Hybrid Goodness pt2

[den]

The Prius uses a giant NiCad battery that has a 5 year warranty and will cost AU$520 to replace if it fails after the 5 years.

The Monaro only has a 12volt battery, of course.

I should also mention that the "keyless" system on the Prius means that you have to carry the key with you to operate the car, you don't have to insert a serrated metal tab into a slot. It's not "keyless" in that you don't need a key. It's a wireless key.

The fully tricked out Prius costs about the same as a Monaro. The environmentalist in me is tugging me toward the Prius, while the rev-head Bloke genes are dragging me toward the Monaro. My poor wallet is caught up in the middlle, screaming "KEEP! THE CAMRY! KEEP THE CAMRY!"

I like my Camry. The 3 litre V6 keeps the Bloke Genes and the Environmentalist reasonably satisfied.

Comments

Re: NiCads

[ursuscal.livejournal.com]

When I said "gradual discharge" I meant that it doesn't go from "I'm full and happy" to "to bad, so sad, bye-bye!" The discharge slope is still rather steep in LiIon and NiMH batteries, but shows enough early warning if you're monitoring voltage to know that a charge will be needed soon. My Sony Nightshot palmcorder, for example, has a "smart" Lithium Ion battery, that actually tells the camera how many hours of useable charge it has left. There is almost no way to do this with a NiCad battery, unless it's just a timer that tries to predict the charge cycle. Problem is, as the battery gets older, the discharge curve gets worse. Also, although Lithium and Nickel are not exactly safe heavy metals, they're a darn sight safer than cadmium, and somewhat easier to safely dispose of.