George Tyler (25/8/2012)

________________________________________________________

Ok, well there's a NHW10 on eBay in Sydney up for grabs
Car is still complete at the moment according to seller.
Aparrently he pulled the battery out to show it.
I had a quick chat with him, and he may sell the woke car as one.
Worth a look, but how good the battery will be is anyone's guess.
I was going to swing by, and run my S2000 scanner on it if it was all in one piece.
Am looking for a MFD screen myself, just seems a shame to pull it apart for this alone.
I have found a supplier of the sticks, and he says he bought the old machinery that used to make them from Panasonic. Am going to give them a work-out when I get them, seeing is believing I guess, but we will see how they perform.
Am still negotiating a decent price for them at the moment, or at least for the samples anyway, but will keep this forum posted as it happens.
I have to agree, the S2000 will balance charge the HV battery, and you can adjust the parameters the system uses to figure out when to throw an alarm up. 
Experimenting is still continuing in the household on this too.
The wife swears no issues with the car now.
There is a guy who goes by "Mik" on here who is pretty savvy on the battery packs, and he may be able input a bit more info.
Richie. (8/9/2012)

___________________________________________

That would be quite a feat considering that PrimeEarth EV still owns all that equipment and Panasonic never did (Panasonic EV was the former name of PrimeEarth EV, back when it was a partnership between Panasonic and Toyota).

If you would like to send me one cell, I can test it for you.

Ron Hansen(8/9/2012)

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Local Toyota agent phoned, my new battery is here! NZ$3500, including tax
and fitting. 6year/160,000km guarantee! This changes everything, suddenly
these cars are a bargain. I took a new Prius "C" for a drive, but prefer my
NHW10's. I think the prius C is the way they need to go, but it's not up to
the build quality and refinement of the NHW10. George, have you got your
battery yet?

George Tyler (18/10/2012)

_____________________________________________

I saw my battery at the Toyota dealership today! I had the money in my hot
little hands, the battery on the floor, but that was as close as it got.
there is an issue, they will only do it on exchange. I was told originally
that it would be just the 2 half packs, but it is actually the whole battery
pack sealed up with everything inside, so I suppose this is reasonable. Does
make some problems for me though.

George Tyler (18/10/2012)

___________________________________________________

Ok.. I have just driven home with a NEW Toyota NHW10 Battery! $3450
including fitting and gst. I tryid to get them to give me the old strings so
I could put the best ones into my other car that is sitting with no battery,
but they would not do that, I gave them 2 empty battery packs but they
returned them instead of the full ones like I asked. Still, it's great to
have a new battery and no worries for the next 8 years.
Patrick, you have done a great thing, thankyou! You have single
handedly turned the whole of Toyota around!

George Tyler (29/10/2012)

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That's. Great news George.

I am sure we are all itching to know what cell types they have used inside but I suppose you won't be allowed to ever open it up to see. 

Regards

Peter (29/10/2012)

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Hi George,                

Can you tell us if the battery supplied by Toyota is NEW?I have a customer who tells me that he is only getting 2 year warranty.Is this true? They promised a new battery and by right an 8 year warranty should follow.               

If they are not holding to their bargain then a complaint to the commerce commission is called for.
Thanks

Patrick (23/11/2012)

___________________________________________

Hi Patrick,

I will be very upset if they only give me 2 year warrantee!
Toyota NZ told me 8 year/160,000 km. they also told me it's new cells in
there, if anything is not as they say I will want a refund. I have not done
the other battery I spoke to you about yet, it belongs to Saju Abraham, he
bought the car from you. ECM38. The strange thing is, they said all hybrid
batteries have this 8 year guarantee, and I know some people have bought
NHW11 batteries with a 2 year warrantee. Maybe to local dealers give a 2
year then claim a new one for nothing from Toyota, then pocket the money!?
But we will see next week, I will phone them. 

Regards,

George (23/11/2012)

_______________________________________________

Think I;m jumping the gun morethan a bit, I have no reason to suspect that
there is not the 8 year they promised, Sorry Toyota!

George (23/11/2012)

_______________________________________________

How do you tell if cells are new or not?
Perhaps you can enlighten us here Chris.

