Lithium batter for insight - Any options yet?

[vmirjamali]

Hi,
I'm curious if anyone is working or has for a sale a drop in lithium version of the insight battery. I know eli has the upgraded 8 amp nimh drop in, and that's great, but curious if there's a viable lithium alternative.

Thanks!

[retepsnikrep]

There certainly isn't a drop in version yet ASFAIK.
Several people claim to be working on a commerical one but we haven't see it yet.

It is possible to run lithium cells in the car as I have done so for 3 years in two of my cars. But it's a lot of work to get it up and running. Searching on here will pull up all the Lithium car data and threads.

Phev Insight

A123 20ah Lithium Install

Lifebatt 8ah OEM Battery Case Install

[GuySmily]

I hadn't actually read through those threads until now. That completed A123 pack in the stock box is truly a thing of beauty.

[jonnyvtec]

2013 CRZ Update with the lithium pack upgrades it to a 144V 15KW system...

Convinient

[samwichse]

Totally offtopic, but did you see that Honda actually INCREASED the final drive ratio for the '13 CR-Z? People were complaining about it winding along the highway in 6th, and they went and made it even worse!

Old final drive: 4.11
New final drive: 4.294

For reference, the transmission's gearing remains the same at:
1st - 3.143
2nd - 1.870
3rd - 1.303
4th - 1.054
5th - 0.854
6th - 0.689

Sheesh Honda, what are you doing?

[02insight]

Originally Posted by jonnyvtec

2013 CRZ Update with the lithium pack upgrades it to a 144V 15KW system...

Convinient

well the civic hybrid update also was a 144v but 20kw system, but thats been out for 2012.

Cant wait for these cars to start showing up in junkyards.

[jonnyvtec]

Originally Posted by 02insight

well the civic hybrid update also was a 144v but 20kw system, but thats been out for 2012.

Cant wait for these cars to start showing up in junkyards.

Civic Hybrid was 167 V NiMh and 15kW. I dont know the details on the Lithium system in the Civic, if it is 144V aswell maybe its the battery update and hence the 10kW motor in the CRZ can be bumped to 15kW but going to 20kW is too much.

The Civic going from 15kW to 20kW is much more palatable and probably the limit of the battery?

EDIT:
Looking on Honda site they quote 144V and 23 horsepower so more like 17kW

[theaveng]

Originally Posted by samwichse

Totally offtopic, but did you see that Honda actually INCREASED the final drive ratio for the '13 CR-Z? People were complaining about it winding along the highway in 6th, and they went and made it even worse!
Old final drive: 4.11
New final drive: 4.294

"Winding along the highway"? Not sure what that means. So I take it this means lower MPG?

I testdrove a CVT crz and couldn't even get it above 50mpg. For such a small aerodynamic car I thought it would be a piece of cake. The non-lean-burn civic hybrid I drove got 58.

[theaveng]

I've seen too many lithium-powered model planes burst into flames. I have no desire to see lithium in a car, right next to a gas tank.

[samwichse]

I mean the engine RPMs are high, so the engine is turning way to fast as cruising speed.

They made this WORSE!