When considering the potential purchase of a hybrid car for the first time, most people hesitate slightly in the knowledge that under the hood, hybrid cars are somewhat different from conventional gasoline powered cars. Most people are aware that hybrid cars have battery-powered motors and this brings to the surface one or two uncertainties. It would therefore be advantageous to look more closely at the facts about battery packs used in modern hybrid cars.
Hybrid car battery packs should never need replacing
Unlike batteries in conventional cars, which need replacing every three or four years, hybrid car battery packs are warranted for between eight and ten years. They not only can last much longer but usually outlast the life of the rest of the car. In terms of mileage, they are designed to last between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, which in today's terms is way beyond the life expectancy of the normal car.
Hybrid batteries are designed to be recyclable
In conventional cars, the batteries utilise rechargeable Nickel Cadmium elements that when disposed of give some toxic waste concerns. The design of hybrid car batteries utilises a NiMH construction that is fully recyclable and produce much reduced toxic waste effects.
Hybrid batteries contain hundreds of cells
Conventional car batteries have very few cells and the deterioration of any one of them can have a catastrophic effect on performance. Hybrid car batteries are constructed with hundreds of cells, which at first glance would indicate a problem of complexity and possibly less reliability. Modern construction methods ensure this is not the case and in fact the sheer number of cells means that should one or two deteriorate, over all performance remains relatively unaffected. This is clearly reflected in the length of warranty the battery manufacturers are prepared to give and should therefore give rise to no anxiety when purchasing a hybrid car.
The rate of hyrid car battery pack failure is negligible
The battery failure rate on hybrid cars in normal use is so low its difficult to quantify. Where a faulty or failing battery has been produced, it will usually be found before you take delivery from the dealer. Toyota has issued statistics that show some of its hybrid battery packs have lasted for over 300,000 miles. All of this once again is reflected in the length of warranty given by the manufacturers.
No need to budget for replacement hybrid battery costs
Once again this comes back to the fact that warranties are for eight to ten years and the fact that batteries are known to last for hundreds of thousands of miles. The U.S. Department of Energy commenced tests to show the decline in power of hybrid car battery packs over distance in use. It actually terminated its testing when after 160,000 miles it could detect no discernable drop in battery capacity and described the performance still to be 'as new'.
Hybrid battery packs have still to be fully developed
All auto manufacturers and their suppliers have continuing development programs and hybrid battery packs are no exception. The battery industry is targeting new technology in order to produce more powerful and more efficient battery capacity, reduced manufacturing costs and therefore lower prices, together with extending even further the efficient working life of the battery pack.
After the warranty period you can still refurbish a hybrid battery pack
So, somewhere down the line you own a hybrid car more than ten years old with more than 200,000 miles on the clock and the battery pack starts playing up. No problems. You can just refurbish the battery pack. The hundreds of cells within the packs are divided up into 28 separate modules. All you have to do is replace the faulty module with a non-faulty one from another pack of similar mileage and age. The latter point is essential as the replacement cells have to have the same chemical performance as the ones in the other 27 modules.
Taking into account the above facts, it can be seen that there should be little cause for anxiety about battery packs when contemplating the purchase of a hybrid car.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Do Electric Car Conversions Really Work?
Many people ask me if it is really possible to convert a car from gas to electric power. It is not only possible, but it is easy and relatively inexpensive to do.
Now there are several ways to convert a car to electric power from gas. For example there might be mechanics around that will do it for you, but you might as well try to find a new one for the price they'll charge you. You can also buy a kit, which will run you between $3000 and $8000. A kit usually comes with all the electrical components and instructions. Be aware though that purchased conversion kits never include the batteries you need. Since an electric car won't run without batteries, you must figure on another $1000 or more for those.
A far better solution and my favorite method is to do it yourself using inexpensive reconditioned parts you can get second hand. You have the choice of using a DC electric motor or an AC electric motor. DC motors are heavier and don't produce as much power as AC. However, DC motors are much less expensive than AC and a lot easier to install.
For this reason, we always choose a used DC motor. A decent DC motor that you can get very cheap (and free in a lot of cases) will outlast just about any car you put it in, so it makes no sense to spend the extra money on a new AC motor for your electric car conversion.
Your DC motor will need to be in the 9 to 13 inch range. A motor of this size will have enough power to achieve a top speed of 50 MPH or more. The amount of current that flows from the batteries to the motor determines how fast the car can go and this flow is regulated by a controller, which is also necessary. The controller is connected to your old gas pedal linkage for smooth vehicle control.
The conversion requires an on board battery charger in order to charge your batteries between trips. Just plug it in to any common household AC circuit and simply charge it up overnight. To achieve a range of 200 miles between charges, the car will need about 20 deep cycle batteries. There are a number of sources for acquiring these very cheap and often free.
This type of battery will discharge further and charge more quickly than regular car batteries, which is why they are named deep-cycle, because they permit and stand up to greater and more frequent draining, as opposed to the battery used by gas powered vehicles. Deep cycle batteries can regularly be discharged down to 30% before they need to be recharged.
Always remember to select a car that is small and light to enhance performance, but not so small that you cant fit the necessary batteries inside the storage area(s). Common sense I know, but still - you might be surprised how many people overlook this detail.
Now there are several ways to convert a car to electric power from gas. For example there might be mechanics around that will do it for you, but you might as well try to find a new one for the price they'll charge you. You can also buy a kit, which will run you between $3000 and $8000. A kit usually comes with all the electrical components and instructions. Be aware though that purchased conversion kits never include the batteries you need. Since an electric car won't run without batteries, you must figure on another $1000 or more for those.