Patrick (24/11/2012)

_________________________________________________

I took the easy way, I just asked them, I also asked them to confirm that
the Battery came from Toyota Japan, which they did. So far all good, no
turtles, etc. I seems to get slightly better consumption, maybe 2 km/L more.
Otherwise the same as before. Big thing that makes it worth while is the 8
year/160,000km guarantee, I will phone them tomorrow and ask them to send me
that in writing.

George (26/11/2012)

Hybrids Going Mainstream

Hybrid cars first came into the market in 1997 as the Toyota Prius. Since then there are about 5 million hybrid vehicles out of 1 billion vehicles worldwide. ( less than 1% )
Hybrid cars uses half as much fuel as their petrol guzzling cousin, so why is sales penetration so low?

We can trace the problem to several reasons
1) Cost of vehicle : Hybrids generally cost 50% more than it's non hybrid model.
2) Rate of depreciation : Resale value of older hybrids are poor to non existent due to the high cost of hybrid battery replacements
3) Little desire for manufacturers to push this technology as they make more money selling their standard petrol vehicles.
4) Horror stories abound about how much owners have been quoted for repairing their vehicles.

This situation is absolutely ridiculous
We live in an age where our oil resources are depleting at an alarming rate and global warming is having a drastic effect on our environment. Every year brings record floods and droughts and our ice caps and glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate.
Our vehicles are the major contributor to CO2 emissions into the environment and more should be done to reduce this.

Hybrid vehicles reduce CO2 emissions and reduce use of scarce resources.
1) Longevity of Hybrid vehicles : Hybrid vehicles will last at least twice as long as standard vehicles. We know that vehicles can clock up 600,000 Kms and more with very little deterioration in performance. This glaring fact has never been promoted to the public. This fact alone will reduce the demand on resources and reduction in emissions significantly.

The one problem that is consistently quoted is that the vehicle hybrid battery last 8 to 10 years and replacement is costly. There is a solution. Repairing and reconditioning of the hybrid battery and installation of the Power Jockey will enable the same original battery to be used throughout the life of the vehicles be it 25 years or more and it is no more expensive that yearly vehicle maintenance.

It's time to push the message that hybrid vehicles are not expensive to run and even less expensive to maintain.

How do we get the message across?
The best way is to show that older hybrids are still operating beautifully even after 15 years in service. Another is to push for it's use in an industry that is ideal for it. For this reason we are pushing for this vehicle to be be used exclusively in the vehicle rental industry. Customers will choose a hybrid over a standard vehicle because they save money on fuel. It is also the best way to get the general public to "test drive" this vehicle. I believe we will make a convert out of every hirer,

Buying A Generation Three Prius

What to look for when buying a Generation Three Prius Hybrid ( 2003 - 200X )
Model : NHW20
Dimensions : 4445L 1725W 1465H
Year Manufactured : 2003 - 200X
Petrol Engine  : 76Hp, 1500cc
Electric Motor : 67Hp,  295 Nm torque
Max RPM : 5000, ( 0 - 100 ) 10.5 Secs
Battery : 201.6 volts, 45 Kg
Fuel Economy : 22 Km/L or 4.8L/100Kms

For those who don't know anything about and have never driven a hybrid - BEWARE.
Buy from a reputed dealer and one who knows and can support this new technology.
A hybrid is a great and reliable vehicle but because the electric motor and the petrol engine have to work together problems in engine side will affect the battery.

The Generation 3 Prius is a hatchback. It is a little longer and wider and more powerful than the Generation 2. As the new modular cell packs are used, these are easily available and there is no issues in getting replacement cells for the foreseeable future. The generation three cost a few thousand more than the Generation Two but if your budget can accommodate the extra cost it will be worth it.

As the battery voltage is boosted to 500 volts a weak battery reduces the boost voltage available and increases the current which can damage the inverter. It is important to ensure that the battery is always in good working order.

Look for the following
1) Vehicle must have a good reconditioned battery and a Power Jockey Installed.

Hybrid batteries last between 7 - 10 years. By now if the battery has not been reconditioned and a Power Jockey installed, the battery will soon fail and the car will be inoperable.




