Is it possible to replace the batt with a larger Tesla batt?

I currently own a PIP and I live in Ithaca NY. I am thinking about getting a Rav EV.

I've read that battery degradation seems to be minimal if at all. But in the future if we wanted more range or if we ever needed to replace the battery, would it be possible to replace it with a larger kwh Tesla battery?

I have spent all morning reading threads on this site but I havent come across an answer to that question yet.

Thanks!

jimbo69ny said:

I currently own a PIP and I live in Ithaca NY. I am thinking about getting a Rav EV.

I've read that battery degradation seems to be minimal if at all. But in the future if we wanted more range or if we ever needed to replace the battery, would it be possible to replace it with a larger kwh Tesla battery?

I have spent all morning reading threads on this site but I havent come across an answer to that question yet.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Sure, for the right amount of money, it is absolutley possible. What I predict will happen is that somebody like myself will offer a kit to put 4000ma or greater cells in the car to replace the 2900ma cells and make a car with 38% more range.

Of course, it's likely possible to make a "double thick" pack that weighs 850 pounds more for about 90kWh.

But, there isn't enough room to install the current packaging of the Tesla Model S battery.

Thank you, that is what I was wondering. I doubted it was a simple bolt up of a Model S battery but I thought Id ask.

So, when do you plan on making these available? :mrgreen:

A related question... I'm actually wondering about building a "recharger" (not generator based) that would put between 5 and 10kwh into the vehicle.
(I know you'd have to stop to do this, since the car cant be charged while running).

I think one could do this (inefficiently) by just putting a battery pack in the car, running it into an inverter and then using something like OpenEVSE to "charge" the car from it.

However doing it with lead acid batteries would be heavy (i've built battery packs like that for solar systems, it would add several hundred pounds to do it). Plus most of the time you want it *out* of the vehicle and getting it in and out is a pain do to the weight.

Now you could do that with a lithium ion pack (for considerably more money, and less weight, emphasis on the considerably...).

Replacing the cells in the "factory" pack would definitely be an easier option.

That sounds extremely inefficient... by the way, the car does accept a charge while charge while driving. It's called regeneration.

eMotorWerks has played with adding batteries to the RAV4 EV. It seems that the AUX battery has a flatter discharge curve, so it discharges first. When it reaches the minimum SOC, it is disconnected with a contactor and the car just keeps going on the factory pack. The number of cells in the AUX pack was chosen so that the voltage at max SOC was the same between the two packs.

I think it would be interesting to do this with a smaller capacity cell in the AUX pack. This would allow voltage matching with less added weight and volume, with a correspondingly smaller added capacity. Filling the under-floor storage area would be perfect. Well, except rear end crash tolerance...

TonyWilliams said:

What I predict will happen is that somebody like myself will offer a kit to put 4000ma or greater cells in the car to replace the 2900ma cells and make a car with 38% more range.

Click to expand...

Now if you could combine that with the JdeMO ...