Reality check on electric cars

Jarod said:
My car has segmented batteries, so if one goes bad, you only have to replace that one. Do your research.
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Not practical. The entire pack must be replaced. That's $30,000 using a rebuilt pack on a Chevy Volt, not $4000.
The battery replacement procedure is dangerous on the Volt, and must be done in a facility designed to handle it due to the fire hazard.

At least the battery pack on these things are easier to get at than the Tesla packs, only requiring removal of upholstery panels and part of a seat. Removing it, however, requires installing safeties, disconnecting it from it's air supply, disconnecting it from it's charging terminal, disconnecting it from it's discharge terminal, disconnecting mounts and support brackets, and using a specially designed lift to remove the battery from the car (two sturdy guys can substitute for the lift, using slide mats).

Once a pack is replaced, the old one can be rebuilt, using a very tedious job of identifying the bad batteries in the pack and replacing them. This requires a specially equipped workbench constructed for this purpose. Replacement cells must be reasonably matched to the existing cells. A rebuilt pack can be expected to last about 3/4 as long as a new pack.

Tesla packs are not rebuildable. The pack is sent back to Tesla to be destroyed and recover what lithium they can. Replacing these is about $50,000 (or $65,000 for the long range pack). The pack must be dropped out from under the car using a special lift. Again, the entire operation must be carried out in facilities designed for this purpose, due to the fire hazard. To remove a Tesla pack, you must disconnect it's air supply, drain the coolant and disconnect that, drain the motor oil and remove the motors, safety the battery, disconnect the charge and discharge ports, disconnect the mechanicals (cross braces, rails, and mounting brackets), lower the battery on the specially constructed lift, install the new battery pack, fill the coolant, mount the motors and realign their output shafts, fill the oil, connect up all electrical connections, reconnect the air supply, then finally reload the computer (since it lost power).

Replacing a lead acid battery on a gasoline car of FADEC design (the way they are all built these days) can be done yourself. Simply purchase a replacement battery of the correct size at your local Walmart or auto part store (about $100-150), use a small wrench (quite probably a 7mm or 10mm) to undue the ground terminal, then the positive terminal. Remove the hold down bracket and pull the battery out (it's somewhat heavy!). Install the replacement and reverse the procedure. Then make sure the headlights, AC, and fans are off and start the engine from dead cold and let it idle to full operating temperature without pressing the accelerator pedal or moving the car. This reprograms the throttle body assembly for hot idle. That information was lost when you disconnected the battery.

Then go for a drive and enjoy your new battery which will typically last about 5 years!


Frankly, it's easier and cheaper to pull the engine and replace it on a Subaru then to replace these battery packs (My record for pulling a Subaru engine is 12 minutes, done on a GL wagon).
 
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Into the Night said:
Not practical. The entire pack must be replaced. That's $30,000 on a Chevy Volt, not $4000.
The battery replacement procedure is dangerous on the Volt, and must be done in a facility designed to handle it due to the fire hazard.

At least the battery pack on these things are easier to get at than the Tesla packs.
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I do not drive a volt.
 
Into the Night said:
You don't know what you drive????????!? I guess that means you're embarrassed about your car.
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Shhhh....


shopping



...don't tell him I told you :speaknoevil:
 
Nordberg said:
Define much. We drive every day. But rarely more than 50 miles. The rest of America drives less than 50 a day. GM did an exhaustive study before they made the Volt. For close by shopping, I walk. A mile for 2 is no big deal.
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I got my late aunt's 2014 Chevy Malibu in January of 2020. It had 17K miles on the clock.

It has over 118K on it now.

I have several cars, but that's my daily driver...
 
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