2) Check to ensure that the vehicle is fully maintained and serviced.
     Spark Plugs : 20,000 Kms if Irridium 100,000 Kms
     MAF Sensor : 80,000 Kms
     Oxygen Sensors : 120,000 Kms
     Service parts wear out and have to be replaced for the vehicle to operate efficiently.
     If possible a scan should be done to ensure that the sensors are working correctly.

If you take care to inquire about these two aspect of the vehicle, you can be assured that the vehicle will work for many years. The Battery Clinic assures us that the battery pack can last the life of the vehicle with the occasional battery repair and cell replacement every 2 to 3 years costing about $400.

The Petrol engine is tough and very reliable. It should be able to clock up 500,000 Kms and still show little wear and tear. For one the engine does not work all the time and it red lines at 4000 RPM compared to a normal petrol engine at 8000 - 12,000 RPM. Wear and tear compared to a standard vehicle is less than half.

The Electric motor will easily last the life of the vehicle. In 6 years of working with these vehicles I have not seen any motor fail.

Spare parts are available from wreckers and are well priced. Don't fall for those astronomical prices quoted for new parts by Toyota dealers. They are priced not to sell.

Buying A Generation Two Prius

What to look for when buying a Generation Two Prius Hybrid ( 2000 - 2003 )
Model : NHW11
Dimensions : 4305L 1595W 1465H
Year Manufactured : 1997 - 2000
Petrol Engine  : 44Kw, 1500cc
Electric Motor : 33Kw,  258 Nm torque
Max RPM : 4500, ( 0 - 100 ) 13.0 Secs
Battery : 273.6 volts, 52 Kg
Fuel Economy : 21 Km/L or 4.9L/100Kms

For those who don't know anything about and have never driven a hybrid - BEWARE.
Buy from a reputed dealer and one who knows and can support this new technology.
A hybrid is a great and reliable vehicle but because the electric motor and the petrol engine have to work together problems in engine side will affect the battery.

The Generation 2 Prius is slightly roomier and more powerful than the Generation1. As the new modular cell packs are used, these are easily available and there is no issues in getting replacement cells for the foreseeable future. These cost a few thousand more than the Generation One but if your budget can accommodate the extra cost it will be worth it.

Look for the following
1) Vehicle must have a good reconditioned battery and a Power Jockey Installed.

Hybrid batteries last between 7 - 10 years. By now if the battery has not been reconditioned and a Power Jockey installed, the battery will soon fail and the car will be inoperable.




2) Check to ensure that the vehicle is fully maintained and serviced.
     Spark Plugs : 20,000 Kms if Irridium 100,000 Kms
     MAF Sensor : 80,000 Kms
     Oxygen Sensors : 120,000 Kms
     Service parts wear out and have to be replaced for the vehicle to operate efficiently.
     If possible a scan should be done to ensure that the sensors are working correctly.

If you take care to inquire about these two aspect of the vehicle, you can be assured that the vehicle will work for many years. The Battery Clinic assures us that the battery pack can last the life of the vehicle with the occasional battery repair and cell replacement every 2 to 3 years costing about $400.

The Petrol engine is tough and very reliable. It should be able to clock up 500,000 Kms and still show little wear and tear. For one the engine does not work all the time and it red lines at 4000 RPM compared to a normal petrol engine at 8000 - 12,000 RPM. Wear and tear compared to a standard vehicle is less than half.

The Electric motor will easily last the life of the vehicle. In 6 years of working with these vehicles I have not seen any motor fail.

Spare parts are available from wreckers and are well priced. Don't fall for those astronomical prices quoted for new parts by Toyota dealers. They are priced not to sell.

36.5 Kilometers Per Liter ( 2.7 Liters per 100 Kilometers )

The Power Jockey not only stabilizes the terminal voltage of the main battery bank, but further  augments its storage capacity using an auxiliary accumulator based on electro-chemistry of your choice and cost. This will provide larger storage of regenerative and kinetic energy thus reducing cost and emissions of combustion engine usage.