A far better solution and my favorite method is to do it yourself using inexpensive reconditioned parts you can get second hand. You have the choice of using a DC electric motor or an AC electric motor. DC motors are heavier and don't produce as much power as AC. However, DC motors are much less expensive than AC and a lot easier to install.
For this reason, we always choose a used DC motor. A decent DC motor that you can get very cheap (and free in a lot of cases) will outlast just about any car you put it in, so it makes no sense to spend the extra money on a new AC motor for your electric car conversion.
Your DC motor will need to be in the 9 to 13 inch range. A motor of this size will have enough power to achieve a top speed of 50 MPH or more. The amount of current that flows from the batteries to the motor determines how fast the car can go and this flow is regulated by a controller, which is also necessary. The controller is connected to your old gas pedal linkage for smooth vehicle control.
The conversion requires an on board battery charger in order to charge your batteries between trips. Just plug it in to any common household AC circuit and simply charge it up overnight. To achieve a range of 200 miles between charges, the car will need about 20 deep cycle batteries. There are a number of sources for acquiring these very cheap and often free.
This type of battery will discharge further and charge more quickly than regular car batteries, which is why they are named deep-cycle, because they permit and stand up to greater and more frequent draining, as opposed to the battery used by gas powered vehicles. Deep cycle batteries can regularly be discharged down to 30% before they need to be recharged.
Always remember to select a car that is small and light to enhance performance, but not so small that you cant fit the necessary batteries inside the storage area(s). Common sense I know, but still - you might be surprised how many people overlook this detail.
Hearing Aid Batteries Needs Reliable Battery Testers
For anyone who relies on any kind of assistive listening devices to augment their hearing, it is very important to take extra measures to be sure that the hearing devices are always working at an optimal level. Hearing aid batteries are a very fundamental aspect of ensuring that hearing aids are functioning correctly and fully for the best benefit and to make sure that you enjoy a better hearing environment.
There are many different sizes and models of batteries for hearing aids and they are unique to the particular model of hearing aid that you have. Normally, when you are first fitted for them, they will come with a set of batteries pre-installed and with a couple of additional sets of back-up batteries as well.
The life expectancy of various types of hearing aid batteries will be different according to both the type of battery itself and also the kind of hearing device in which it will be used. The amount of time that a hearing aid is used each day on a regular basis will also play a role in the life of the battery.
A general rule of thumb is that the batteries for them should be changed every ten days to two weeks, although you may find that you need to change them more frequently or less frequently. It is a good idea to keep track of how often you need to change them so that you can identify a pattern, in order to anticipate the supply that you will need to keep on hand.
In order to help you get the maximum use from a set of batteries for them, it is often useful to purchase a hearing aid battery tester. Such a battery testing device can help you identify the point at which your batteries have begun to lose power and are at a level where they need to be replaced. This is a better method than simply trying to listen to changes in the quality of the sound you are hearing through the hearing aids.
Another reason why this is important is because, as the batteries for them lose power, the assistive listening devices are not able to work at their optimal level of performance. When this happens your hearing can actually be damaged more by wearing them with worn out batteries because of distortions that can result.
A good battery tester can also be useful in troubleshooting when your hearing aid products develop some type of problem. Using a tester will quickly show you if the problem you are having is simply a matter of drained batteries or if there is some other problem that is not related to the batteries at all. This should also help avoid throwing out perfectly good batteries in the course of trying to fix the problem.
The best type of hearing aid battery tester will include some type of readout that shows you on a scale the amount of life that is left in the batteries. It should also be a good, durable model that will last for many years of consistent usage and it will be most convenient if it holds multiple hearing aid batteries. There are even some models available that have storage compartments where you can keep your spare batteries.
There are many different sizes and models of batteries for hearing aids and they are unique to the particular model of hearing aid that you have. Normally, when you are first fitted for them, they will come with a set of batteries pre-installed and with a couple of additional sets of back-up batteries as well.
The life expectancy of various types of hearing aid batteries will be different according to both the type of battery itself and also the kind of hearing device in which it will be used. The amount of time that a hearing aid is used each day on a regular basis will also play a role in the life of the battery.
A general rule of thumb is that the batteries for them should be changed every ten days to two weeks, although you may find that you need to change them more frequently or less frequently. It is a good idea to keep track of how often you need to change them so that you can identify a pattern, in order to anticipate the supply that you will need to keep on hand.
In order to help you get the maximum use from a set of batteries for them, it is often useful to purchase a hearing aid battery tester. Such a battery testing device can help you identify the point at which your batteries have begun to lose power and are at a level where they need to be replaced. This is a better method than simply trying to listen to changes in the quality of the sound you are hearing through the hearing aids.
Another reason why this is important is because, as the batteries for them lose power, the assistive listening devices are not able to work at their optimal level of performance. When this happens your hearing can actually be damaged more by wearing them with worn out batteries because of distortions that can result.
A good battery tester can also be useful in troubleshooting when your hearing aid products develop some type of problem. Using a tester will quickly show you if the problem you are having is simply a matter of drained batteries or if there is some other problem that is not related to the batteries at all. This should also help avoid throwing out perfectly good batteries in the course of trying to fix the problem.
The best type of hearing aid battery tester will include some type of readout that shows you on a scale the amount of life that is left in the batteries. It should also be a good, durable model that will last for many years of consistent usage and it will be most convenient if it holds multiple hearing aid batteries. There are even some models available that have storage compartments where you can keep your spare batteries.
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