Subtitle: Certified Hymotion Installation Partners, Why, What Did You Think Those Canadians Were Selling Us?
I just finished saying that A123 was at the top of my shopping list for large format, lithium iron phosphate batteries because of their qualify, safety, and performance. Green Car Congress now relays word that A123Systems has launched Hymotion PHEV Conversion Module for Prius.
A123Systems acquired Hymotion in February 2007. This blog expressed concern that this was a strategy to foreshorten further success of the kit builder, especially with A123Systems committed to providing batteries while forging alliances with EV1-crushing General Motors and NiMH hoarding Cobasys. Thus, it is good to know that A123Systems has fully launched the Hymotion L5 plug-in hybrid module.
“The L5 module fits in the spare wheel well of the Prius, preserving trunk space.” The Hymotion kit is “designed to convert a Toyota Prius, model years 2004 – 2008, into a plug-in hybrid capable of achieving up to 100 mpg for 30-40 miles within the electrically assisted driving range,” a range achievable with A123 lithium batteries.
The 5 kWh L5 Plug-in Conversion Module (PCM) is priced at $9,995, which includes a three-year standard warranty and installation. Currently, Hymotion is only conducting L5 installations in the United States through Certified Hymotion Installation Partners (Green CHIP dealers). Canadian vehicles can be brought to US installation locations.
” These conversions will provide valuable additional durability tests of their battery,” notes GCC commentator Henrik, “and it will help a little to scale up production of batteries. It will also importantly help to brand A123 as a leading manufacturer of auto grade batteries.”
A123 even did a full scale crash test certification of their product. There is a video on their web that looks quite convincing to me at least. The battery certainly doesn’t explode although it looks as if it is completely smashed.
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“The A123 module carries 5,000 watt-hours of usable energy, compared with about 300 watt-hours for the battery that is built into the Prius,” and, according to NY Times reporter Matthew L. Wald, A123 says its battery will withstand 7,000 cycles of full charge and then discharge. At a charge a day, that is longer than the likely life of the Prius.
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[...] is that the Prius can become an enhanced hybrid (PlugIn if you want to call it that) [e.g., Hymotion kit with A123 Li-ion batteries] allowing greater amounts of electricity to be used from a larger battery pack charged externally. [...]