Dr. Patrick Yong
Chief Executive Officer
Yokohama Industries Berhad

Assessment by Dr Patrick Yong who has a PHD in electrical storage systems on the Power Jockey. A scientific explanation as to how and why it works. Test was conducted on 4 Toyota hybrid models with dual 12 volt battery system. The results are as follows

1) 1998 Prius Generation 1. This vehicle was exhibiting weak main battery symptoms. It would turtle (low power) now and then and was returning around 18 kms/L. After installation of the new Power Jockey system there was a perceptible improvement in power and performance and fuel economy was now 21 kms/L. A full tank of gas previously recorded 600 kms but increased to 750 kms. This was a 25% improvement with nothing else done to the vehicle other than installation of the Power Jockey. The occasional turtle also ceased to appear.

2) 2001 Prius Generation 2. This vehicle was doing 20 kms/L. After installation it was returning 25 kms/L.

3) 2004 prius Generation 3. This vehicle was returning 21 kms/L. After installation it was returning 24 kms/L highway driving and 27 Kms/L city driving. The discrepancy here was that in city driving around 50 KPH it was able to run in electric mode alone quite easily. On the highway the petrol engine was engaged more often. Many of these model Prius are only returning 16-18 kms/L due to ageing of the HVB. We can improve it to 24 kms/L simply by installing the Power Jockey system.

4) 2004 Estima Hybrid. This vehicle was recording 10.5 kms/L city and 12 kms/L highway. The hybrid has a 2400 cc petrol engine wand when it starts up to charge the batteries fuel consumption increased. After installation of the Power Jockey we recorded 13.5 kms/L city driving and 15.8 kms/L highway. We believe we can improve highway economy to 17 kms/L as with the bigger engine the regen and inertia issues seem to cancel out and provided the vehicle with better efficiency. Results for the Estima differs from the Prius due to the size of the engine giving it better highway performance.

What this means is that the Power Jockey system can increase the fuel economy of an already very fuel efficient vehicle by 25% or more.

Below is a test done earlier last year. 

Is this the pushing the limit in fuel economy for a Hybrid? We think it is close. In a recent test on the effect of a Power Jockey on a Toyota NHW20 Prius, we managed to achieve 36.5 Kilometers per liter in city driving conditions.




Official Fuel Economy

Will hybrid cars replace gasoline cars?

In the Prius the gasoline engine has been stripped off many all it's usual moving parts that break down routinely such as the starter motor, distributor cam belts and much more making it a very efficient unit with little that can go wrong - engine wise.

Many cars have been driven for up to 10 years and more with nothing more than oil change, every 2 years and spark plugs only once in that time. This is possible because the engine don't run all the time, possibly only for half the distance the odometer clocked up as in cruise mode and at low speeds the engine does not operate. When it does run it is also at much lower RPM than regular gasoline engine. One would expect the hybrid vehicle to have a much longer useful life than normal gasoline vehicle, except for 1 flaw - The Battery.

After 10 years the battery can cost more than the value of the vehicle to replace. With existing  average age of a country's vehicle fleet at about 15 years this makes the hybrid vehicle more expensive to run and more damaging to the environment in terms of resources used, despite the fact that it is much more economical in fuel consumption. This fact alone makes it an elitist plaything and accounts for it's very poor resale value.

What the hybrid vehicle needs is an enabling technology that can extend that life of the hybrid's main battery. The Power Jockey is one such invention. It enables a much weaker battery to work with the hybrid vehicle drive system.

If we assume that the main battery needs to be at 70% of it's designed strength to function in the vehicle drive train and this position is reached after 7 - 10 years, the Power Jockey can lower this minimum requirement to say 50%. This could stretch the expected useful life of the battery to between 12 - 15 years.

If we add reconditioning and rebuilding of the main battery pack above the minimum capacity threshold we could conceivably extend the useful life of that same single main battery pack for the rest of the useful life of the vehicle. Perhaps 20 - 25 years.

Article in Wall Street Journal 24 September 2012 reports that already 26% of all Toyota's vehicle sales in Japan are Hybrids, while in the US it sold only 176,000 hybrids into the 1.6 million annual vehicle sold there. Toyota predicts that they will sell 1 million hybrids anually by 2015.

TOKYO—Toyota Motor Corp. 7203.TO +0.85% put its weight behind hybrids on Monday, disclosing plans to roll out 21 new or redesigned gasoline-electric powered vehicles by the end of 2015 and playing down the near-term outlook for other alternative-fuel technologies such as all-electric vehicles.

The Japanese auto maker predicted its sales of hybrid models world-wide will likely top 1 million this year and every year through 2015.

While the rollout and forecast signal Toyota's confidence in its hybrid strategy, the company acknowledges costs must still be cut further to increase profitability and spur sales.

"Profits from conventional [gas] powered cars are still higher, so we need to reduce hybrid costs more in order to promote their diffusion," Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's vice chairman and R&D head, said at a news conference.

Hybrids are becoming more mainstream in Japan. Toyota's sales of the gasoline-electric vehicles last year reached 310,000, or 26% of its total sales. But they remain a niche in other key markets such as the U.S. Last year, Toyota sold 178,587 hybrid models in the U.S., just a fraction of the 1.64 million vehicles it sold there overall in 2011.

The Japanese auto maker has high hopes for its "plug-in" hybrid, which can be refueled either at the gas pump or by plugging in to a standard electrical outlet. Cumulative sales of its Prius PHV, which debuted earlier this year, reached 15,600 last month, including 8,400 in Japan, 6,100 in the U.S. and 1,100 in Europe.

At the same, time Toyota plans to sell just 100 models of its newest electric vehicle, a subcompact EV called "eQ." That contrasts with rival Nissan Motor Co.,7201.TO +0.78% which has bet big on EVs with its Leaf compact.

Mr. Uchiyamada said Toyota is moving ahead with plans to localize production in China of hybrid engines by 2015 and hopes to follow suit in the U.S., but said the auto maker has made no decision yet on that.

"We are looking into it, but we haven't reached a formal decision or made any specific plans yet," he said.

Earlier this year, the company announced plans to shift production of its Highlander SUV hybrid to a plant in Indiana, but the core engine components-such as motors, batteries and converters-will continue to be exported from Japan.

Beyond the main thrust into hybrids, Japan's No. 1 auto maker also laid out its strategy in other fields of environmental technology, such as all-electric and fuel cell-powered vehicles. Toyota is tiptoeing into EVs with its first sales this year, and it won't begin commercial sales of a fuel cell vehicle for at least three years.

Mr. Uchiyamada indicated that proprietary technology makes FCVs hold more promising than EVs. "Anybody can make EVs, but that is not the case for FCVs," he said. "So we see a lot more potential in FCVs."

Toyota will begin sales of a compact SUV with an electric engine made by Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA +0.88% this week in the U.S. market, where it hopes to sell 2,600 of the $49,800 RAV4 EVs over a three-year period. The company will also introduce its eQ to such clients as local governments in the U.S. and Japan in December and China sometime next year, but sales of the ¥3.6 million ($46,146) vehicle will be limited to 100 units.

The auto maker said it would launch a fuel cell-powered sedan "around 2015" in Japan, North America and Europe, and collaborate with subsidiary Hino Motors Ltd.HINOY -0.31% to debut a fuel cell bus in 2016. It projected sales of FCVs in the "tens of thousands" by the 2020s.

Separately, Panasonic Corp. 6752.TO +7.21% said Monday it will provide Toyota with lithium-ion batteries for the eQ. Panasonic has a track record with batteries used in eco-friendly vehicles, demand for which is growing amid environmental concerns and higher oil prices.

Panasonic has supplied lithium-ion batteries for Toyota's Prius Plug-in and Prius Alpha hybrids.

—Hiroyuki Kachi contributed to this article.

Write to Chester Dawson at chester.dawson@wsj.com

For more information about the Power Jockey go to The Battery Clinic website www.thebatteryclinic.com.

Can I Gurantee That The Power Jockey Works?

 I have been asked this question by hybrid vehicle owners wanting to have their batteries reconditioned and having the Power Jockey fitted.

Can I guarantee that it will work?

This is a great question and I think you should look at it both ways.

The Main battery is getting old. It was calculated to last 7 years
That in itself is a feat as the same batteries (NIMH cells ) used
in drills last between 6 months to 1 year if used every day. Obviously it is the
way that the battery is used that gives it the long life span.

With reconditioning we try to extend this "life span" This is done
by bringing the battery to within accepted levels as detected by the
vehicles systems. Though some have gone 3 years after reconditioning
most have failed again within 2 years, Batteries after reconditioning
are still fragile and cannot take on too much stress.

When these batteries are approaching 12 years old reconditioning does not
seem to be enough to keep them within the acceptable limits of the vehicle
operating systems. This is why we developed the Power Jockey as a
battery augmentation system.  So far as we know, from the installations
since the beginning of November, there have been no failures in the 20
installations and counting. Results are encouraging. In fact they are beyond
my expectations.

We have not stopped there. By January we will introduce the Power Saddle
(now under test) which fits on the power Jockey and really puts a "tiger in
  the tank" These two developments stretches the "life span " envelop of
HEV batteries, hopefully (fingers crossed) for the remaining life of the vehicle.

Now, can I guarantee? Well I don't have enough information to guarantee.
It's like having an untested cure for a terminal condition. Without it you
haven't got a vehicle. Do you want to be one of the first to try?

The only guarantee I can give you at this stage is a year warranty on your
battery after you install the Power Jockey.

I have tried the system and It makes the car incredibly powerful. How it can work is still a mystery to me as, if it was that good, why haven't Toyota or others smarter than I, discovered it?  Ehmm - Perhaps they haven't looked here yet!!

The Power Jockey

Development Of The Power Jockey

As the HEV battery ages the weaker cells will fail as soon as they are stress beyond their ability to maintain the discharge current. Battery reconditioning mainly replaces the weakest cells and equalises the capacity of all the cells in the battery pack. The next weakest cell will still collapse as it fails to  maintain the discharge current. We have come to a point where unless we find a way to protect the cells from failure we had to stop HEV battery reconditioning altogether.

We need to find another way to help these weakened cells. The answer seem to be in our stress test where we subject the battery sub pack to 100 amps of load. We discarded cells that cannot maintain 5.6 volts. The idea was to prevent the cells from being discharged below this voltage. The most important feature was that it had to be working whenever the car is in use. This lead us to the two phase boost augmentation system.

Everything points to the fact that this can't work because we are just using the petrol engine for the augmentation system and it must surely be more inefficient! However we proceeded to prototype development and trials on a hunch that contary to percieve logic it may work.

The Power Jockey

It is called the Power Jockey because, like a 50kg jockey controlling a 1000kg animal, The Power Jockey only output a mere 1000 watts ( for the prototype) but controls a motor that operates at 33,000 watts.

The system is comprised of two operating phases.

The first is the base voltage support phase. For the prototype this function was performed by a 12 volt 1000 watts inverter outputting 230 volts AC. This phase ensures that the minimum voltage output by the system is 230 volts. At this minimum voltage each sub pack is arrested from dropping below a predefined voltage ( 6 volts in the case of the prototype ) thereby preventing excessive discharge and sub pack failure.

The second is the voltage boost phase. For the prototype this function was taken up by the rectifier and the capacitor which rectified and boost the current to 350 volts DC. Power output between 230 volts and 350 volts “rides” in support of the voltage of the hybrid battery pack. This feature delivers slightly more power to the electric drive. The overall result being to keep the ICE comfortably within it's efficient operating range hence more power and fuel economy.

A distinguishing feature of this invention is that it derives it's power from the vehicle's own (12 volt) charging system. This enable the system to operate independent of any support batteries, as the 12 volt charging system is always on hand whenever the vehicle is operating, The Power Jockey is always “available and working”.

Benefits of the Power Jockey

1. Overall increase in power to the vehicle as a more efficient electric drive also contributes towards a more powerful ICE motor as both are now working within it's best effective range.
2. More power leads to better fuel economy. The vehicle engages the silent drive more often. The ICE does not have to labour in the low REV range where it is inefficient. Acceleration is smooth and quick.
3. Protects the battery sub packs from failure by preventing the battery pack voltage from falling below the critical threshold where the sud packs will be damaged under load.
4. Allows a weak or even damaged battery pack to work with the vehicle as the parallel voltage tricks the car computer into accepting that the overall battery pack voltage is normal. Holding up the base operating voltage prevents the ICE from disengaging itself from the drive train.
5. Using power from the vehicle's own charging system, ensures that the Power Jockey is working all the time.
6. Simplicity of the design and quality component used in it's manufacture ensures that the Power Jockey is robust and reliable.
7. The unit is small and compact and is easily mounted in the boot of the vehicle occupying very little space.
8. As the unit only needs to be connected to the battery and the vehicle's charging system installation is a simple matter and can be accomplished by the vehicle's owner although it is recommended this job is done by a professional. Even if installed by a professional it's simplicity means low cost of installation.
9. Cost of the Power Jockey is low. It is less than a fraction of the cost of a new battery pack replacement and even less than the cost of reconditioning the battery. Vehicle owners can even choose to just replace damage cells in their battery pack which is cheaper than a full battery reconditioning service.
10. If installed in a new vehicle or with a new battery pack it will extend the life of the battery as the battery pack will have a shallower depth of charge and discharge.
11. It is conceivable that with the Power Jockey installed the battery pack could last the life of the vehicle purely because the owner can never accidentally or intentionally stress the battery beyond the point where sub pack damage occurs.
12. Expensive parts such as air flow meters and plugs on coils that have to be changed even with little deterioration in efficiency because loss of power in the ICE quickly leads to battery pack failure as more load is placed on the electric motor. With the Power Jockey installed these expensive parts can be used longer leading to less maintenance cost.
13. People purchase a hybrid because they save on fuel and as a result it is good for the environment. Their only concern is the cost of battery pack replacement and the reliability of an older battery. With the Power Jockey installed we are confident that this fear can be completely ameliorated.
14. Once confidence in the reliability of the hybrid vehicle is established these vehicles will have good resale value and many more people will choose to change over to hybrid and electric vehicles which will mean huge savings to the economy and benefits to our environment.
15. The inverter also allows the vehicle to be used as a generator, when 230 volt AC is required in off grid locations or in the instance of a blackout. When used as a generator the ICE will turn itself on and off automatically.

Buying a Generation One Toyota Prius

What to look for when buying a Generation One Prius Hybrid ( 1997 - 2000 )
Model : NHW10
Dimensions : 4305L 1595W 1465H
Year Manufactured : 1997 - 2000
Petrol Engine  : 33Kw, 1500cc
Electric Motor : 30Kw,  225 Nm torque
Max RPM : 4000, ( 0 - 100 ) 14.5 Secs
Battery : 288 volts, 57 Kg
Fuel Economy : 20 Km/L or 5L/100Kms

For those who don't know anything about and have never driven a hybrid - BEWARE. You can easily end up buying a lemon. Buy from a reputed dealer and one who knows and can support this new technology.

Look for the following
1) Vehicle must have a good reconditioned battery and a Power Jockey Installed.

Hybrid batteries last between 7 - 10 years. By now if the battery has not been reconditioned and a Power Jockey installed, the battery will soon fail and the car will be inoperable.




2) Check to ensure that the vehicle is fully maintained and serviced.
     Spark Plugs : 20,000 Kms if Irridium 100,000 Kms
     MAF Sensor : 80,000 Kms
     Oxygen Sensors : 120,000 Kms
     Service parts wear out and have to be replaced for the vehicle to operate efficiently.
     If possible a scan should be done to ensure that the sensors are working correctly.

If you take care to inquire about these two aspect of the vehicle, you can be assured that the vehicle will work for many years. The Battery Clinic assures us that the battery pack can last the life of the vehicle with the occasional battery repair and cell replacement every 2 to 3 years costing about $400.

The Petrol engine is tough and very reliable. It should be able to clock up 500,000 Kms and still show little wear and tear. For one the engine does not work all the time and it red lines at 4000 RPM compared to a normal petrol engine at 8000 - 12,000 RPM. Wear and tear compared to a standard vehicle is less than half.

In New Zealand a fully reconditioned and Power Jockey equipped Generation One Prius sells for more than $5000. These vehicles are sought after because they still have a fuel economy of 20 Kms/litre. 

The Electric motor will easily last the life of the vehicle. In 6 years of working with these vehicles I have not seen any motor fail.

Spare parts are available from wreckers and are well priced. Don't fall for those astronomical prices quoted for new parts by Toyota dealers. They are priced not to sell.